Study of the strength of optical fibers after removal of the primary protective coating by various methods

Today, telecommunication optical fiber is widely used in sensor systems. The use of optical fiber in a number of applications requires the removal of a protective coating. There are different ways to remove the protective coating, but it is obvious that any method leads to a decrease in the strength of the optical fiber. The paper presents the results of a study of the tensile strength of an optical fiber after removing the protective coating in three of the most common ways. The tensile strength of optical fiber samples was investigated after removing the protective coating mechanically using a optical fiber stripper, chemically using methylene chloride and using a laser. It is shown that the smallest decrease in optical fiber strength occurs with the chemical method of removing the protective coating with methylene chloride.