Long-term reliability of plastic split alignment sleeves for single-mode fiber-optic connectors

We examined the creep properties and hazard rates of plastic split alignmen t sleeves to ensure the long term reliability of optical fiber connections. It required a gauge retention force F-r of more than 200 gf to suppress th e fluctuation in the insertion loss of a plastic sleeve. From ther fluctuat ion data, we estimated the time-to-failure t(f) at which the F-r value beca me 200 gf. We estimated the acceleration parameters, median life-times xi a nd hazard rates lambda by using the t(f) values based on the Weibull statis tics. The xi values decreased rapidly with increasing temperature and relat ive humidity. Small lambda values of < 0.01 FITs and of 1 FITs were expecte d for 20 years in a normal atmosphere (25<degrees>C/50%RH) and in a more se vere case of 25 degreesC/90%RH or 45 degreesC/50%RH.