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This paper describes four key measurements of critical coating performance attributes which can affect coated optical fiber performance. The four measurement methods to be described are: 1) primary coating adhesion, 2) coating toughness, 3) primary coating equilibrium modulus, and 4) primary coating glass transition temperature.

A complete understanding of the time-temperature dependent, viscoelastic mechanical properties of polymeric materials is essential for their successful application to engineering designs. We describe a computer-based system for acquiring, reducing and storing the mechanical properties of polymers, from which the useful forms of the mechanical characteristics may easily be reproduced and compared. We provide several examples illustrating the variety of ways in which these properties are utilized to forecast the performance of polymeric components of engineering designs under extreme field conditions.