Fiber optic corrosion sensor fabricated by electrochemical method

This paper reports the research of a Fiber Optic Corrosion Sensor (FOCS) fabricated by electroplating an Fe-C alloy film onto an optical fiber core within the sensing region. Fabrication of the sensing film involves removal of the cladding, metallization of the optical fiber core, and electroplating of the Fe-C alloy layer. The initial results show that the sensor output power increases by about 35 percent when the film is corroded with the sensor of the film passivated, and that the time taken to rise to maximum output power is prolonged by almost 3 times, compared with that for non-passivated film. These result demonstrate the feasibility of using optical fiber corrosion sensors for monitoring corrosion of steel in civil structures.