Double-layer optical fiber coating analysis in MHD flow of an elastico-viscous fluid using wet-on-wet coating process

Abstract

Modern optical fibers require a double-layer coating on the glass fiber in order to provide protection from signal attenuation and mechanical damage. The most important plastic resins used in wires and optical f ibers are plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and low and high density polyethylene (LDPE/HDPE), nylon and Polysulfone. One of the most important things which affect the final product after processing is the design of the coating die. In the present study, double-layer optical fiber coating is performed using melt poly mer satisfying Oldroyd 8-constant fluid model in a pressure type die with the effect of magneto hydrodynamic (MHD). Wet-on-wet coating process is applied for double-layer optical fiber coating. The coating process in the coating die is modeled as a simple two-layer Couette flow of two immiscible f luids in an annulus with an assigned pressure gradient. Based on the assumptions of fully developed laminar and MHD flow, the Oldroyd 8-constant model of non-Newtonian fluid of two immiscible resin layers is modeled. The governing nonlinear equations are solved analytically by the new technique of Optimal Homotopy Asymptotic Method (OHAM). The convergence of the series solution is established. The results are also verified by the Adomian Decomposition Method (ADM). The effect of important parameters such as magnetic parameter Mi, the dilatant constant a, the Pseodoplastic constant b, the radii ratio d, the pressure gradient X, the speed of fiber optics V, and the viscosity ratio j on the velocity profiles, thickness of coated fiber optics, volume flow rate, and shear stress on the fiber optics are inves tigated. At the end the result of the present work is also compared with the experimental results already available in the literature by taking non-Newtonian parameters tends to zero. 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND