Alcohol Tests

Poly(methyl methacrylate), or plexiglass, was found to react to ethanol when used in high concentrations. When our fiber bending tank (made of poly) was being cleaned with pure ethanol, an obvious reaction was seen as crazing developed on the surface of the walls of the tank. Because our fibers are made from a similar material (polystyrene with flour-acrylic cladding) it seemed necessary to also test their reaction to exposure to alcohol.

The first alcohol test compared the differences between ethanol and propanol. After the first test, only ethanol concentrations were used for the alcohol tests because it will be an ethanol concentration that will be used to clean the fibers.

The procedure for the alcohol tests can be found here.

Heated Alcohol Tests

Non-heated Alcohol Tests

It was found that the fibers reacted more in heated ethanol versus non-heated ethanol. Light guide fibers which remained in 65 degree Celcius underwent significant fiber damage at lower concentrations of ethanol (around 65%) than the room temperature ethanol tests (where damage occurred around 80% ethanol). It seems as though the fiber's cladding is being disintegrated or dissolving into the ethanol concentrations they were resting in.