JP2019049679A - Endless belt, method for manufacturing endless belt, member for endless belt, fixing member, fixing device, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an endless belt that prevents a reduction in adhesion between a metal layer and an adhesion layer.SOLUTION: An endless belt comprises: a base material 10A; a metal layer 10B that is provided on the base material 10A, the metal layer 10B including nickel plating having a functional group derived from a hydroxy group on its surface, where the amount of the functional group is 4.1 mmol/g or more; an adhesion layer 10C that is provided on the metal layer 10B in contact therewith and contains a compound having a reactive group structure and a siloxane structure; and an elastic layer 10D that is provided in contact with the adhesion layer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an endless belt, a method of manufacturing an endless belt, a member for an endless belt, a fixing member, a fixing device, and an image forming apparatus.

In Patent Document 1, “a substrate having a surface containing nickel and a silicone rubber elastic layer are provided, and the surface of the substrate and the silicone rubber elastic layer are bonded via a Ni—O—Si bond. The elastic member, wherein the base material has nickel oxide on the surface thereof.
Patent Document 2 describes “a fixing member having a layer on a carrier, which has an adhesive layer having a fluorine-containing polyimide resin and an outermost layer made of a fluorine resin as the layer. Is disclosed.
In Patent Document 3, "the surface of a galvanized substrate is brought into contact with an alkaline aqueous solution to introduce a hydroxyl group on the surface of the galvanized substrate, and a silane treatment is performed on the surface of the galvanized substrate after the hydroxylation treatment. Silane coupling agent treatment step of forming a hydrogen bond between a silanol group derived from a silane coupling agent and a hydroxyl group on the surface of a galvanized substrate by bringing into contact with an aqueous solution of a coupling agent, and zinc after treatment with a silane coupling agent The surface of a galvanized substrate, including the step of heating the plated substrate to form a silane coupling agent film on the surface of the galvanized substrate through the SiO bond formed by the dehydration condensation reaction of the silanol group and the hydroxyl group. "Processing method." Is disclosed. And, a drive belt using this method is disclosed.

JP, 2013-148716, A JP 10-340022 A JP, 2015-137404, A

  In an endless belt, when an adhesive layer is provided on a substrate having a metal layer containing nickel plating, the adhesion between the metal layer and the adhesive layer may be reduced.

  An object of the present invention is that, in an endless belt having a metal layer containing nickel plating, the surface of nickel plating contained in the metal layer before the adhesion layer is provided has a content of hydroxy groups of less than 4.1 mmol / g. An object of the present invention is to provide an endless belt in which a decrease in adhesion between a metal layer and an adhesive layer is suppressed as compared to the case.

  In order to achieve the above object, the following invention is provided.

The invention according to claim 1 is
A substrate,
A metal layer provided on the substrate, the metal layer including a nickel plating having a functional group derived from a hydroxy group on the surface, wherein the amount of the functional group is 4.1 mmol / g or more;
An adhesive layer provided on the metal layer and including a compound having a reactive group structure and a siloxane structure;
An elastic layer provided in contact with the adhesive layer;
Endless belt with

The invention according to claim 2 is
The endless belt according to claim 1, wherein the elastic layer contains silicone rubber.
The invention according to claim 3 is
The endless belt according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is made of a heat resistant resin.
The invention according to claim 4 is
The endless belt according to claim 3, wherein the heat resistant resin is polyimide.
The invention according to claim 5 is
The endless belt according to claim 1, further comprising a surface layer provided on the elastic layer.
The invention according to claim 6 is
The endless belt according to claim 5, wherein the surface layer contains a fluorocarbon resin.

The invention according to claim 7 is
Providing a metal layer on the substrate, providing a metal layer including a nickel plating having a hydroxy group on the surface, wherein the amount of the hydroxy group is 4.1 mmol / g or more;
Applying an adhesive containing a compound having a reactive group structure and a siloxane structure on the metal layer to provide an adhesive layer;
Providing an elastic layer on the adhesive layer;
A method of manufacturing an endless belt having the
The invention according to claim 8 is
Furthermore, the process of storing the substrate provided with the metal layer under an inert gas atmosphere is provided between the step of providing the metal layer and the step of providing the adhesive layer. Method.

The invention according to claim 9 is
A substrate,
A metal layer provided on the substrate, having a hydroxy group on the surface, wherein the amount of the hydroxy group is at least 4.1 mmol / g,
A member for an endless belt comprising:
The invention according to claim 10 is
A fixing member comprising the endless belt according to claim 1.
The invention according to claim 11 is
A fixing member according to claim 10,
A pressing member for pressing the outer peripheral surface of the fixing member and sandwiching a recording medium having an unfixed toner image formed on the surface together with the fixing member;
Heating means for heating an unfixed toner image on the recording medium;
A fixing device.
The invention according to claim 12 is
An image carrier,
A charging device for charging the surface of the image carrier;
An electrostatic latent image forming apparatus for forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the charged image carrier;
A developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image carrier with toner to form a toner image;
A transfer device for transferring a toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier to a recording medium;
The fixing device according to claim 11, wherein the toner image is fixed to the recording medium.
An image forming apparatus comprising:

  According to the invention of claim 1, in the endless belt having a metal layer containing nickel plating, the surface of the nickel plating contained in the metal layer before providing the adhesive layer has a content of 4.1 mmol / hydroxy group. An endless belt is provided in which the decrease in adhesion between the metal layer and the adhesive layer is suppressed as compared with the case of less than g.

According to the invention as set forth in claim 2, the surface of the nickel plating contained in the metal layer before the adhesive layer is provided has adhesion to the metal layer as compared with the case where the content of hydroxy group is less than 4.1 mmol / g. A decrease in adhesion with the layer is suppressed, and an endless belt is provided in which the elastic layer contains silicone rubber.
According to the invention concerning Claim 3, 4, compared with the case where the surface of the nickel plating contained in the metal layer before providing an adhesion layer is less than 4.1 mmol / g as content of a hydroxyl group, a metal layer In the endless belt, the base material is made of a heat-resistant resin.
According to the invention according to claims 5 and 6, compared to the case where the surface of the nickel plating contained in the metal layer before the adhesive layer is provided has a hydroxy group content of less than 4.1 mmol / g, the metal layer A decrease in adhesion between the adhesive layer and the adhesive layer is suppressed, and an endless belt having a surface layer provided on the elastic layer is provided.

  According to the invention as set forth in claims 7 and 8, in the method for producing an endless belt having a metal layer containing nickel plating, the content of the hydroxy group on the surface of nickel plating is less than 4.1 mmol / g. There is provided a method of manufacturing an endless belt in which the decrease in adhesion between the metal layer and the adhesive layer is suppressed.

  According to the invention as set forth in claim 9, in the member for an endless belt having a metal layer containing nickel plating, the metal layer is compared to the case where the content of the hydroxy group on the surface of nickel plating is less than 4.1 mmol / g. Provided is a member for an endless belt in which a decrease in adhesion between the metal layer and the adhesive layer is suppressed when the adhesive layer is provided thereon.

