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This microphotograph compares four different types of contamination In very general terms, the contamination found on termini end-faces will fall into three basic categories: particulates, oils and salts. Each requires specialized methods for proper removal.Particulates are solids usually held on the end-face by electrostatic attraction. Static charges will actually attract dust particles in the same way…

There are many products that can be used to clean fiber end-faces, and they're made by many different companies to many different standards. So let us be blunt: just because they can be used doesn’t mean they should be used.In our experience, the very cheapest swabs are made from 'reticulated foam.' Google it. Foam is…

John Wooden used to ask his players at UCLA, “If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, when ARE you going to have the time to do it right?” It makes enormous sense, technically and economically, to do a job right the first time. That particularly applies to cleaning fiber optic…

Cleaning BEFORE cleaving is important, but not AFTER cleaving. There is nothing cleaner than the end-face of a newly-cleaved fiber.Fiber never should be cleaned after cleaving. If you do, the fiber end-face will be contaminated. This will cause extra work for the fusion splicer in the pre-burn phase, shorten the lifespan of the units electrodes,…

Static is an insidious actor when it comes to fiber optics. It comes from friction. Anytime two different materials are rubbed together there is a transfer of surface electrons that creates a static charge. The technical term for this event is “triboelectric charging.” This static charge turns the fiber optic end-face into a microscopic magnet, attracting…

It’s simple: fiber ferrules and connectors are NOT conductive, so there’s no place for any electrical charge to go. Let’s get back to the basics:Dielectric materials like ceramic ferrules and composite MT ferrules are insulators, not conductors. Since they are not conductive, there is no place for any static to go. When static is created,…