PM fibers are made of silica glass, which is brittle and highly susceptible to tensile stress. During grinding or polishing, uneven pressure, excessive grinding force, or high rotational speed can create localized tensile stress on the fiber end, leading to cracks or fractures at the end face . The stress is often concentrated at flaws or scratches, which act as initiation points for cracks.
Cracks are more likely to occur if the fiber end face contains pre-existing flaws, such as micro-scratches from cleaving, impurities in the fiber, or uneven surfaces caused by improper cleaving . Even small defects can concentrate stress and trigger fracture during polishing.
PM fibers are typically fixed in ferrules using epoxy. Excessive or uneven epoxy, or poor curing, can create stress points at the fiber-adhesive interface. During grinding, these stress points can propagate into the fiber, causing edge cracks or pits . Additionally, if the epoxy softens or sticks to the abrasive during polishing, it can transfer debris to the fiber end, further increasing the risk of cracking .
The choice of abrasive and polishing conditions is critical. Too high grinding pressure, worn or uneven abrasive surfaces, or improper abrasive grit size can lead to rolling grinding or uneven material removal, producing cracks at the fiber edge . Conversely, insufficient grinding force may leave residual pits that cannot be polished out, also increasing crack susceptibility.
Proper cleaving is essential for PM fibers. Imprecise cleaving or using damaged cleaving tools can create rough or uneven end faces, which are prone to cracking during subsequent polishing . High-quality cleaving reduces the formation of mist and hackle regions that act as stress concentrators.
In PM fibers, grinding cracks at the end face result from a combination of mechanical stress, surface flaws, adhesive-induced stress, and improper polishing parameters. Minimizing these cracks requires careful control of cleaving, polishing force, abrasive quality, ferrule and epoxy handling, and overall process consistency .
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