According to the invention of claim 10, in the endless belt having a metal layer containing nickel plating, the surface of the nickel plating contained in the metal layer before the adhesion layer is provided has a content of hydroxy group of 4.1 mmol / A fixing member is provided in which the decrease in adhesion between the metal layer and the adhesive layer is suppressed as compared with the case where the endless belt is less than g.
According to the invention as set forth in claims 11 and 12, in the endless belt having a metal layer containing nickel plating, the surface of the nickel plating contained in the metal layer before the adhesive layer is provided has a hydroxy group content of 4. Provided are a fixing device and an image forming apparatus provided with a fixing member in which a decrease in adhesion with an adhesive layer is suppressed as compared with the case where a fixing member including an endless belt in the case of less than 1 mmol / g is applied.

It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the laminated constitution in an example of the endless belt which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration view showing an example of a fixing device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration view showing an example of an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment which is an example of the present invention will be described in detail.

<Method of manufacturing endless belt and endless belt>
The endless belt according to the present embodiment is a base material and a metal layer provided on the base material and has a functional group derived from a hydroxy group on the surface, and the amount of functional group is 4.1 mmol / g or more And an adhesive layer provided on and in contact with the metal layer and containing a compound having a reactive group structure and a siloxane structure, and an elastic layer provided in contact with the adhesive layer.

  Moreover, the manufacturing method of the endless belt which concerns on this embodiment is a process of providing a metal layer on a base material, Comprising: Nickel which has a hydroxyl group on the surface, and whose quantity of the said hydroxyl group is 4.1 mmol / g or more A step of providing a metal layer including plating, a step of applying an adhesive containing a compound having a reactive group structure and a siloxane structure on the metal layer to provide an adhesive layer, and a step of providing an elastic layer on the adhesive layer And.

  For example, the endless belt may be provided with a metal layer containing nickel plating on a substrate, and the elastic layer and the metal layer may be bonded via an adhesive. For example, when an adhesive layer is provided on a substrate having a metal layer containing nickel plating (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "member for endless belt"), the adhesion between the metal layer and the adhesive layer is reduced. There was a case to do. It is believed that this is because when the amount of hydroxy groups present on the nickel plating surface is too low, the reaction site between the adhesive and the hydroxy groups present on the nickel plating surface is reduced. Therefore, the decrease in the adhesion between the metal layer and the adhesive layer is considered to be a phenomenon caused by the decrease in the bonding amount between the adhesive and the hydroxy group present on the nickel-plated surface.

  The reduction of the amount of hydroxy groups present on the nickel plating surface is considered as follows. For example, the endless belt member may be stored before the adhesive layer is provided on the metal layer of the endless belt member. For example, when a member for an endless belt is stored in the air environment, oxidation of the surface of the nickel plating progresses and phenomena such as a phenomenon in which the surface is covered with an oxide film and a phenomenon in which foreign matter of organic matter adheres. These phenomena are considered to reduce the amount of hydroxy groups on the surface of the nickel plating because the hydroxy groups present on the surface of the nickel plating are covered.

On the other hand, in the endless belt and the method of manufacturing the endless belt according to the present embodiment, the above-described configuration suppresses the decrease in adhesion with the adhesive layer. When the adhesive layer is provided on the metal layer of the endless belt member, the amount of hydroxy groups present on the surface of the nickel plating contained in the metal layer before providing the adhesive layer is 4.1 mmol / g or more, Deterioration of the reactivity of the adhesive with the hydroxy group present on the nickel plating surface is suppressed. That is, the decrease in the bonding site between the adhesive and the hydroxy group present on the nickel plating surface is suppressed. As a result, it is considered that the decrease in adhesion between the metal layer and the adhesive layer is suppressed.
And in the endless belt concerning this embodiment, the adhesive and the hydroxy group which exists on the nickel plating surface are reacting. Therefore, in the endless belt according to the present embodiment, it is considered that the decrease in adhesion between the metal layer and the adhesive layer is suppressed when the amount of the functional group derived from the hydroxy group is 4.1 mmol / g or more. .

  In addition, as a method of suppressing the fall of the quantity of the hydroxy group which exists on the nickel plating surface, for example, the member for endless belts is provided with nitrogen gas until it provides an adhesion layer on the metal layer of the member for endless belts. And storage under an inert gas environment such as By storing in an inert gas environment, oxidation of hydroxy groups present on the surface of nickel plating, adhesion of organic substances, etc. are suppressed, and it is thought that the phenomenon rate of hydroxy groups present on the surface of nickel plating decreases. . Therefore, storage under an inert gas environment is considered to be a useful method in which the amount of hydroxy groups present on the surface of nickel plating is 4.1 mmol / g or more. Moreover, the obtained endless belt is useful at the point which becomes easy to control the quantity of the functional group originating in a hydroxy group to 4.1 mmol / g or more.

Hereinafter, as an example of the endless belt according to the present embodiment, the configuration of the endless belt will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration view showing an example of an endless belt according to the present embodiment.
A belt 10 shown in FIG. 1 is an endless belt having a layer structure in which a metal layer 10B, a contact layer 10C, an elastic layer 10D, and a release layer 10E are sequentially stacked on the outer peripheral surface of a base 10A. It is. In the metal layer 10B, a base metal layer 102, an electromagnetic induction metal layer 104 that generates heat by electromagnetic induction, and a metal protective layer 106 are stacked in this order.

Hereinafter, each layer constituting the endless belt according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail by taking the fixing belt including the endless belt according to the present embodiment as an example.
In addition, although the belt 10 of a structure shown in FIG. 1 is mentioned as an example and demonstrated as an endless belt which concerns on this embodiment below, this embodiment is not limited to this structure. For example, the metal layer 10B shown in FIG. 1 is not particularly limited as long as it includes nickel plating. For example, FIG. 1 shows a structure in which a base metal layer 102, an electromagnetic induction metal layer 104, and a metal protective layer 106 are stacked in this order as the metal layer 10B, but the number of metal layers stacked is different. Good. Specifically, it may be a metal layer which is made of a single layer metal layer and which generates heat by electromagnetic induction. In particular, among the metal layers, nickel plating having a hydroxy group on the surface is preferably a layer in contact with the adhesive layer. In addition, nickel plating represents that it is plating containing nickel (or nickel alloy).
In addition, the code | symbol of each layer may be abbreviate | omitted and demonstrated below.

[Substrate 10A]
It is preferable that the base material 10A be a layer that maintains high strength with little change in physical properties even when the metal layer 10B generates heat. For this reason, the base material 10A is preferably mainly composed of a heat resistant resin (in the present specification, "mainly" and "main component" mean 50% or more by mass ratio, Is also synonymous).

  In the case of the base material 10A mainly made of heat resistant resin, the slidability with the pressing member in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the belt is secured, and the life of the pressing member is extended. Furthermore, since the heat resistant resin has a heat insulating effect, the heat from the metal layer 10B can be efficiently transferred to the outer peripheral surface side without being released to the pressing member.

