JP2713651B2 - Photoconductor production method - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a photoreceptor, and more particularly, to a method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor.

[Prior Art] As an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a photosensitive member having a photosensitive layer formed on a drum-shaped conductive substrate is used. This drum-shaped conductive substrate is formed by mirror-finishing a tubular aluminum alloy or by impact-forming a plate-shaped aluminum alloy. During the processing of the aluminum alloy substrate, the surface of the substrate is subjected to a cleaning treatment because cutting oil, dust and the like adhere to the surface of the substrate.

A photoreceptor is prepared by applying a photosensitive liquid to the surface of the substrate subjected to the cleaning treatment and drying the liquid. In the manufacture of the photoreceptor, if the cleaning of the substrate is insufficient, cutting oil,
Dust and the like remain, and at the time of coating, bleeding of the photosensitive liquid is generated to cause a coating defect, resulting in a defect in the obtained image. Many of these image defects appear as black spots and white spots on the copied image, resulting in a decrease in image quality, which is not suitable for practical use.

As a method for removing deposits such as cutting oil and dust on the surface of a substrate, the following methods are known.

Scrub cleaning method Immersion cleaning method Ultrasonic cleaning method Steam cleaning method Ultraviolet / ozone cleaning method Scrub cleaning methods include a method of scrubbing with a rotating brush while spraying pure water and a neutral detergent.

Examples of the immersion cleaning method include a method of chemically cleaning using an acid, an alkali, or the like as a cleaning liquid. Specific examples of the cleaning liquid include: (i) acids: sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, hydrofluoric acid, and chromic acid (removal of scale and decomposition of oxides); (ii) alkalis: NaOH, Na ₂ CO ₃ , and NaOHCO ₃ , Na ₃ PO ₄ ,
Na ₂ HPO ₄ , Na ₄ P ₂ O ₇ (sodium pyrophosphate) (protein degradation,
(Iii) peroxides: hydrogen peroxide, sodium pernitrate (oxidative decomposition).

The ultrasonic cleaning method includes ultrasonic cleaning using an organic solvent. Specifically, the cleaning process includes ultrasonic cleaning in a heating medium tank, rinsing in a refrigerant tank, and finish cleaning and drying by steam cleaning in a steam tank. If necessary, a heating medium tank is further added, or a surfactant is added to the solvent.

 The following are used as the solvent.

(I) Chlorine-based solvent: trichloroethylene, perchlorethylene, methylene chloride, trichloroethane, (ii) Fluorine-based: CFC-113, CFC-112, other CFC-based mixed solvents, (iii) Other systems: benzene, toluene The isopropyl alcohol, methanol, ethanol, acetone, and steam cleaning method is a method in which a substrate is inserted into a steam tank of fluorocarbon, isopropyl alcohol, trichloroethylene, trichloroethane, or the like heated to a boiling point, and attached matter is dissolved and removed.

Further, a cleaning medium of 0 to 90 ° C. pure water, pure water to which a surfactant is added, and an organic solvent is sprayed at a high pressure to wash the substrate by applying to the substrate (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-130159). (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-130161), a method of immersing the substrate in a solvent in an ultrasonic cleaning tank for cleaning, and then inserting it into a steam cleaning tank for cleaning. -271762) has been proposed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] After cutting, the aluminum alloy substrate left for a long time
Since cutting oil, dust and the like are firmly attached to the surface of the aluminum base, it is difficult to completely remove these deposits even if the above-mentioned cleaning method or a combination thereof is used. Deposits remain on the surface of the aluminum substrate, which locally alter the electrophotographic properties of the photoreceptor and adversely affect image quality.

An object of the present invention is to remove the deposits such as cutting oil and dust on the surface of a substrate before forming a photosensitive layer on the substrate to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and to remove the photosensitive liquid. Provided is a method for producing a photoreceptor having a constant electrophotographic characteristic and excellent image forming ability at a high yield by preventing the occurrence of coating defects such as repelling and the like and the deterioration of image quality when applied to a substrate surface. It is to be.

[Means for Solving the Problems] As a result of earnest research by the present inventors, when a photosensitive layer is formed on a photosensitive member substrate to produce a photosensitive member, the boiling point of the photosensitive member substrate is 150 to 300 ° C. after processing. It has been found that the above-mentioned object is achieved by immersing in a petroleum-based solvent, leaving it for at least about one day after immersion, and then performing a washing treatment after the immersion, and based on this finding, the present invention has been accomplished.

[Action] In the method of the present invention, the photoreceptor substrate that has been subjected to surface cutting, EI or DI processing or molding, etc. is soluble in deposits on the substrate surface such as cutting oil before forming the photosensitive layer. , For example, a petroleum-based solvent.

As the solvent used in the present invention, those having a small evaporation rate and a small latent heat of evaporation are preferable. If the evaporation rate is large or the latent heat of evaporation is large, the solvent on the substrate surface evaporates quickly after the immersion treatment, and the surface dries, making it difficult to remove the adhered substances on the surface. The temperature may decrease, and moisture in the air may condense on the substrate surface. Such water droplets cause spots on the substrate surface.

