What are the disadvantages of fibers optics?
This must be borne in mind that the real nature of the conductor, in lighting systems, shows only one of the components responsible for system performance. Glass light guides are always sheathed into a polymer tube and the general end encapsulated with epoxy compounds.
The real element in contact with the environment is the polymer tube. Actually, the characteristics of such element will, for all purposes, find out the resilience of the system. This small considered point makes nonsense of several critics of polymer fiber who complain of the plastic contents. The matter is that when we take a 2mm-polymer fiber and a glass fiber with similar optical diameter we will find out that the latter contains more plastic than the former. Of course we are talking about a bare PMMA fiber, it is to say without cladding.
PMMA fibers can be utilized bare, glass fibers cannot; should always be cladded. At the common ending, the epoxy compounds make up to 17 percent of the total optical area to obtain the light from the lamp. This is a well known fact as these potting adhesives behave erratically within the presence of steep radiation gradients and high temperatures, as the ones present at the screen or focus of the lamp within the generator, illuminator or light source. These epoxies is subjected to age very quickly, darken and absorb more radiation, heat up and contribute to the deterioration or premature failure of the system. Conversely, glass fibers are very brittle. A study demonstrates that vibration affects adversely glass fibers up to the point where shatter may happen. If the external tube or sheath becomes also hard and lose flexibility due to environmental factors then the light guide becomes very fragile.