Examples of the heat resistant resin that can constitute the substrate 10A include liquid crystal materials such as polyimide, aromatic polyamide, thermotropic liquid crystal polymer, etc., and high heat resistant and high strength resins, etc. Besides these, polyester, polyethylene Terephthalate, polyether sulfone, polyether ketone, polysulfone, polyimidamide and the like are used. Among these, polyimide is preferred.
Further, the heat insulating effect may be further improved by adding a filler having a heat insulating effect to the heat resistant resin or foaming the heat resistant resin.

  The thickness of the base material 10A is preferably in the range of 10 μm to 200 μm, and more preferably in the range of 30 μm to 100 μm, from the viewpoint of achieving both rigidity and flexibility for realizing cyclic transfer of the belt repeatedly over a long period of time. .

Further, from the viewpoint of suppressing the generation of cracks in the metal layer 10B, it is preferable that the tensile strength of the base 10A satisfy 200 MPa or more (more preferably 250 MPa or more). The tensile strength of the substrate is adjusted by the type of resin, the type of filler and the amount added.
In addition, the tensile strength (MPa) of the substrate is obtained by cutting the substrate into a strip of 5 mm in width, placing it in a tensile tester Model 1605N (manufactured by AIKO ENGINEERING CO., LTD.) And pulling at a constant speed of 10 mm / sec. It is measured in tensile breaking strength (MPa).

[Base metal layer 102]
The base metal layer 102 is a layer formed in advance for forming the electromagnetic induction metal layer 104 on the outer peripheral surface of the base 10A by electrolytic plating, and is provided as necessary. As a method of forming the electromagnetic induction metal layer 104, electrolytic plating is preferable from the viewpoint of cost and the like, but when using the base material 10A mainly made of resin, it is difficult to directly perform electrolytic plating. Therefore, in order to form the electromagnetic induction metal layer 104, the base metal layer 102 is preferably provided.

  As a method of forming the base metal layer 102 on the outer peripheral surface of the base 10A, electroless plating, sputtering, vapor deposition, etc. may be mentioned, and from the viewpoint of film formation easiness, chemical plating (electroless plating) Among them, a general electroless nickel plating layer, an electroless copper plating layer and the like are preferable.

  Before the base metal layer 102 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the base material 10A by electroless plating, the surface roughness of the outer peripheral surface of the base material 10A is made rough beforehand so that the metal particles are easily attached (rough Surface treatment may be performed. Examples of the surface roughening treatment include a method of roughening the surface of the substrate 10A by sand blasting using alumina abrasives or the like, cutting, sandpapering, or the like.

  The thickness of the base metal layer 102 is preferably in the range of 0.1 μm to 5 μm, and more preferably in the range of 0.3 μm to 3 μm.

  The thickness of each layer constituting the belt according to this embodiment is a cross section in the circumferential direction and the axial direction of the cylindrical body of the belt, and the accelerating voltage 2 of the scanning electron microscope ("JSM6700F" manufactured by JEOL Ltd.) It is the value which measured the film thickness from the observation image in .0 kV and 5000 times.

[Electromagnetic induction metal layer 104]
The electromagnetic induction metal layer 104 is a heat generating layer having a function of generating heat due to an eddy current generated in the layer when a magnetic field is applied, and is made of a metal that generates an electromagnetic induction effect.
As a metal which produces an electromagnetic induction action, for example, a single metal such as nickel, iron, copper, gold, silver, aluminum, chromium, tin, zinc or an alloy containing two or more kinds of metals may be selected. . Copper, nickel, aluminum, iron and chromium are suitable in view of cost, heat generation performance and processability, and among them, copper or an alloy based on copper is particularly preferable.

  The electromagnetic induction metal layer 104 is formed by a known method such as electrolytic plating.

  The thickness of the electromagnetic induction metal layer 104 differs in the optimum thickness depending on the metal material, but in the case of using copper for the electromagnetic induction metal layer 104, for example, the thickness of the electromagnetic induction metal layer 104 from the viewpoint of efficiently generating heat. Is preferably in the range of 3 μm to 50 μm, more preferably in the range of 3 μm to 30 μm, and still more preferably in the range of 5 μm to 20 μm.

[Metal protection layer 106]
The metal protective layer is provided on the outer peripheral surface side of the electromagnetic induction metal layer 104 in order to improve film strength, suppress cracking due to repeated deformation, oxidation deterioration due to repeated heating for a long time, etc. and maintain heat generation characteristics. It is preferably provided in contact with the electromagnetic induction metal layer 104.

  The metal protective layer 106 is preferably a thin film having high breaking strength, high durability and oxidation resistance, and is preferably an oxidation resistant metal. Specifically, the metal protective layer 106 is a plating containing nickel (or a nickel alloy), which is an oxidation-resistant metal, in particular, in view of the occurrence of cracks due to repeated deformation and the suppression of oxidation deterioration due to repeated heating and the like. Is preferred.

  The thickness of the metal protective layer varies depending on the material, but for example, when the metal protective layer is formed of nickel, while the generation of cracks due to the lack of breaking strength is suppressed, flexibility is obtained, and the film From the viewpoint of suppressing the warm-up time to be short, the heat capacity of itself is preferably in the range of 2 μm to 20 μm, more preferably in the range of 2 μm to 15 μm, and in the range of 5 μm to 10 μm. It is further preferred that

The metal protective layer is preferably formed by electrolytic plating in consideration of processability with a thin film, and among them, electrolytic nickel plating having high strength is more preferable.
In the case of forming by electrolytic plating, first, a plating solution containing metal ions such as nickel ions is prepared, and the substrate 10A having the base metal layer 102 and the electromagnetic induction metal layer 104 is immersed in this plating solution to perform electrolytic plating. Form an electrolytic plating layer of the required thickness.

  The surface of nickel plating as a metal protective layer has a hydroxy group for reacting with a compound used in the adhesive layer described later, and the amount of hydroxy group present on the surface of nickel plating is 4.1 mmol / g or more . Preferably it is 4.8 mmol / g or more, More preferably, it is 6.0 mmol / g or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited because the adhesiveness between the metal layer and the adhesive layer tends to improve as the amount of hydroxy groups present on the surface of the nickel plating increases, but for example, 10.0 mmol / g or less can be mentioned. .

  The measurement of the amount of hydroxy groups present on the surface of nickel plating is carried out by F derivatization XPS method. In the F-derivatized XPS method, a hydroxy group present on the surface of nickel plating is selectively reacted with F (fluorine atom), and the amount of F generated is subjected to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) The amount of hydroxy groups is determined by Specifically, the hydroxyl group on the nickel-plated surface of the endless belt member to be measured is gas phase derivatized with trifluoroacetic anhydride (hereinafter, TFAA). However, since TFAA is indistinguishable by reaction of both a hydroxy group and an amino group, when it is reacted with ammonia after derivatization with TFAA, the introduced fluoride is detached but the amino group is not changed. Hydroxy groups were quantified using this method. That is, the amount of hydroxy groups is quantified by (hydroxy group + amino group) -amino group. The amount of fluorine after each reaction is measured from the value (10 kV, 10 mA) using an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (product name: JPS-9000MX, manufactured by JEOL Ltd., product name: JPS-9000MX), and the value is hydroxy The group is quantified. In addition, below, it shows about reaction formula when making the hydroxyl group and the amino group which exist on the nickel plating surface react with ammonia after derivatization by TFAA, respectively.

