Entrance meniscus in a pressurized optical fiber coating applicator

Abstract The present work describes experimental measurements relevant to the coating process of optical fibers in pressurized applicators. The focus was on the entrance geometry, which was simulated using micropipettes of different sizes allowing visualization of the free surface with apparatus operating off-line, using glycerol as the surrogate coating liquid. The meniscus shape and position were measured for different applicator pressures, fiber speeds and tube diameters, and conditions for air entrapment were identified.