JPH0971725A - Fixation member and fixation apparatus using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fixation member being excellent in abrasion resistance, heat resistance and mechanical strengths and reduced in toner adhesion by making the surface layer of the member of a specified silicon rubber layer. SOLUTION: This fixation member has a surface layer made of a silicone rubber layer containing a metal compound: Mm Xn [wherein M is an ion of a metal selected from among Al, Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Ga; X is an anion selected from a among halogens, inorganic acids and organic acids; (m) and (n) are positive integers; and m × (the valence of M) = n × (the valence of X)] e.g. aluminum sulfate nenahydrate. The amount of the metal compound added is desirably 3-300ppm (in terms of the metal atoms). The silicone rubber is desirably one containing 20wt.% or above linear polysiloxane having vinyl groups at both terminals and having a viscosity of 400Pa.s (25 deg.C) as the polymer component. For example, a fixation roller is obtained by forming a metal compound silicone layer 3 through a n adhesive layer 2 on a metal core 1 containing a heater 4 in its inside.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a silicone rubber fixing member, and more particularly to a silicone rubber fixing member used for fixing an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and a fixing device using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an elastic body used in a fixing process of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a soft silicone rubber which has heat resistance and abrasion resistance, has little toner adhesion and is widely used.

However, due to the progress of high speed, high image quality and colorization of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the silicone rubber fixing member used in the electrophotographic fixing process is
Further heat resistance, abrasion resistance and releasability from toner are required more than ever.

In order to meet such demands, there is a method (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-19352) in which abrasion resistance is obtained by mixing a metal oxide such as silica gel, but it has sufficient strength and toner releasability. A silicone rubber fixing member could not be obtained.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a silicone rubber fixing member which has abrasion resistance and has sufficient mechanical strength, in particular, no decrease in strength at high temperatures. To provide.

[0006]

The present invention is directed to a metal compound M.
A fixing member using a silicone rubber layer containing mXn as a surface layer.

Here, M is Al, Sc, Cr,
A cation selected from Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Ga, X is an anion selected from halogen, an inorganic acid and an organic acid, m and n are positive integers and a valence of m × M =
It is a valence of n × X.

In the present invention, the silicone rubber fixing member can be provided by using the silicone rubber blended with the above-mentioned metal compound, in which sufficient mechanical strength, particularly strength reduction at high temperature, does not occur.

In the present invention, as the metal element of the metal compound to be blended with the silicone rubber, it is considered that the effect of improving the heat resistance and the wear resistance is large even in a small amount. Sc (scandium), Cr (chromium), Fe (iron), Co (cobalt), Ni (nickel), Cu (copper), Zn (zinc) and Group 3 metals of
Al (aluminum) and Ga (gallium) are selected. In addition, as the compound, as the metal organic acid, there are metal organic salts such as octylates and naphthenates. Further, as the metal inorganic compound, halogen ions, sulfate ions,
There are metal inorganic salts having a pair of inorganic acid ions such as nitrate ions. These metal compounds may have a hydrate structure or a complex structure in which ligands such as an aryl group-containing compound, a carbonyl group-containing compound and an alkenyl group-containing compound are coordinated.

In particular, when compounded with the silicone rubber before curing, a metal organic salt or a metal inorganic salt which is easily dispersed is mixed and dispersed in powder form or in a solution state of an organic solvent such as alcohol or water. After that, a metal salt that can be uniformly mixed and dispersed in the silicone rubber by removing a medium such as an organic solvent or water is preferable.

As for the compounding amount of the metal compound, the effect of improving the heat resistance and abrasion resistance of the silicone rubber molding of the silicone rubber fixing member is recognized, and the deterioration of the silicone rubber with time after the metal compound is compounded. Is not recognized, that is, the metal element in the metal compound is preferably 3 to 300 ppm with respect to the silicone rubber, and particularly,
5 to 200 ppm is preferable. Silicone rubbers having a high molecular weight, that is, a highly viscous linear polysiloxane as a polymerization component are preferable in terms of releasability from toner and cleaning properties. For example, a linear polysiloxane having a vinyl group at both ends and having a viscosity of 400 Pa · s (25 ° C.) or higher, particularly 500 Pa · s (25 ° C.) or higher, is preferably contained as a polymerization component in an amount of 20% by weight or more. is there. Examples of such a linear polysiloxane having vinyl groups at both ends include polydialkylsiloxane, polydiarylsiloxane, and polyalkylarylsiloxane.