[Adhesive layer 10C]
The adhesive layer 10C is a layer provided between the metal layer 10B and the elastic layer 10D.
As described above, the adhesive layer 10C is an adhesive layer containing a compound having a reactive group structure and a siloxane structure (hereinafter, may be referred to as a polysiloxane having a reactive group structure). That is, the adhesive layer 10C is a layer of a cured product of a composition including a polysiloxane having a reactive group structure. A composition containing a polysiloxane having a reactive group structure is coated on a metal layer to form silanol groups by a hydrolysis reaction. And it condenses with the hydroxy group which exists on the surface of nickel plating by the condensation reaction with a silanol group. Moreover, a siloxane bond is formed by the reaction of alkoxysilyl groups. Thereby, an adhesion layer is formed in which the metal layer containing nickel plating and the adhesion layer are combined. Further, due to this dehydration condensation reaction, a functional group derived from a hydroxy group is present on the surface of the nickel plating.
Hereinafter, the compound of the adhesive layer will be described.

-Composition containing siloxane having reactive group structure-
Having a reactive group structure means having a reactive group in the structure. The reactive group structure of the siloxane having a reactive group structure is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a hydrosilyl group (SiH group) and the like. That is, a composition containing a siloxane having a reactive group structure includes, for example, a polysiloxane having at least an SiH structure, and optionally, other components in addition to tetraalkoxysilane and an alkenyl silane coupling agent. A composition is mentioned.
Hereinafter, although the composition containing the polysiloxane which has a SiH structure is mentioned as an example and demonstrated, the composition containing the polysiloxane which has a reactive group structure used for an adhesive layer is not limited to this.

Polysiloxane having SiH structure: A polysiloxane having an SiH structure has one or more SiH structures (that is, a structure in which a silicon atom and a hydrogen atom are directly bonded) and two or more continuous siloxane bonds. It is a siloxane compound.
The number of SiH structures possessed by one molecule of polysiloxane having an SiH structure is 1 or more, preferably 2 or more, and 2 or more and 10 or less from the viewpoint of adhesion to the elastic layer and imparting rubber elasticity to the adhesive layer. More preferably, 2 or more and 4 or less are more preferable.
The number of Si atoms contained in one molecule of the polysiloxane having the SiH structure is 3 or more, preferably 3 or more and 100 or less from the viewpoint of adhesion improvement and rubber elasticity.
The number average molecular weight of the polysiloxane having the SiH structure is, for example, 200 or more and 10000 or less, and is preferably 200 or more and 6000 or less from the viewpoint of improvement in adhesion and provision of rubber elasticity.
The number average molecular weight is measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The molecular weight measurement by GPC is performed using a Tosoh GPC / HLC-8120 GPC as a measurement apparatus, a Tosoh column / TSKgel SuperHM-M (15 cm) in THF solvent. The number average molecular weight is calculated from the measurement results using a molecular weight calibration curve prepared from monodispersed polystyrene standard samples.

The molecular structure of the polysiloxane having the SiH structure may be linear, branched or cyclic.
As a polysiloxane which has SiH structure, the compound represented by following General formula (1) is mentioned, for example.

In general formula (1), R ¹¹ , R ¹² , R ¹³ , R ¹⁴ , R ¹⁵ , R ¹⁶ and R ¹⁷ each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group, and n is 1 or more. Indicates an integer.

Examples of the monovalent organic group represented by R ^{11 to} R ¹⁷ in the general formula (1) include a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted silyloxy group and the like. Be

Examples of the alkyl group represented by R ^{11 to} R ¹⁷ in the general formula (1) include linear or branched alkyl groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms (preferably 1 to 3 carbon atoms), and the like. Specifically, for example, methyl group, ethyl group, n-propyl group, isopropyl group, n-butyl group, isobutyl group and the like can be mentioned.
In the general formula (1), examples of the substituent of the alkyl group represented by R ¹¹ ~R17, for example, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group described later, and the like substituted or unsubstituted silyloxy group.

In the general formula ^(1), the aryl group represented by R 11 ^{to R 17,} for example, a phenyl group, a naphthyl group, and the like.
In the general formula (1), examples of the substituent of the aryl group represented by R ¹¹ to R ^17, for example, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group described above, and the like substituted or unsubstituted silyloxy group described below.

In the general formula (1), examples of the substituent of the silyloxy group represented by R ¹¹ to R ^17, for example, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group above, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted silyloxy group Can be mentioned.

Among these, R ^{11 to} R ¹⁷ in the general formula (1) are, among them, a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 2 carbon atoms, and an unsubstituted alkyl group, from the viewpoint of adhesion improvement and rubber elasticity. A phenyl group, an unsubstituted silyloxy group, and a silyloxy group substituted with an unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 2 carbon atoms are preferable, and a hydrogen atom and an alkyl group having 1 to 2 carbon atoms are more preferable.

When n in the general formula (1) is 2 or more, two or more of R ¹³ and R ¹⁴ in the compound represented by the general formula (1) may be the same or different. Good, but preferably the same.
Moreover, R ¹³ and R ¹⁴ in the general formula (1) may be the same as or different from each other, but are preferably the same. R ¹¹ and R ¹² in the general formula (1) may be the same as or different from each other, but are preferably the same. R ¹⁵ and R ¹⁶ in the general formula (1) may be the same as or different from each other, but are preferably the same.

Among the compounds represented by the general formula (1), compounds in which R ^{11 to} R ¹⁶ are hydrogen, a methyl group or an ethyl group, and R ¹⁷ is a hydrogen atom are preferable, and R ^{11 to} R ¹⁶ are preferable. The compound in which all are methyl groups and R ¹⁷ is a hydrogen atom is more preferable.

  As content of the polysiloxane which has SiH structure with respect to the whole composition, 1 mass% or more and 50 mass% or less are mentioned, for example, From an adhesive viewpoint and a viewpoint of a coating property improvement, 2 mass% or more and 30 mass% or less are preferable. .

-Tetraalkoxysilane Tetraalkoxysilane is a compound in which four alkoxy groups are bonded to a Si atom, and is represented by the following general formula (2).

In general formula (2), R ²¹ , R ²² , R ²³ and R ²⁴ each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group.

Examples of the alkyl group represented by R ^{21 to} R ²⁴ in the general formula (2) include linear or branched alkyl groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms (preferably 1 to 3 carbon atoms). For example, a methyl group, an ethyl group, an n-propyl group, an isopropyl group, an n-butyl group, an isobutyl group etc. are mentioned.
In the general formula (2), examples of the substituent of the alkyl group represented by R ²¹ to R ^24, for example, specifically for example, linear or branched alkoxy group, a methoxy group, an ethoxy group, a propoxy group, Isopropoxy group, butoxy group, isobutoxy group and the like can be mentioned.

