Fuser coating composition and method of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9340457-B2
Application number	US-201213664066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2012
Priority date	Dec 16, 2009
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

The present teachings include a coating composition which includes a liquid, fluoropolymer particles, carbon nanotubes, and a dispersant. The dispersant has a thermal degradation temperature below the melting temperature of the fluoropolymer particles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a fuser member, comprising:
obtaining a fuser member comprising a silicone resilient layer disposed on a substrate;
providing a coating dispersion comprising a liquid, fluoropolymer particles, carbon nanotubes, and a dispersant, wherein the dispersant has a thermal degradation temperature below a melting temperature of the fluoropolymer particles;
applying the coating dispersion over the silicone resilient layer to form a coating layer;
heating the coating layer to a temperature above the degradation temperature of the dispersant and below a melting temperature of the fluoropolymer particles for a time sufficient to remove the dispersant, wherein the degradation temperature ranges from about 150° C. to about 250° C.; and
heating the coating layer to a temperature above the melting temperature of the fluoropolymer particles after the dispersant is removed to melt the fluoropolymer particles wherein the melting temperature for the fluoropolymer particles ranges from about 255° C. to about 360° C.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid is selected from a group consisting of water, an alcohol, a C 5 -C 18 aliphatic hydrocarbon, a C 6 -C 18 aromatic hydrocarbon, an ether, an ester, a ketone, and an amide.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluoropolymer particles are selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene; perfluoroalkoxy polymer resin; copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene; copolymers of hexafluoropropylene and vinylidene fluoride; terpolymers of tetrafluoroethylene, vinylidene fluoride, and hexafluoropropylene; and tetrapolymers comprising tetrafluoroethylene, vinylidene fluoride, and hexafluoropropylene monomers.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are selected from the group consisting of single wall carbon nanotubes and multiple wall carbon nanotubes, and wherein the carbon nanotubes have an aspect ratio of at least about 10.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dispersant is selected from a group consisting of a polyacrylic acid, a polymethacrylic acid, a polyethylene glycol containing surfactant, and a polyallylamine.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer has an electrical surface resistivity of less than about 10 8 Ω/sq.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of applying the dispersion over the resilient layer to form a coating layer comprises an application technique selected from the group consisting of spray coating, painting, dip coating, brush coating, roller coating, spin coating, casting, and flow coating.

8. A method of making a surface layer, comprising:
a silicone resilient layer;
providing a coating dispersion comprising a liquid, fluoropolymer particles, carbon nanotubes, and a dispersant, wherein the dispersant has a thermal degradation temperature below a melting temperature of the fluoropolymer particles;
applying the coating dispersion over the silicone resilient layer to form a surface layer; and
heating the surface layer to a temperature above the degradation temperature of the dispersant and below a melting temperature of the fluoropolymer particles for a time sufficient to remove the dispersant, wherein the degradation temperature ranges from about 230° C. to about 250° C.; and
heating the surface layer to a temperature above the melting temperature of the fluoropolymer particles after the dispersant is removed to melt the fluoropolymer particles wherein the melting temperature for the fluoropolymer particles ranges from about 285° C. to about 330° C.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the liquid is selected from a group consisting of water, an alcohol, a C 5 -C 18 aliphatic hydrocarbon, a C 6 -C 18 aromatic hydrocarbon, an ether, an ester, a ketone, and an amide.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the fluoropolymer particles are selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene; perfluoroalkoxy polymer resin; copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene; copolymers of hexafluoropropylene and vinylidene fluoride; terpolymers of tetrafluoroethylene, vinylidene fluoride, and hexafluoropropylene; and tetrapolymers comprising tetrafluoroethylene, vinylidene fluoride, and hexafluoropropylene monomers.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are selected from the group consisting of single wall carbon nanotubes and multiple wall carbon nanotubes, and wherein the carbon nanotubes have an aspect ratio of at least about 10.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the dispersant is selected from a group consisting of a polyacrylic acid, a polymethacrylic acid, a polyethylene glycol containing surfactant, and a polyallylamine.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the surface layer has an electrical surface resistivity of less than about 10 8 Ω/sq.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of applying the dispersion over the silicone layer to form a surface layer comprises an application technique selected from the group consisting of spray coating, painting, dip coating, brush coating, roller coating, spin coating, casting, and flow coating.

15. A method of making a fuser member, comprising:
providing a fuser member comprising a silicone resilient layer disposed on a substrate;
providing a coating dispersion comprising a liquid, fluoropolymer particles, carbon nanotubes, and a dispersant, wherein the dispersant has a thermal degradation temperature below a melting temperature of the fluoropolymer particles;
applying the coating dispersion over the silicone resilient layer to form a coating layer; and
heating the coating layer to a temperature above the degradation temperature of the dispersant and below a melting temperature of the fluoropolymer particles for a time sufficient to remove the dispersant, wherein the degradation temperature ranges from about 150° C. to about 250° C.; and
heating the coating layer to a temperature above the melting temperature of the fluoropolymer particles after the dispersant is removed to melt the fluoropolymer wherein the melting temperature for the fluoropolymer particles ranges from about 255° C. to about 360° C., wherein the coating layer has an electrical surface resistivity of less than about 10 8 Ω/sq.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Qi Yu
• Hu Nan-Xing
• Irving David C
• Finn Patrick J

Classifications

• C09D171/00

  Coating compositions based on polyethers obtained by reactions forming an ether link in the main chain (based on polyacetals C09D159/00; based on epoxy resins C09D163/00; based on polythioether-ethers C09D181/02; based on polyethersulfones C09D181/06); Coating compositions based on derivatives of such polymers · CPC title

• C04B26/08 Primary

  containing halogen · CPC title

• C09D7/1291

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C09D127/18

  Homopolymers or copolymers of tetrafluoroethene · CPC title

• C04B38/062

  the burned-out substance being formed in situ, e.g. by polymerisation of a prepolymer composition containing ceramic powder · CPC title