Influence of water on the mechanical strength of fiber waveguides

An investigation was made of the influence of water on the mechanical strength of fiber waveguides made in accordance with the technology developed at the Institute of Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Gorki and the Institute of General Physics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. These fiber waveguides were stored in an unloaded state in water for ninety days and, although this reduced their strength by 15%, drying at 100 °C restored 98% of the initial strength. The results indicated the absence of growth of defects when the fibers were stored in an unloaded state. Measurements of the breaking strength in air and in water at different loading rates yielded a parameter representing the rate of growth of defects n = 21.5 ± 1.5. The value of n was found to be the same for fiber waveguides stored under laboratory conditions and in water.