Finite element stress analysis of optical fiber due to mechanical expansion of hydrogel coating

Abstract

This paper presents the stress analysis in optical fiber due to swelling of hydrogel material coated on it. The silica optical fiber was assumed to be coated by hydrogel that consists of hydroxyethyl methacrylate, acrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinker. The hydrogel swelling was modeled using free energy function. The conditional equilibrium of hydrogel was solved using finite element method and the stress induced in optical fiber was simulated simultaneously. The simulations were done for two hydrogel coating thickness values, 30 µm and 40 µm. Etched optical fiber coated by 40 µm hydrogel was also simulated. The results show that maximum stress in optical fiber is higher for thicker hydrogel thickness and is higher for etched optical fiber. Maximum stress magnitudes at all pH values are below tensile strength of optical fiber.