Low-Temperature Aging of Zirconia Ferrules for Optical Connectors

Zirconia ferrules for optical connectors were examined after aging at 85°C and 95% relative humidity. Two degradation mechanisms were the roughening and the deformation of the zirconia ferrule surface. Raman microscopy revealed that this relatively low‐temperature degradation of zirconia ferrules is caused by the tetragonal to monoclinic transformation of zirconia, and is accelerated by stress relief during polishing. The surface upheavals associated with low‐temperature aging may significantly degrade the performance of optical connectors over time.