Mechanical analysis of microstructured polymer optical fibres with different drawing pressures

Abstract

This Letter presents the mechanical analysis of polymethyl methacrylate microstructured polymer optical fibres drawn at different pressures. The fibres were drawn at 200, 400 and 600 mmH2O, where all the samples have a diameter close to 250 ìm. Tensile tests were performed in five samples of each drawing pressure and the statistical analysis was applied to Young's modulus, yield stress, strain at breakage and Poisson's ratio of each sample. Results show a statistically significant increase of Young's modulus with the increase in drawing pressure, whereas the strain at breakage presented the opposite behaviour, with its values decreasing as the drawing pressure increases. Furthermore, the Poisson's ratio, as well as, the yield stress do not show a statistically significant variation with the different drawing pressure analysed.