Scanning Tunneling Microscopy of Optical Fiber Corrosion: Surface Roughness Contribution to Zero-Stress Aging

Strength, fatigue resistance, and zero-stress aging behavior control the long-term mechanical reliability of optical fibers. Zero-stress aging refers to the loss of strength of high-strength glass fibers after exposure to some corrosive environments in the absence of stress. Understanding the effect of the chemical environment under zero stress on the subsequent fracture strength of optical fibers is important because optical fibers in service will probably encounter water and other chemical species while exposed to zero- or low-stress conditions. In this work, the strength of fibers aged under zero-stress conditions at 80°C in deionized water has been measured. Scanning tunneling microscopy was also used to measure the roughening of the fibers from corrosion at intervals during the aging. The product of the median inert strength of fibers aged for various times and the square root of the roughness depth of fibers was constant within experimental error. The results show that surface roughening contributes to zero-stress aging in silica fibers.