In the general formula (2), R ²¹ ~R ^24, among these, wrinkle suppressing the viewpoint of the recording medium, an unsubstituted alkyl group are preferable, methyl group, ethyl group, n- propyl group are more preferred, A methyl group and an ethyl group are more preferable, and a methyl group is particularly preferable.
R ^{21 to} R ²⁴ in the general formula (2) may be the same as or different from each other, but are preferably the same.
Among these, a compound in which R ^{21 to} R ²⁴ is a methyl group or an ethyl group is preferable as the tetraalkoxysilane represented by the general formula (2), and a compound in which all of R ^{21 to} R ²⁴ are a methyl group is More preferable.

As content of the tetraalkoxysilane with respect to the whole composition, 1 mass% or more and 50 mass% or less are mentioned, for example, 2 mass% or more and 30 mass% or less are preferable. When the content of the tetraalkoxysilane is in the above range, peeling or the like of the elastic layer is suppressed as compared with the case where the content is less than the above range.
In addition, as an amount of tetraalkoxysilane with respect to 100 mass parts of polysiloxane which has SiH structure contained in a composition, 10 mass parts or more and 500 mass parts or less are mentioned, for example, 20 mass parts or more and 300 mass parts or less are preferable. .

(Silane coupling agent having an alkenyl group)
The alkenyl-based silane coupling agent is not particularly limited as long as it is a silane coupling agent having an alkenyl group.
Here, the silane coupling agent is a compound in which at least one of an alkoxy group and a halogen atom is directly bonded to a Si atom.
Moreover, as an alkenyl group, a C2-C4 alkenyl group is mentioned, for example, A vinyl group, an allyl group, a butenyl group etc. are specifically mentioned, for example. Moreover, as an alkenyl group, the alkenyl group which has a double bond at the terminal is preferable.

  Specific examples of the alkenyl silane coupling agent include, for example, vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltriisopropoxysilane, vinyltris (methoxyethoxy) silane, vinyltrichlorosilane, allyltrimethoxysilane and the like.

In particular, preferred examples of the alkenyl-based silane coupling agent include compounds having an alkenyl group and in which three alkoxy groups are directly bonded to a Si atom.
Moreover, as an alkenyl type silane coupling agent, the compound represented by following General formula (3) is mentioned, for example.

In general formula (3), R ³¹ , R ³² and R ³³ each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, and R ³⁴ represents a monovalent organic group having an alkenyl group.

In the general formula (3), examples of the substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group represented by R ^{31 to} R ³³ include, for example, the same as the substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group represented by R ^{21 to} R ²⁴ in the general formula (2). The ones of
R ^{31 to} R ³³ in the general formula (3) may be the same as or different from each other, but are preferably the same.

Examples of the monovalent organic group having an alkenyl group represented by R ³⁴ in the general formula (3) include an alkenyl group, an alkenyloxyalkyl group, an alkenylcycloalkyl group, an alkenylaryl group and the like.
Among these, the monovalent organic group having an alkenyl group represented by R ³⁴ in the general formula (3) is preferably an alkenyl group, more preferably an alkenyl group having a double bond at the end, a vinyl group, an allyl group, 3-butenyl group is more preferred, and vinyl group is particularly preferred.

Among these, the alkenyl-based silane coupling agent represented by the general formula (3) is preferably a compound in which R ^{31 to} R ³³ are a methyl group or an ethyl group, and R ³⁴ is a vinyl group or an allyl group. Compounds in which all of ^{31 to} R ³³ are a methyl group and R ³⁴ is a vinyl group are more preferable.

The content of the alkenyl silane coupling agent with respect to the whole composition is, for example, 1% by mass to 50% by mass, and from the viewpoint of adhesion improvement and rubber elasticity provision, 2% by mass to 30% by mass preferable.
In addition, as an amount of the alkenyl type silane coupling agent with respect to 100 mass parts of polysiloxane which has SiH structure contained in a composition, 20 mass parts or more and 500 mass parts or less are mentioned, for example, 30 mass parts or more and 300 mass parts The following are preferred.

-Other components The composition may contain other components as needed.
Examples of other components include solvents (for example, butyl acetate and the like) and inorganic particles (for example, iron oxide, silica and the like).
In addition, the composition may further include another silane coupling agent as another component. Other silane coupling agents include, for example, epoxy-based silane coupling agents, amino-based silane coupling agents, methacryl-based silane coupling agents, styryl-based (phenyl vinyl-based) silane coupling agents, and amino Base based silane coupling agents and the like can be mentioned.

  The thickness of the adhesive layer 10C is, for example, 0.1 μm to 10 μm, preferably in the range of 0.2 μm to 7 μm, and more preferably in the range of 0.3 μm to 5 μm.

[Elastic layer 10D]
The elastic layer 10D is a layer provided in view of providing elasticity with respect to pressure applied from the outer peripheral side to the fixing member, and for example, when used as a fixing belt in an image forming apparatus, unevenness of the toner image on the recording medium The surface of the fixing member is in close contact with the toner image.

The elastic layer 10D may be made of, for example, an elastic material that recovers its original shape even when deformed by application of an external force of 100 Pa.
The elastic layer 10D in the present embodiment preferably contains, for example, silicone rubber. In silicone rubber, the uncured product has a carbon-carbon double bond (e.g., a vinyl group). When a composition containing a polysiloxane having an SiH structure is used for the adhesive layer 10C, the elastic layer 10D contains a silicone rubber, thereby including the carbon-carbon double bond contained in the silicone rubber and the adhesive layer. It is thought that a hydrogen atom in the SiH structure (ie, a hydrogen atom directly bonded to the Si atom) reacts to form a covalent bond. Therefore, it is considered that the adhesive layer 10C and the elastic layer 10D can obtain high adhesion.

Examples of silicone rubber include RTV silicone rubber, HTV silicone rubber, liquid silicone rubber, etc. Specifically, polydimethyl silicone rubber (MQ), methyl vinyl silicone rubber (VMQ), methyl phenyl silicone rubber (PMQ) And fluorosilicone rubber (FVMQ).
As a commercial item, liquid silicone rubber SE6744 by Toray Dow Corning silicone, etc. are mentioned, for example.

  In the present embodiment, in the elastic material contained in the elastic layer 10D, it is preferable that the silicone rubber is the main component (that is, 50% or more by mass ratio is included), and the content is 90% by mass or more. It is more preferable that it is 99 mass% or less.

The elastic layer 10D may further contain a material other than silicone rubber as an elastic material, and examples thereof include heat resistant rubber such as fluororubber. Examples of fluorine rubber include vinylidene fluoride rubber, tetrafluoroethylene / propylene rubber, tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoromethyl vinyl ether rubber, phosphazene rubber, fluoropolyether and the like.
As a commercial item, Viton B-202 etc. made from DuPont Dow elastmers are mentioned, for example.