Examples of the polydialkylsiloxane include polydimethylsiloxane, examples of the polydiarylsiloxane include polydiphenylsiloxane, and examples of the polyalkylarylsiloxane include polymethylphenylsiloxane.

Along with the high-viscosity linear polysiloxane having vinyl groups at both ends, other polymerization components used as necessary include a branched organosiloxane and two or more vinyl groups in one molecule. Have 100 Pa · s (2
Examples include low-viscosity linear organopolysiloxanes of 5 ° C. or less.

As the silicone rubber of the silicone rubber fixing member, a silicone rubber obtained by crosslinking polyorganosiloxane with a peroxide or a platinum catalyst to polymerize can be used.

In particular, by adding a metal compound before molding to an addition type silicone rubber formed by crosslinking with a platinum catalyst, which is superior in toner releasability but inferior in heat resistance to a silicone rubber crosslinked by peroxide, It is possible to improve heat resistance and abrasion resistance (strength) without impairing toner releasability.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The silicone rubber fixing member according to the present invention is used as a fixing member selected for heat resistance, toner releasability, durability and the like. The silicone rubber fixing member has a molded body of a silicone rubber composition containing a metal compound as the outermost layer. For example, a single layer roller or a silicone rubber having a hollow core metal such as aluminum coated with the silicone rubber molded body is foamed. Sponge roller, or
Aluminum cored bar is covered with another rubber as a lower layer material,
From there, a two-layer roller coated with a silicone rubber molded product, or a three-layer roller having a barrier layer (for example, fluorine-modified silicone rubber) of applied oil between the lower layer member and the upper layer rubber of the two-layer roller, etc. There is.

As described above, the silicone rubber fixing member according to the present invention has excellent heat resistance and abrasion resistance required for high speed operation of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and has a small amount of toner adhesion to the silicone rubber fixing member. The present invention provides a member, for example, a fixing roller, an oil coating roller, a pressure roller for double-sided fixing, and the like.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an example of a fixing member according to the present invention, in which a cored bar 1 having a halogen lamp heater 4 incorporated therein.
A silicone rubber layer 3 containing a metal compound MmXn is formed on the above via an adhesive layer 2 to form a fixing roller. The fixing roller is combined with a pressure member to form a fixing device. That is, a recording material such as paper or sheet carrying unfixed toner is nipped and conveyed by the fixing roller and the pressure member, and the toner is heated and fixed in the nip portion between the fixing roller and the pressure member.

[0019]

【Example】

(Example 1) A case where the silicone rubber fixing member of the present invention is used as a heat fixing roller for electrophotography will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

In FIG. 1, a siloxane primer DY3 is used as an adhesive layer 2 on an aluminum core metal 1 having an outer diameter of 58 mm.
9-051 (trade name, manufactured by Toray Dow Corning Co., Ltd.) is applied and dried by heating at 200 ° C.

On this core metal, the viscosity at 25 ° C. is 50
40% by weight of linear polydimethylsiloxane with both end vinyl groups blocked at 0 Pa · s and a viscosity of 3 P at 25 ° C.
a (s) [(CH ₃ ) ₃ SiO _1/2 ] _1.38 [CH ₂ ═CH
Silicone rubber composition containing 60% by weight of branched polymethylsiloxane represented by (CH ₃ ) ₂ SiO _1/2 ] _0.44 (SiO ₂ ) (platinum catalyst as a crosslinking agent is 100 ppm of platinum.
Aluminum carbonate nonahydrate to 1390 ppm
(100 ppm of aluminum element) After blending as a methanol solution and stirring, a silicone rubber composition in which methanol is completely removed is prepared. An aluminum core metal is attached to the center of the pipe-shaped mold, and the silicone rubber composition is injected between the inner wall surface of the mold and the outer surface of the core metal.
It was cured at 0 ° C. for 30 minutes, taken out from the mold, and a heat fixing roller for electrophotography having an outer diameter of 60 mm (silicone rubber pressure 1 mm) was produced.

