Abstract

In assessing the impact of hydrogen degradation on fiber and cable designs, one must distinguish between submarine and land-based cables. Submarine cable is well sealed, whereas with land cable there is an escape route for H₂, and so an equilibrium pressure is reached¹ at a level at which suitable fibers undergo negligible degradation. This paper is concerned with forecasting the degradation for current fibers in typical cables over a service life of 25 yr. We need to know the amounts by which fibers degrade in the short periods for which data are available and the law to use for extrapolation.

© 1985 Optical Society of America