The elastic layer 10D may contain an inorganic filler in addition to the elastic material for the purpose of reinforcement, heat resistance, heat transfer, and the like. Examples of the inorganic filler include known ones, and preferred examples include fumed silica, crystalline silica, iron oxide, alumina, metallic silicon and the like.
As the material of the inorganic filler, in addition to the above, carbide (for example, carbon black, carbon fiber, carbon nanotube, etc.), titanium oxide, silicon carbide, talc, mica, kaolin, calcium carbonate, calcium silicate, magnesium oxide, Well-known inorganic fillers such as graphite, silicon nitride, boron nitride, cerium oxide, magnesium carbonate and the like can be mentioned.
Among these, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, graphite, boron nitride and carbide are preferable from the viewpoint of thermal conductivity.
The content of the inorganic filler in the elastic layer 10D may be determined according to the required thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, etc., and may be, for example, 1% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, and 3% by mass or more and 15% or less. % By mass or less is preferable, and 5% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less are more preferable.

  In addition, the elastic layer 10D includes, as additives, for example, a softener (paraffin-based etc.), a processing aid (stearic acid etc.), an anti-aging agent (amine-based etc.), a vulcanizing agent (sulfur, metal oxide, excess) Oxides, etc.), functional fillers (alumina, etc.), etc. may be contained.

  The thickness of the elastic layer 10D is preferably in the range of, for example, 30 μm to 600 μm, and preferably in the range of 100 μm to 500 μm.

[Surface layer 10E]
The surface layer 10E is a layer that plays a role of suppressing adhesion of a molten toner image at the time of fixing to the surface (the outer peripheral surface) on the side in contact with the recording medium. The surface layer is provided as needed.

The surface layer 10E is required to have, for example, heat resistance and releasability. From this point of view, it is preferable to use a heat-resistant release material as the material constituting the surface layer, and specific examples thereof include fluororubber, fluorocarbon resin, silicone resin, and polyimide resin.
Among these, as a heat resistant release material, a fluorine resin is preferable.
As such a fluorine resin, specifically, tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), polyethylene -A tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE), a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polychloro trifluoride ethylene (PCTFE), a vinyl fluoride (PVF) etc. are mentioned.

  The surface of the surface layer on the elastic layer side may be subjected to surface treatment. The surface treatment may be wet treatment or dry treatment, and examples thereof include liquid ammonia treatment, excimer laser treatment, plasma treatment and the like.

  The thickness of the surface layer 10E is preferably in the range of 10 μm to 100 μm, and more preferably in the range of 20 μm to 50 μm.

The surface layer 10E may be formed by a known method, for example, by a coating method.
In addition, the surface layer 10E is prepared in advance by preparing a tube-like release layer, forming an adhesive layer on the inner surface of the tube, for example, and covering the outer periphery of the elastic layer 10D to form a release layer 10E. May be

[Method of manufacturing endless belt]
The method for manufacturing an endless belt according to the present embodiment has the following steps.
1) A step of providing a metal layer on a substrate, and providing a metal layer including a nickel plating having a hydroxy group on the surface and having an amount of hydroxy group of 4.1 mmol / g or more (metal layer forming step )
2) A step of applying an adhesive containing a compound having a reactive group structure and a siloxane structure on the metal layer to provide an adhesive layer (adhesive layer forming step).
3) A step of providing an elastic layer on the adhesive layer (elastic layer forming step).
In addition, the method of manufacturing the endless belt according to the present embodiment may further include the following steps.
4) A step of storing the substrate provided with the metal layer in an inert gas atmosphere (a step of storing the member for an endless belt) between the step of providing the metal layer and the step of providing the adhesive layer.

-Metal layer formation process-
First, a base material is prepared. The substrate may be, for example, a substrate made of a heat resistant resin or the like. The base material made of the heat resistant resin may be manufactured by a known method. For example, in the first step of applying a coating solution to the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical or cylindrical core body to form a coating film, the coating of the resin composition film is applied by coating the substrate formation. A second process of forming an endless substrate, a third process of removing the obtained endless substrate from a core body, and the like can be mentioned.

  Next, a metal layer is formed on the substrate to include nickel plating. When the metal layer forms a multilayer metal layer, the top layer of the metal layer may be formed to be nickel plating. The nickel plating may be formed, for example, by electrolytic plating. Specifically, a plating solution containing metal ions such as nickel ions is prepared, and a substrate for nickel plating the plating solution (including the above-described base metal layer and the base material having an electromagnetic induction metal layer) Is subjected to electrolytic plating to form a metal layer containing nickel plating on the substrate. By providing the metal layer in this manner, a hydroxyl group is present on the surface of the nickel plating of the metal layer provided on the substrate, and the amount of the hydroxyl group is 4.1 mmol / g or more (preferably Provided so as to be 4.8 mmol / g or more, more preferably 6.0 mmol / g or more. In addition, the base material in which the metal layer containing nickel plating obtained by this process was formed becomes a member for endless belts concerning this embodiment.

-Storage process of endless belt members-
Next, the substrate (member for an endless belt) on which a metal layer containing nickel plating is formed is stored under an inert gas atmosphere. By storing under an inert gas atmosphere, the amount of hydroxy groups on the surface of the nickel plating is 4.1 mmol / g or more even in the member for an endless belt after storage, so the adhesion between the metal layer and the adhesive layer The decrease in This storage process is a process performed as needed.
For example, by storing a substrate (member for an endless belt) provided with a metal layer containing nickel plating in an inert gas environment such as nitrogen gas, oxidation of hydroxy groups present on the surface of nickel plating, organic matter The adhesion of That is, storage in an inert gas environment can suppress reduction in the amount of hydroxy groups present on the surface of the nickel plating to 4.1 mmol / g or less. This is considered to decrease the rate of reduction of hydroxy groups present on the surface of nickel plating, and it is believed that the amount of hydroxy groups present on the surface of nickel plating is kept at 4.1 mmol / g or more. Therefore, storage under an inert gas environment before the adhesive layer is provided on the metal layer of the endless belt member is effective in suppressing the decrease in adhesion between the metal layer and the adhesive layer. is there.

The inert gas is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include nitrogen gas, rare gas (for example, argon gas) and the like. Among these, the inert gas is preferably nitrogen gas and argon gas, and nitrogen gas is preferable. The storage period is not particularly limited, but it may be stored for a predetermined period as long as the amount of hydroxy groups present on the nickel plating surface is not less than 4.1 mmol. Also, the storage temperature is not particularly limited, but may be room temperature (25 ° C.), for example.
Storage under an inert gas atmosphere is also advantageous in terms of production cost because the usable period of the endless belt member is extended.

-Adhesion layer formation process-
Next, an adhesive layer is formed on the metal layer. The formation of the adhesive layer may be performed by a known method. For example, a coating liquid for forming an adhesive layer may be formed on the metal layer by a coating method. The coating solution for forming an adhesive layer may be prepared by a known method. For example, the adhesive component may be mixed and stirred to prepare a coating solution for forming an adhesive layer.