After curing this roller at 200 ° C. for 4 hours, a color copying machine CLC-800 (manufactured by Canon Inc.)
It was attached to the fixing device. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a fixing device. In the figure, 5 is a fixing roller, 10 is a pressure roller, 10 is a fixing roller cleaning device, 19 is a pressure roller cleaning device, and 13 is an oil applying device. The pressure roller 10 is composed of an adhesive layer 8 and a silicone rubber layer 9 on an aluminum core metal 7 containing a halogen lamp heater 6. A temperature sensor 19 is attached to the pressure roller, and the control circuit 21 controls the heaters 4 and 6 upon receiving a signal from the temperature sensor. Reference numeral 18 denotes a pressure roller cleaning device. On the fixing roller, the cleaning web 12 is pressed by the pressing roller 11 against the fixing roller for cleaning. Silicone oil 16 is applied to the fixing roller to prevent toner offset. Silicone oil 16 is a container 17
Is transferred to the oil applying roller 14 via the oil pumping roller 15 and applied to the fixing roller. An oil application adjusting blade 13 is pressed against the application roller to adjust the oil application amount. Further, the oil application roller is used for the unfixed toner image t.
When the paper P carrying the paper is not sandwiched between the fixing roller and the pressure roller, it is separated from the fixing roller. A durability test was carried out under a fixed fixing temperature of 200 ° C. of this fixing device and under the accelerated condition without the cleaning web 12. The abrasion amount of the silicone rubber of the fixing roller was 2.5 μm when the number of copies was 20,000. No influence on the image or offset was observed.

Example 2 Scandium chloride hexahydrate was added to the silicone rubber composition used in Example 1 at 580 pp.
A heat fixing roller for electrophotography was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that m (100 ppm as scandium element) was mixed and stirred as an ethanol solution, and a color copying machine CLC-800 (under the same conditions as in Example 1 was used. When a durability test by Canon Inc.) was conducted, the silicone rubber wear amount of the fixing roller was 2.0 when the number of copies was 20,000.
At μm, no influence on the image, toner offset, etc. were observed.

Example 3 The same procedure as in Example 1 was conducted except that 830 ppm of chromium octylate (100 ppm as a chromium element) was added to the silicone rubber composition used in Example 1 as an isopropanol solution and the mixture was stirred. A photographic heat fixing roller was produced and subjected to a durability test with a color copying machine under the same conditions as in Example 1, and the silicone rubber wear amount of the fixing roller was 1.4 μm when the number of copies was 20,000. No influence on the image or toner offset was observed.

Example 4 1030 ppm of iron (II) sulfate hydrate was added to the silicone rubber composition used in Example 1.
A thermofixing roller for electrophotography was produced by the same method as in Example 1 except that (100 ppm as an iron element) was mixed and stirred as a methanol solution, and a durability test by a color copying machine was performed under the same conditions as in Example 1. After a while, the amount of silicone rubber wear of the fixing roller at 20,000 copies is
At 1.1 μm, no influence on the image, toner offset, etc. were observed.

(Example 5) The same procedure as in Example 1 was carried out except that 424 ppm of cobalt acetate (100 ppm as elemental cobalt) was added to the silicone rubber composition used in Example 1 as an ethanol solution and the mixture was stirred. A heat-fixing roller for use was manufactured and subjected to a durability test with a color copier under the same conditions as in Example 1, and the number of copies was 2
The amount of silicone rubber wear of the fixing roller is
At 0.8 μm, no influence on the image, toner offset, etc. were observed.

Example 6 Nickel chloride-bis-diphenylphosphinopropane (manufactured by Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) was added to the silicone rubber composition used in Example 1 as a methanol solution containing 924 ppm (100 ppm as nickel element) and stirred. Other than that, a heat fixing roller for electrophotography was produced by the same method as in Example 1, and a durability test by a color copying machine was performed under the same conditions as in Example 1, and the number of copies was 2
The amount of silicone rubber wear of the fixing roller is
At 0.5 μm, no influence on the image, toner offset, etc. were observed.