Specifically, as the liquid agent of the present invention, a boiling point of 150 to 300 ° C,
A petroleum-based solvent (which may contain aromatic hydrocarbons) preferably consisting of a mixture of aliphatic hydrocarbons obtained by fractionating petroleum, preferably at 150 to 200 ° C, for example, kerosene, turpentine, petroleum spirit, Tarpen, isoper and the like.

The immersion time is not particularly limited as long as the attached matter is dissolved or peeled off, but the time is preferably 5 seconds or more, more preferably 10 to 30 seconds.

The substrate immersed in the petroleum-based solvent is allowed to stand for at least one day before applying the photosensitive solution, and then washed by a known washing method.

As the known cleaning method, for example, the above-described scrub cleaning method, ultrasonic cleaning method, steam cleaning method, ultraviolet ozone cleaning method, and a cleaning method arbitrarily combining these can be used.

For example, as an organic solvent, a chlorinated solvent (trichloroethylene, perchlorethylene, methylene chloride, trichloroethane, etc.), a fluorinated solvent (CFC-11) is used.
3, using CFC-112, other CFC-based mixed solvents, aromatic solvents (benzene, toluene, etc.), alcohols (methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, etc.) or acetone, and heating medium (5 to 15 from the boiling point of the solvent). Ultrasonic cleaning (irradiation time: 10 seconds to 2 minutes) in the bath)
Washing is performed by washing in a refrigerant (10 to 30 ° C.) tank, and then performing steam washing (washing time: 10 seconds to 2 minutes).

The washed substrate is cooled to room temperature in a clean room, and a photosensitive layer is formed on the surface by a known method.

The substrate of the present invention is a cylindrical substrate made of a conductive material such as a metal (aluminum alloy, nickel, copper, etc.).

Examples of the photosensitive layer of the present invention include a photosensitive layer composed of an inorganic substance such as amorphous selenium, zinc oxide, and amorphous silicon, and a function-separated organic photosensitive layer composed of a carrier generating substance and a carrier transporting substance.

The photoreceptor substrate treated by the cleaning method of the present invention can quickly and effectively remove deposits such as cutting oil and dust adhering to the surface of the substrate. Prevents the occurrence of coating defects such as repelling caused by
Local changes in electrophotographic characteristics are suppressed, and black spots,
The image quality is excellent without image defects such as white spots.

[Examples] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described specifically with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited to these Examples.

Examples 1 to 3 Thickness 0.75 mm: The surface of an aluminum alloy tube having a diameter of 80φ and a length of 340 mm was cut to 0.2 μmR _max , immersed in kerosene for 30 seconds, taken out, and then 1 day (Example 1), 1 day. Week (Example 2) and 1
(Monthly Example 3) The left aluminum alloy tube was subjected to an ultrasonic / warm bath cleaning treatment using trichloroethane at 60 ° C. for 30 seconds as an organic solvent. After cooling in trichloroethane at 20 ° C. for 30 seconds, steam cleaning using trichloroethane was performed for 30 seconds and allowed to cool in a clean room for 20 minutes.

2 parts by weight of dibromance anthuron, 2 parts by weight of butyral resin (ESLEC BM-2, manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.), and 230 parts by weight of cyclohexanone are ground by a ball mill for 8 hours.
By mixing, a coating liquid of the charge generating material was prepared. The coating liquid of the obtained charge generating material is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the aluminum alloy tube cooled in a clean room by a dipping method so as to have a dry film thickness of 0.5 μm, and dried at 80 ° C. for 30 minutes. Thus, a charge generation layer was formed.

1 part by weight of a hydrazone-based charge transport agent (ABPH, manufactured by Anan Kofu Co., Ltd.), a polycarbonate resin (Panlite L-1250,
1 part by weight (manufactured by Teijin Chemicals Ltd.) was dissolved in 8 parts by weight of dichloroethane to prepare a coating solution for the charge transport material. The obtained coating solution of the charge transport material is applied on the charge generation layer by a dipping method so as to have a dry film thickness of 15 μm, and dried at 70 ° C. for 1 hour to form a charge transport layer. It was created.

The obtained photoreceptor was set on an SF-8100 (copier made by Sharp Corporation), and a halftone image was copied to check the image.

 Table 1 shows the results.

Comparative Examples 1 to 3 The same method as in Examples 1 to 3, except that the aluminum alloy tube after the cutting process in Examples 1 to 3 was not subjected to the treatment of dipping in kerosene, but was subjected to an ultrasonic / hot bath cleaning treatment. A photoreceptor was made.

The image was checked in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 3. The results are shown in Table 1.

From Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3, it can be seen that when the immersion treatment was performed, the defect occurrence rate was significantly lower than when the immersion treatment was not performed. In particular, Table 1
If you leave it for at least a day as you can understand from
Good or good result.

[Effects of the Invention] The present invention can enhance the cleaning effect, and can prevent image defects such as black spots and white spots without causing coating defects such as cissing due to deposits even on a substrate left for a long time after cutting. No excellent image quality can be produced with high yield of photoreceptor.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] In producing a photoreceptor by forming a photosensitive layer on a photoreceptor substrate, the boiling point of the photoreceptor substrate after processing is 150 to 300.
A method for producing a photoreceptor, characterized by immersing in a petroleum-based solvent at a temperature of at least about 1 ° C., leaving it to stand for at least one day after immersion, and then washing it.