  Specifically, for example, first, a coating solution for forming an adhesive layer is applied on a metal layer (for example, application by a flow coating method (helical winding application)), and drying and heating are performed as needed. Form an agent film. As a drying temperature in the said drying, 10 degreeC or more and 35 degrees C or less are mentioned, for example, As drying time, 10 minutes or more and 360 minutes or less are mentioned, for example. Moreover, as a heating temperature in the said heating, the range of 100 degreeC or more and 200 degrees C or less is mentioned, For example, 10 minutes or more and 360 minutes or less are mentioned as heating time. The heating may be performed under an inert gas (eg, nitrogen gas, argon gas, etc.) atmosphere.

-Elastic layer formation process-
Next, an elastic layer is formed on the adhesive layer. The elastic layer may be formed by a known method, for example, may be formed on the adhesive layer by a coating method.
Specifically, for example, first, a coating liquid for forming an elastic layer containing liquid silicone rubber which is cured by heating to be silicone rubber is prepared. Next, on the adhesive film formed by application and drying of the composition for forming the adhesive layer, a coating solution for forming an elastic layer is applied (for example, application by a flow coating method (helical winding application)) to apply elastic coating. The elastic layer is formed on the adhesive layer by forming a film and, for example, vulcanizing the elastic coating as needed. In addition, as a vulcanization temperature in vulcanization, 150 ° C or more and 250 ° C or less are mentioned, for example, and 30 minutes or more and 120 minutes or less are mentioned as vulcanization time, for example.

When providing a surface layer on an elastic layer, you may have the process of providing a surface layer on an elastic layer. For example, a hollow metal tube (outer mold) having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical body coated with the elastic layer, such as a releasable tube (for example, PFA tube) serving as a surface layer on the elastic layer. It is extended to stick by vacuum suction along the inner surface of. The inner surface of the releasable tube may be subjected to surface treatment such as plasma treatment. Then, after inserting the core metal formed up to the upper adhesive layer before curing inside the mold having the releasable tube attached to the inner surface, the vacuum suction of the outer mold is released to release the releasability. The tube is coated on the pre-cured adhesive layer and heated.
Through the above steps, the endless belt of the present embodiment (that is, an endless belt having an amount of functional groups derived from hydroxy groups of 4.1 mmol / g or more on the surface of nickel plating) is obtained.

[Example of using endless belts]
Although the endless belt according to the present embodiment has been described as applied to the fixing member in the above description, the endless belt may be used as an endless belt for other electrophotographic image forming apparatuses besides the fixing member. .

<Fixing device>
The fixing device according to the present embodiment presses the fixing member according to the above-described present embodiment and the outer peripheral surface of the fixing member, sandwiching the recording medium having an unfixed toner image formed on the surface together with the fixing member. And a heating unit configured to heat an unfixed toner image on the recording medium.
Hereinafter, as an example of the fixing device according to the present embodiment, an electromagnetic induction heating device which applies the above-mentioned endless belt as a fixing member and generates heat by electromagnetic induction of the metal layer of the endless belt which is a fixing member as heating means. Although a certain form is described, it is not limited to this.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration view showing an example of the fixing device according to the present embodiment.
The fixing device 100 according to the present embodiment is an electromagnetic induction type fixing device provided with the belt 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, a pressure roller (pressure member) 11 is disposed to press a part of the belt 10, and a contact area (between the belt 10 and the pressure roller 11) from the viewpoint of efficiently fixing. A nip is formed, and the belt 10 is curved along the circumferential surface of the pressure roll 11. Further, from the viewpoint of securing the removability of the recording medium, a bent portion in which the belt is bent at the end of the contact area (nip) is formed.

  The pressure roll 11 is formed by forming an elastic layer 11B of silicone rubber or the like on a base material 11A, and further forming a release layer 11C of a fluorine compound on the elastic layer 11B.

  An opposing member 13 is disposed at a position facing the pressure roll 11 inside the belt 10. The opposing member 13 is made of metal, heat resistant resin, heat resistant rubber or the like, and has a pad 13B that contacts the inner circumferential surface of the belt 10 to locally increase the pressure, and a support 13A that supports the pad 13B.

An electromagnetic induction heating device 12 incorporating an electromagnetic induction coil (excitation coil) 12 a is provided at a position facing the pressure roll 11 (an example of a pressure member) with the belt 10 at the center. The electromagnetic induction heating device 12 changes an generated magnetic field by an excitation circuit by applying an alternating current to the electromagnetic induction coil, and the metal layer 10B of the belt 10 (particularly, in the belt shown in FIG. Generates an eddy current. The eddy current is converted to heat (Joule heat) by the electrical resistance of the metal layer 10B, and as a result, the surface of the belt 10 generates heat.
Note that the position of the electromagnetic induction heating device 12 is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 2, and may be installed upstream of the contact area of the belt 10 in the rotational direction B, for example. It may be installed.

In the fixing device 100 according to the present embodiment, the driving force is transmitted to the gear fixed to the end of the belt 10 by the driving device, so that the belt 10 self-rotates in the direction of arrow B and the belt 10 rotates. Thus, the pressure roll 11 rotates in the reverse direction, that is, in the arrow C direction.
The recording medium 15 on which the unfixed toner image 14 is formed is passed through the contact area (nip) of the belt 10 and the pressure roller 11 in the fixing device 100 in the arrow A direction, and the unfixed toner image 14 is melted. Pressure is applied to fix the recording medium 15.

  In the fixing device described above, although the electromagnetic induction heating device which generates heat by electromagnetic induction to the metal layer of the endless belt as the heating means is used, it is not limited thereto. As the heating means, for example, a heat generating member such as a halogen lamp may be provided in contact with the endless belt, and a means for heating an unfixed toner image through the endless belt may be used.

<Image forming apparatus>
The image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment includes an image carrier, a charging device for charging the surface of the image carrier, and an electrostatic latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the charged image carrier. A developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image carrier with toner to form a toner image; and transferring the toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier onto a recording medium And a fixing device according to the present embodiment for fixing the toner image to the recording medium.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration view showing an example of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment includes a photosensitive member (an example of an image holder) 202, a charging device 204, a laser exposure device (an example of a latent image forming device) 206, a mirror 208, and a development. Apparatus 210, intermediate transfer body 212, transfer roll (an example of transfer apparatus) 214, cleaning apparatus 216, charge removing apparatus 218, fixing apparatus 100, and sheet feeding apparatus (sheet feeding unit 220, sheet feeding roller 222, alignment roller 224, And a recording medium guide 226).

  When an image is formed by the image forming apparatus 200, first, the non-contact type charging device 204 provided close to the photosensitive member 202 charges the surface of the photosensitive member 202.

  A laser beam corresponding to image information (signal) of each color is irradiated from the laser exposure device 206 via the mirror 208 on the surface of the photosensitive member 202 charged by the charging device 204 to form an electrostatic latent image.

  The developing device 210 forms a toner image by applying toner to the latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive member 202. The developing device 210 is provided with developing devices (not shown) of respective colors accommodating toners of four colors of cyan, magenta, yellow and black, respectively, and the developing device 210 rotates in the direction of the arrow, Toners of respective colors are applied to the latent image formed on the surface to form a toner image.