Example 7 The same procedure as in Example 1 was conducted except that 481 ppm of copper benzoate (100 ppm as a copper element) was added to the silicone rubber composition used in Example 1 as an ethanol solution and the mixture was stirred. A photographic heat fixing roller was produced and subjected to a durability test with a color copying machine under the same conditions as in Example 1, and at 20,000 copies,
Silicone rubber wear of fixing roller is 0.5μm
As a result, no influence on the image, toner offset, etc. was observed.

Example 8 The same procedure as in Example 1 was carried out except that 961 ppm of zinc oleate (100 ppm as a zinc element) was added to the silicone rubber composition used in Example 1 as an isopropanol solution and the mixture was stirred. A photographic heat fixing roller was produced and subjected to a durability test with a color copying machine under the same conditions as in Example 1. As a result, the silicone rubber wear amount of the fixing roller at 20,000 copies was found to be:
At 0.5 μm, no influence on the image, toner offset, etc. were observed.

(Comparative Example 1) As in FIG. 1, an aluminum core metal 1 having an outer diameter of 58 mm was used as an adhesive layer 2 and DY39-05.
1 (manufactured by Toray Dow Corning) is applied and heated and dried at 200 ° C.

Using this core metal and the silicone rubber composition used in Example 1 (not containing aluminum nitrate hexahydrate), a heat fixing roller for electrophotography was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 and carried out. A durability test using a color copying machine was carried out under the same conditions as in Example 1, and when the number of copies was 20,000, the amount of silicone rubber worn on the fixing roller was 12 μm. Toner offset occurred.

(Comparative Example 2) As in FIG. 1, an aluminum core metal 1 having an outer diameter of 58 mm was used as an adhesive layer 2 and DY39-05.
1 (manufactured by Toray Dow Corning) is applied and heated and dried at 200 ° C.

The silicone rubber composition prepared by blending the core metal and the silicone rubber composition used in Example 1 with 190 ppm of palladium nitrate (100 ppm of palladium element) in methanol and stirring the mixture was used. A heat-fixing roller for electrophotography was produced by the same method as in No. 1, and a durability test with a color copying machine was conducted under the same conditions as in Example 1. As a result, the silicone rubber wear amount of the fixing roller at 20,000 copies was found. , 8 μm, an effect of scratches appeared on the image, and toner offset partially occurred.

(Comparative Example 3) As in FIG. 1, an aluminum core metal 1 having an outer diameter of 58 mm was used as an adhesive layer 2 and DY39-05.
1 (manufactured by Toray Dow Corning) is applied and heated and dried at 200 ° C.

To the core metal and the silicone rubber composition used in Example 1, 642 ppm (0.0642% by weight, 300 ppm as Si element) of powdered silica gel (R-972, manufactured by Nippon Aerosil Co., Ltd.) was added and stirred. Using the silicone rubber composition prepared in the above, a heat fixing roller for electrophotography was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, and a durability test with a color copying machine was conducted under the same conditions as in Example 1, and the number of copies was 2 The amount of abrasion of the silicone rubber of the fixing roller was 12 μm for every ten thousand sheets, and the influence of scratches appeared on the image, and toner offset occurred partially.

Example 9 DY39-051 (trade name, manufactured by Toray Dow Corning Co., Ltd.) is applied as an adhesive layer 2 to an aluminum core metal 1 having an outer diameter of 58 mm and dried by heating at 200 ° C.

The core metal and the viscosity at 25 ° C. are 70
Silicone rubber composition containing 35% by weight of linear polydimethylsiloxane having both ends vinyl group-blocked at 0 pa · s and 65% by weight of branched polymethylsiloxane used in Example 1 (platinum catalyst was platinum as a cross-linking agent). In the same manner as in Example 1, using a silicone rubber composition prepared by mixing ferric chloride hexahydrate with 486 ppm (100 ppm as an iron element) in a methanol solution (containing 100 ppm) and stirring the mixture, heat treatment for electrophotography was performed. A fixing roller was prepared, and a durability test was conducted with a color copying machine under the same conditions as in Example 1. As a result, the silicone rubber abrasion loss of the fixing roller was 0.4 μm when the number of copies was 20,000. Neither influence nor toner offset was observed.

In this example, ferric chloride hexahydrate was added to 972 ppm (200 ppm as an iron element),
42 ppm (50 ppm as elemental iron) and 24 pp
The amount of wear of the silicone rubber of the fixing roller when m (5 ppm as iron element) is 0.3 μm,
It was 2.5 μm and 5 μm.

Example 10 DY39-051 (trade name, manufactured by Toray Dow Corning Co., Ltd.) is applied as an adhesive layer 2 to an aluminum core metal 1 having an outer diameter of 58 mm, and dried at 200 ° C.

The core metal and the viscosity at 25 ° C. are 10
A silicone rubber composition containing 20% by weight of a linear polydimethylsiloxane having a vinyl group blocked at both ends of 00 pa · s and 80% by weight of the branched polymethylsiloxane used in Example 1 (a platinum catalyst was platinum as a crosslinking agent. A heat fixing roller for electrophotography was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 by using a silicone rubber composition prepared by mixing aluminum chloride hexahydrate (containing 100 ppm) with 895 ppm (100 ppm as an aluminum element) in a methanol solution and stirring the mixture. And a durability test with a color copying machine was performed under the same conditions as in Example 1, and the silicone rubber abrasion loss of the fixing roller was 0.6 μm when the number of copies was 20,000. No toner offset or the like was observed.

In this embodiment, the silicone rubber abrasion of the fixing roller was determined when aluminum chloride hexahydrate was 1790 ppm (200 ppm as aluminum element), 448 ppm (50 ppm as aluminum element) and 45 ppm (5 ppm as aluminum element). The amounts were 0.5 μm, 2.8 μm and 6 μm, respectively.

[0042]

[Table 1]

From the above results, it is understood that the silicone rubber elastic roller according to the present invention has an excellent effect as a heat fixing roller.

[0044]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A fixing member having excellent abrasion resistance can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a silicone rubber single-layer fixing roller of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a fixing device using the silicone rubber fixing roller of the present invention.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Hideo Kawamoto 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Hideyuki Hatakeyama 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Within the corporation

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A fixing member having a silicone rubber layer containing a metal compound MmXn as a surface layer. Here, M is Al, Sc, Cr, Fe, C
a cation selected from o, Ni, Cu, Zn and Ga, X an anion selected from halogen, an inorganic acid and an organic acid, m and n are positive integers, and a valence of m × M = n × X
Is the valence of. 2. The metal compound MmXn in which M is Fe and A
2. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is a cation selected from l. 3. The compounding amount of the metal compound is 3 to 3 as the metal component.
The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is 00 ppm. 4. The silicone rubber is 400 Pa.S (2
2. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein a linear polysiloxane having vinyl groups at both terminals having a viscosity of 5 [deg.] C. or more is contained as a polymerization component in an amount of 20% by weight or more. 5. The linear polysiloxane having vinyl groups at both terminals is at least one selected from polydialkylsiloxane, polydiarylsiloxane and polyalkylarylsiloxane. Fixing member. 6. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the silicone rubber is a silicone rubber addition-polymerized with a platinum catalyst. 7. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the surface layer is formed on the surface of the roller member. 8. A silicone rubber layer containing a metal compound MmXn as a surface layer of a fixing roller in a fixing device for fixing an unfixed toner by sandwiching and conveying a recording material carrying an unfixed toner between a fixing roller and a pressure member. Is a fixing device. Here, M is Al, S
a cation selected from c, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Ga, X is an anion selected from halogen, an inorganic acid and an organic acid, m and n are positive integers and m ×
The valence of M = n × X. 9. The fixing device according to claim 8, wherein the compounding amount of the metal compound in the silicone rubber layer is 3 to 300 ppm in terms of the metal component. 10. The fixing device according to claim 8, wherein the silicone rubber is a silicone rubber addition-polymerized by a platinum catalyst.