  The toner images of the respective colors formed on the surface of the photosensitive member 202 have the respective colors at the contact portion between the photosensitive member 202 and the intermediate transfer member 212 by the bias voltage applied between the photosensitive member 202 and the intermediate transfer member 212. The toner image is superimposed and transferred onto the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer member 212 so as to match the image information for each toner image.

The outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer member 212 contacts the surface of the photosensitive member 202 and rotates in the direction of arrow E.
In addition to the photosensitive member 202, a transfer roll 214 is provided around the intermediate transfer member 212.

  The intermediate transfer member 212 to which the multi-color toner image has been transferred rotates in the arrow E direction. The toner image on the intermediate transfer member 212 is transferred onto the surface of the recording medium 15 conveyed by the sheet feeding device to the contact portion by the sheet feeding device at the contact portion between the transfer roll 214 and the intermediate transfer member 212.

  Note that the sheet fed to the contact portion between the intermediate transfer body 212 and the transfer roll 214 is fed by the recording medium pushing means (not shown) incorporated in the sheet feeding unit 220. When the recording medium 15 contacts the paper feed roller 222, the paper feed roller 222 and the alignment roller 224 rotate and the recording medium 15 is rotated along the recording medium guide 226 in the direction of arrow A when the recording medium 15 contacts the paper feed roller 222. It is carried out by being transported.

  The toner image transferred onto the surface of the recording medium 15 moves in the direction of arrow A, and in the contact area (nip) between the belt 10 and the pressure roll 11, the toner image 14 is pressed against the surface of the recording medium 15 in a molten state. And fixed on the surface of the recording medium 15. Thereby, the fixed image is formed on the surface of the recording medium.

The surface of the photosensitive member 202 after the toner image is transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer member 212 is cleaned by the cleaning device 216.
After the surface of the photosensitive member 202 is cleaned by the cleaning device 216, the charge is removed by the charge removing device 218.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be more specifically described by way of examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

<Example>
The polyimide base material was subjected to nickel plating, and an endless belt member (manufactured by Ebina Denka) in which the outermost layer of the metal layer was nickel plating was prepared. The member for an endless belt was stored for 40 days in a case purged with nitrogen gas after nickel plating (in an environment of 22 ° C.) for 40 days. Apply SiH group-containing silicone primer (trade name: PRYMER No. 32, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) by flow coating on the nickel-plated surface of the endless belt member after storage, and keep it for 15 minutes at 22 ° C. It was air dried and fired at 180 ° C. for 2 hours.
Next, a coating solution for forming an elastic layer (liquid silicone rubber) was applied, and primary vulcanization and secondary vulcanization were performed. Thereafter, the inner surface was coated with a plasma-treated PFA tube and heated for adhesion. Thus, the endless belt of the example was produced.

Comparative Example
The endless belt of the comparative example is manufactured in the same manner as the endless belt of the example except that storage conditions stored for 40 days in the case purged with nitrogen gas are changed to storage conditions stored for 40 days in the air. did.

<Evaluation>
[Amount of hydroxy group on nickel plating surface]
The surface of the nickel plating of the endless belt member was measured by the above-described fluorine derivatization treatment XPS method. In addition, it is thought that the quantity of the hydroxyl group of the surface of the nickel plating of the member for endless belts becomes the same quantity as the quantity of the functional group originating in the hydroxyl group of the nickel plating surface after endless belt preparation.

[Peeling test]
The obtained endless belt was subjected to a 90 ° peel test to evaluate the adhesion between the metal layer and the adhesive layer. Specifically, each fixing belt was cut into a width of 1.5 cm × length 10 cm, a sample for evaluation was prepared, and the peeling test was performed with a peeling speed of 0.5 cm / sec. The results are shown in Table 1.
The endless belts of the examples were subjected to the peeling test under the above conditions for storage for 10 days, for 20 days, and for 30 days for storage conditions in a case purged with nitrogen gas.
-Evaluation criteria-
A (○): cohesive failure in the silicone rubber layer B (×): peeling was observed at the interface between the nickel plating and the substrate

  As described above, it is understood that the results of the peeling test are better in the example than in the comparative example. From this result, in the endless belt obtained in the examples, the decrease in adhesion between the metal layer and the adhesive layer is suppressed when the amount of the functional group derived from the hydroxy group is 4.1 mmol / g or more. it is conceivable that.

Reference Signs List 10 belt 10A base 102 base metal layer 104 electromagnetic induction metal layer 106 metal protective layer 10B metal layer 10C contact layer 10D elastic layer 10E release layer 11 pressing roll 11A base 11B elastic layer 11C release layer 12 electromagnetic induction heat generation Device 13 Opposite member 13A Support 13B Pad 14 Toner image 15 Recording medium 100 Fixing device 200 Image forming device 202 Photoconductor 204 Charging device 206 Exposure device 210 Development device 212 Intermediate transfer member 214 Transfer roll

Claims (12)

A substrate,
A metal layer provided on the substrate, the metal layer including a nickel plating having a functional group derived from a hydroxy group on the surface, wherein the amount of the functional group is 4.1 mmol / g or more;
An adhesive layer provided on the metal layer and including a compound having a reactive group structure and a siloxane structure;
An elastic layer provided in contact with the adhesive layer;
Endless belt with   The endless belt according to claim 1, wherein the elastic layer contains silicone rubber.   The endless belt according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is made of a heat resistant resin.   The endless belt according to claim 3, wherein the heat resistant resin is polyimide.   The endless belt according to claim 1, further comprising a surface layer provided on the elastic layer.   The endless belt according to claim 5, wherein the surface layer contains a fluorocarbon resin. Providing a metal layer on the substrate, providing a metal layer including a nickel plating having a hydroxy group on the surface, wherein the amount of the hydroxy group is 4.1 mmol / g or more;
Applying an adhesive containing a compound having a reactive group structure and a siloxane structure on the metal layer to provide an adhesive layer;
Providing an elastic layer on the adhesive layer;
A method of manufacturing an endless belt having the   Furthermore, the process of storing the substrate provided with the metal layer under an inert gas atmosphere is provided between the step of providing the metal layer and the step of providing the adhesive layer. Method. A substrate,
A metal layer provided on the substrate, having a hydroxy group on the surface, wherein the amount of the hydroxy group is at least 4.1 mmol / g,
A member for an endless belt comprising:   A fixing member comprising the endless belt according to claim 1. A fixing member according to claim 10,
A pressing member for pressing the outer peripheral surface of the fixing member and sandwiching a recording medium having an unfixed toner image formed on the surface together with the fixing member;
Heating means for heating an unfixed toner image on the recording medium;
A fixing device. An image carrier,
A charging device for charging the surface of the image carrier;
An electrostatic latent image forming apparatus for forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the charged image carrier;
A developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image carrier with toner to form a toner image;
A transfer device for transferring a toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier to a recording medium;
The fixing device according to claim 11, wherein the toner image is fixed to the recording medium.
An image forming apparatus comprising: