Molded body, composite body, fixing member, fixing device, and image forming apparatus

Abstract

A molded body, a composite body, a fixing member, a fixing device, and an image forming apparatus, the molded body containing a resin and a filler dispersed in the resin, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensite hardness being 200 N / mm2 or more when 10 martensite hardness are measured in a region of 50 mm square of the maximum surface of the molded body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a molded body, a composite body, a fixing member, a fixing device, and an image forming device. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a seamless cylindrical heating fixing member having an elastic layer, in which carbon fibers are arranged in the elastic layer, and the thermal conductivity in the thickness direction of the elastic layer is 1.0 W / m·K or more.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a thermally conductive laminate having: an insulating layer having at least one filler-containing polyimide resin layer containing a thermally conductive filler in a polyimide resin; and a metal layer laminated on one or both sides of the insulating layer, wherein the content ratio of the thermally conductive filler in the filler-containing polyimide resin layer is in the range of 35 to 80 vol%, the maximum particle size of the thermally conductive filler is less than 15 μm, the thermally conductive filler contains a plate-like filler and a spherical filler, the average major axis DL of the plate-like filler is in the range of 0.1 to 2.4 μm, and the thermal conductivity λz in the thickness direction of the insulating layer is 0.8 W / m·K or more.

[0004] Patent Document 3 discloses a resin substrate including: a resin; a first filler having an aspect ratio of 2 or more and oriented and dispersed in the resin in the in-plane direction of the substrate; and a second filler having an aspect ratio of 2 or more and having a major axis shorter than that of the first filler and oriented and dispersed in the resin in the thickness direction of the substrate.

[0005] Patent Document 4 discloses a structure composed of a semiconductor resin composition including a thermoplastic resin and a conductive resin incompatible with the thermoplastic resin, wherein the martensite hardness measured in the vertical direction from the surface of the structure is 50 (N / mm 2 ) or more, and the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensite hardness measured at any 10 points is within 20 (N / mm 2 ).

[0006] Patent Document 5 discloses a fixing device that fixes a toner image formed on a recording material onto the recording material, and includes: an annular fixing belt configured to be rotatable; a support member non-rotatably provided inside the fixing belt and sliding on the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt; and a rotating body that abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt in such a manner that the support member clamps the fixing belt, and forms a fixing nip portion that clamps and conveys the recording material and fixes the toner image onto the recording material. The fixing belt has a base and a sliding layer formed on the inner circumference of the base and contacting and sliding with the support member. The surface roughness of the contact surface between the support member and the sliding layer is 0.10 μm or more and less than 0.15 μm in terms of ten-point average roughness, and the hardness of the sliding layer is 80 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less in terms of martensite hardness. Further, when the surface roughness of the support member is set as ten-point average roughness A and the surface roughness of the sliding layer is set as ten-point average roughness B, the surface roughness of the sliding layer satisfies 0.35 μm < A + B < 0.6 μm.

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-259712

[0008] Patent Document 2: International Publication No. 2011 / 111684

[0009] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-118327

[0010] Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-218427

[0011] Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-042562 Summary of the Invention

[0012] An object of the present invention is to provide a molded body containing a resin and a filler, wherein when measuring the martensite hardness at 10 points in a 50 mm square area of the largest surface, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensite hardness is less than 200 N / mm 2 compared with the molded body, the thermal conductivity is excellent.

[0013] An object of the present invention is to provide a molded body containing a rubber and a filler, wherein when measuring the martensite hardness at 10 points in a 50 mm square area of the largest surface, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensite hardness is less than 5 N / mm 2 compared with the molded body, the thermal conductivity is excellent.

[0014] Specific means for solving the above problems include the following methods.

[0015] <1>

[0016] A molded body containing a resin and a filler dispersed in the resin,

[0017] When measuring the martensite hardness at 10 points within a 50 mm square area on the largest surface of the molded body, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensite hardness is 200 N / mm 2 or more.

[0018] <2>

[0019] A molded body containing rubber and a filler dispersed in the rubber,

[0020] When measuring the martensite hardness at 10 points within a 50 mm square area on the largest surface of the molded body, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensite hardness is 5 N / mm 2 or more.

[0021] <3>

[0022] The molded body according to <1> or <2>, wherein

[0023] The filler includes two or more types of fillers having different shapes, or two or more types of fillers having different surface properties.

[0024] <4>

[0025] The molded body according to <1> or <2>, wherein

[0026] The filler includes a first filler having a first functional group on the surface and a second filler having a second functional group different from the first functional group on the surface.

[0027] <5>

[0028] The molded body according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein

[0029] The average aspect ratio of the filler is 10 or more and 500 or less.

[0030] <6>

[0031] The molded body according to any one of <1> to <5>, wherein

[0032] The volume ratio of the filler in the molded body is 10% by volume or more and 50% by volume or less.

[0033] <7>

[0034] A composite body containing the molded body according to any one of <1> to <6>.

[0035] <8>

[0036] A tubular fixing member including the molded body according to any one of <1> to <6> formed into a tubular shape.

[0037] <9>

[0038] A fixing device includes a first rotating body and a second rotating body, and the second rotating body is arranged to contact the outer surface of the first rotating body.

[0039] At least one of the first rotating body and the second rotating body is the tubular fixing member described in <8>.

[0040] A recording medium having a toner image formed on its surface is passed through the contact portion between the first rotating body and the second rotating body to fix the toner image.

[0041] <10>

[0042] An image forming apparatus includes:

[0043] An image holding member;

[0044] A charging device that charges the surface of the image holding member;

[0045] An electrostatic latent image forming device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the charged image holding member;

[0046] A developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image holding member with a developer containing toner to form a toner image;

[0047] A transfer device that transfers the toner image onto the surface of a recording medium; and

[0048] The fixing device described in <9> that fixes the toner image onto the recording medium.

[0049] Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[0050] According to <1>, <3>, <4>, <5> or <6>, there is provided a molded body containing a resin and a filler, wherein when the martensite hardness is measured at 10 points in a 50 mm square region of the largest surface, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensite hardness is less than 200 N / mm 2 compared with the molded body, the thermal conductivity is excellent.

[0051] According to <2>, <3>, <4>, <5> or <6>, there is provided a molded body containing a rubber and a filler, wherein when the martensite hardness is measured at 10 points in a 50 mm square region of the largest surface, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensite hardness is less than 5 N / mm 2 compared with the molded body, the thermal conductivity is excellent.

[0052] According to <7>, there is provided a composite body having excellent thermal conductivity.

[0053] According to <8>, a tubular fixing member with excellent heat conductivity is provided.

[0054] According to <9>, a fixing device including a tubular fixing member with excellent heat conductivity is provided.

[0055] According to <10>, an image forming apparatus including a tubular fixing member with excellent heat conductivity is provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings.

[0057] Figure 1 It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the tubular fixing member of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram showing an example of the first embodiment of the fixing device of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram showing an example of the second embodiment of the fixing device of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram showing an example of the image forming apparatus of the present invention.

[0061] REFERENCE SIGNS

[0062] 110 - Tubular fixing member, 110A - Base material layer, 110B - Elastic layer, 110C - Anti - sticking layer.

[0063] 60 - Fixing device, 61 - Heating roller, 62 - Pressing belt, 63 - Belt travel guide plate, 64 - Pressing pad, 64a - Clamping member, 64b - Clamping member, 65 - Holding member, 66 - Halogen lamp, 67 - Lubricant supply device, 68 - Sliding member, 69 - Temperature sensing element, 70 - Peeling member, 71 - Peeling claw, 72 - Holding member. 80 - Fixing device, 82 - Sliding member, 84 - Heating belt, 86 - Fixing belt module, 88 - Pressing roller, 89 - Heating and pressing roller, 89A - Halogen heater, 90 - Supporting roller, 90A - Halogen heater, 92 - Supporting roller, 92A - Halogen heater, 94 - Posture correction roller, 96 - Supporting member, 98 - Supporting roller. 100 - Image forming apparatus, 1Y, 1M, 1C, 1K - Image forming units, 11 - Photoconductor (an example of an image holding body), 12 - Charger (an example of a charging device), 13 - Laser exposure device (an example of an electrostatic latent image forming device), 14 - Developing device (an example of a developing device), 15 - Intermediate transfer belt, 16 - Primary transfer roller (an example of a transfer device), 22 - Secondary transfer roller (an example of a transfer device), K - Paper (an example of a recording medium). Detailed implementation mode

[0064] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. These descriptions and examples are for illustrating the embodiments and do not limit the scope of the embodiments.

[0065] In the present invention, the definition of "A and / or B" is the same as that of "at least one of A and B". That is, "A and / or B" means that it can be only A, only B, or a combination of A and B.

[0066] In the present invention, the numerical range represented by "~" means a range including the numerical values before and after "~" as the minimum value and the maximum value respectively.

[0067] In the numerical ranges described step by step in the present invention, the upper limit value or the lower limit value described in one numerical range can be replaced with the upper limit value or the lower limit value of other numerically described ranges. And within the numerical ranges described in the present invention, the upper limit value or the lower limit value of the numerical range can be replaced with the values shown in the examples.

[0068] In the present invention, the term "process" includes not only independent processes, but also includes this term even when it cannot be clearly distinguished from other processes as long as the purpose of the process can be achieved.

[0069] When the embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings in the present invention, the structure of the embodiments is not limited to the structure shown in the drawings. And the sizes of the components in each drawing are conceptual, and the relative relationship of the sizes between the components is not limited thereto.

[0070] In the present invention, each component may contain a plurality of corresponding substances. When referring to the amounts of the respective components in the composition and there are a plurality of substances corresponding to each component in the composition, unless otherwise specified, it means the total amount of the plurality of substances present in the composition.

[0071] In the present invention, a plurality of particles corresponding to each component may be included. When there are a plurality of particles corresponding to each component in the composition, unless otherwise specified, the particle size of each component represents a value for the mixture of the plurality of particles present in the composition.

[0072] In the present invention, the "axial direction" of the tubular fixing member refers to the direction in which the rotation axis of the tubular fixing member extends, and the "circumferential direction" of the tubular fixing member refers to the rotation direction of the tubular fixing member.

[0073] <Formed body>

[0074] The present invention provides a first formed body and a second formed body. When matters common to the first formed body and the second formed body are described, they are collectively referred to as the "formed body of the present invention".

[0075] The first formed body contains a resin and a filler dispersed in the resin. When the martensitic hardness is measured at 10 points in a 50 mm square area on the largest surface of the formed body, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensitic hardness is 200 N / mm 2 or more.

[0076] The second formed body contains a rubber and a filler dispersed in the rubber. When the martensitic hardness is measured at 10 points in a 50 mm square area on the largest surface of the formed body, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensitic hardness is 5 N / mm 2 or more.

[0077] The method for measuring the martensitic hardness of the formed body of the present invention will be described. Hereinafter, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensitic hardness when the martensitic hardness is measured at 10 points in a 50 mm square area on the largest surface of the formed body is referred to as the "martensitic hardness difference".

[0078] The specimen for measurement is a specimen of 50 mm × 50 mm × the thickness direction, and is a specimen collected from the central portion of the largest surface of the formed body while maintaining the thickness of the formed body.

[0079] The martensitic hardness is measured by nanoindentation using a microhardness tester conforming to ISO14577 standard (for example, FischerScope HM2000). The indenter is a Vickers indenter (a diamond four-sided pyramid with an opposing angle of 136). The measurement environment is a temperature of 28 °C and a relative humidity of 60%.

[0080] Fix the specimen to the specimen stage of the measuring device. Apply a load to the specimen for 20 seconds until it reaches 500 mN, and hold it at 500 mN for 5 seconds. Then, unload it to 5 mN over 20 seconds and hold it at 5 mN for 1 minute.

[0081] Between the above-mentioned load application and unloading, measure the indentation depth, obtain the load-displacement curve, and calculate the martensite hardness (N / mm 2 ) from the load-displacement curve.

[0082] Measure any 10 points within a 50 mm square area, and calculate the difference between the maximum and minimum values of the martensite hardness (N / mm 2 ).

[0083] Regarding the first molded body, the martensite hardness difference is 200 N / mm 2 or more, and thus the thermal conductivity is excellent. Regarding the second molded body, the martensite hardness difference is 5 N / mm 2 or more, and thus the thermal conductivity is excellent. The mechanism is speculated as follows.

[0084] If the filler is uniformly and highly dispersed in the molded body, the martensite hardness difference of the molded body is small. In other words, a large martensite hardness difference of the molded body means that the filler is unevenly distributed in the molded body. And the distance between the unevenly distributed fillers is short, that is, they are close to form a heat conduction path. The molded body of the present invention conducts heat through the heat conduction path composed of the unevenly distributed fillers, so the thermal conductivity is excellent.

[0085] Regarding the first molded body, from the viewpoint of excellent thermal conductivity, the martensite hardness difference is 200 N / mm 2 or more, preferably 220 N / mm 2 or more, more preferably 250 N / mm 2 or more.

[0086] Regarding the first molded body, from the viewpoint of mechanical strength, for example, the martensite hardness difference is preferably 500 N / mm 2 or less, more preferably 400 N / mm 2 or less, and further preferably 350 N / mm 2 or less.

[0087] Regarding the second molded body, from the viewpoint of excellent thermal conductivity, the martensite hardness difference is 5 N / mm 2 or more, preferably 10 N / mm 2 or more, more preferably 15 N / mm 2 or more.

[0088] Regarding the second molded body, from the viewpoint of mechanical strength, for example, the martensite hardness difference is preferably 30 N / mm 2Hereinafter, it is more preferably 25 N / mm 2 Hereinafter, it is further preferably 20 N / mm 2 Hereinafter.

[0089] The martensite hardness difference of the molded body of the present invention can be controlled, for example, by the following means.

[0090] (1) Use two or more types of fillers having different shapes, and make the fillers unevenly distributed by the distance and / or kneading speed between kneading members (such as multiple roll mills) when kneading the resin or rubber with the fillers.

[0091] (2) Use two or more types of fillers having different surface properties, and make the fillers unevenly distributed by the bonding exhibited by the surface properties.

[0092] (3) Use fillers having a large aspect ratio (for example, preferably fillers having an average aspect ratio of 10 or more), and make the fillers stand upright in the thickness direction of the molded body by the distance and / or kneading speed between kneading members (such as multiple roll mills) when kneading the resin or rubber with the fillers.

[0093] Hereinafter, the materials constituting the molded body of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0094] [Resin, Rubber]

[0095] The first molded body contains resin. One type of resin can be used alone, or two or more types can be used in combination.

[0096] Examples of the resin include polyimide resin, polyamide resin, polyamide-imide resin, thermotropic liquid crystal polymer, fluororesin, silicone resin, polystyrene resin, etc. One type of resin can be used alone, or two or more types can be used in combination. From the viewpoint of the heat resistance of the molded body, for example, polyimide resin is preferably used.

[0097] The second molded body contains rubber. One type of rubber can be used alone, or two or more types can be used in combination.

[0098] Examples of the rubber include acrylic rubber, silicone rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, fluoro rubber, etc. One type of rubber can be used alone, or two or more types can be used in combination. From the viewpoint of the heat resistance of the molded body, for example, acrylic rubber or silicone rubber is preferably used.

[0099] [Filler]

[0100] The molded body of the present invention contains filler. One type of filler can be used alone, or two or more types can be used in combination.

[0101] As the material for the filler, from the viewpoint of thermal conductivity, for example, a carbon material; silicon carbide; metal nitrides such as aluminum nitride and boron nitride; metal oxides such as alumina, boehmite (aluminum oxide monohydrate), silica, titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide, magnesium oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, barium oxide, etc. are preferred.

[0102] As an example of an embodiment of the filler, at least one ceramic particle selected from the group consisting of aluminum nitride, boron nitride, and silicon carbide can be cited.

[0103] As an example of an embodiment of the filler, carbon fibers such as carbon nanofibers and carbon nanotubes can be cited.

[0104] The shape of the filler can be any one of particulate, fibrous, branched chain shape, plate shape, flaky shape, sheet shape, etc.

[0105] As an embodiment of the filler, an embodiment including two or more kinds of fillers having different shapes can be cited.

[0106] As a specific example of two or more kinds of fillers having different shapes, a combination of fillers with a large aspect ratio (for example, fibrous fillers, plate-shaped fillers, flaky fillers, sheet-shaped fillers) and particulate fillers can be cited.

[0107] By dispersing particulate fillers between fillers with a large aspect ratio, it is easy to achieve uneven distribution of the fillers to form a heat conduction path, that is, to increase the martensite hardness difference.

[0108] When the molded body contains two kinds of fillers having different shapes, the content ratio of the two kinds of fillers can be, for example, 35:65 to 65:35, 40:60 to 60:40, 45:55 to 55:45 on a volume basis.

[0109] As an embodiment of the filler, an embodiment including two or more kinds of fillers having different surface properties can be cited.

[0110] As a specific example of two or more kinds of fillers having different surface properties, a combination of a filler having an acidic group on the surface and a filler having a basic group on the surface; a combination of a positively charged filler and a negatively charged filler can be cited.

[0111] Two or more kinds of fillers having different surface properties approach each other by forces such as intermolecular force, van der Waals force, electrostatic attraction, ionic bond, covalent bond, etc., and therefore it is easy to achieve uneven distribution of the fillers to form a heat conduction path, that is, to increase the martensite hardness difference.

[0112] The surface property of the filler can be imparted to the filler by surface-treating the filler with a coupling agent or a surfactant.

[0113] When the molded body contains two types of fillers with different surface properties, the content ratio of the two types of fillers may be, for example, 35:65 to 65:35, 40:60 to 60:40, or 45:55 to 55:45 on a volume basis.

[0114] As an embodiment of the filler, an embodiment including a first filler having a first functional group on the surface and a second filler having a second functional group different from the first functional group on the surface can be cited. The types of the first functional group and the second functional group are different.

[0115] The first filler and the second filler are connected or brought close to each other by the attraction or reaction between the first functional group and the second functional group (for example, intermolecular force, van der Waals force, electrostatic attraction, ionic bond, covalent bond), and it is easy to achieve uneven distribution of the filler to form a heat conduction path, that is, to increase the martensite hardness difference.

[0116] As a combination of the first functional group and the second functional group, for example, a combination of an acidic group and a basic group can be cited. Specifically, a combination of a carboxyl group or a hydroxyl group and an amino group can be cited.

[0117] In addition, for example, a combination of an isocyanate group and a hydroxyl group; a combination of an epoxy group and an amino group; etc. can be cited.

[0118] The filler having a functional group on the surface can be produced by surface-treating the filler with a coupling agent having a functional group.

[0119] The type of the functional group that the filler has on the surface can be measured by infrared absorption spectroscopy (IR) and confirmed based on the peak intensity of the functional group.

[0120] For example, it is preferable that the shapes of the first filler having the first functional group on the surface and the second filler having the second functional group on the surface are also different from each other. As a specific example of two types of fillers with different shapes, a combination of a filler with a large aspect ratio (for example, fibrous filler, plate-like filler, scaly filler, flaky filler) and a particulate filler can be cited.

[0121] The content ratio of the first filler and the second filler in the molded body may be, for example, 35:65 to 65:35, 40:60 to 60:40, or 45:55 to 55:45 on a volume basis.

[0122] The average value of the aspect ratio of the entire filler in the molded body is, for example, preferably 10 or more and 500 or less, more preferably 20 or more and 450 or less, and still more preferably 30 or more and 400 or less.

[0123] The aspect ratio of the filler is obtained by analyzing a three-dimensional image obtained by FIB-SEM.

[0124] A method for three-dimensional analysis of a molded body using FIB-SEM (Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopes) and a method for obtaining an average aspect ratio of fillers will be described.

[0125] The molded body is cut into a rectangular parallelepiped with a width of 1 mm and embedded with epoxy resin. The embedded material is subjected to cross-section processing using a microtome to form a block cross-section where the cross-section in the thickness direction of the molded body can be seen. The specimen with the block cross-section formed is fixed to the specimen stage of an FIB-SEM device (FIB-SEM Helios NanoLab 600i, FEI Company, USA), and vapor deposition treatment is performed. By repeating FIB processing and SEM observation on the block cross-section using the FIB-SEM device, a two-dimensional stacked image is obtained. FIB processing and SEM observation are repeated until at least 100 fillers are observed. The SEM observation is performed at a magnification that enables observation of the fillers dispersed in the molded body.

[0126] The two-dimensional stacked image is read into three-dimensional image analysis software (Avizo-Fire, VSG Corporation) to construct a three-dimensional image.

[0127] In the constructed three-dimensional image, at least 100 fillers are randomly selected.

[0128] For each randomly selected filler, the X-axis among the three mutually orthogonal axes (X-axis / Y-axis / Z-axis) is applied to the long axis direction of the filler, and the filler lengths of the X-axis / Y-axis / Z-axis are measured respectively. The ratio of the longest length (the filler length of the X-axis, i.e., the length of the long axis) to the shortest length (the filler length of the Y-axis or Z-axis) among the filler lengths of the three axes is taken as the aspect ratio. The aspect ratios of at least 100 fillers are arithmetically averaged to obtain an average value.

[0129] The average value of the long axis lengths of the fillers in the entire molded body (i.e., the average value of the filler lengths of the above-mentioned X-axis) is, for example, preferably 10 μm or more and 200 μm or less, more preferably 20 μm or more and 150 μm or less, and further preferably 30 μm or more and 100 μm or less.

[0130] From the viewpoint of the balance between the thermal conductivity and flexural resistance of the molded body, the volume ratio of the fillers in the molded body is, for example, preferably 10 vol% or more and 50 vol% or less, more preferably 12 vol% or more and 48 vol% or less, and further preferably 15 vol% or more and 45 vol% or less.

[0131] The volume ratio of the fillers in the molded body is obtained by analyzing the three-dimensional image obtained by FIB-SEM.

[0132] [Properties of the molded article]

[0133] Regarding the molded article of the present invention, for example, the thermal conductivity in the thickness direction is preferably 1.0 W / m·K or more, more preferably 1.5 W / m·K or more, and still more preferably 2.0 W / m·K or more.

[0134] Regarding the molded article of the present invention, from the viewpoint of heat storage properties, for example, the thermal conductivity in the thickness direction is preferably 6.0 W / m·K or less, more preferably 5.0 W / m·K or less, and still more preferably 4.0 W / m·K or less.

[0135] The method for measuring the thermal conductivity (W / m·K) in the thickness direction of the molded article of the present invention is as follows.

[0136] The specimen for measurement is a specimen of 2 mm × 2 mm × the thickness direction, and is a specimen collected from the central part of the maximum surface of the molded article while maintaining the thickness of the molded article.

[0137] At room temperature (25°C ± 3°C), the thermal diffusivity in the thickness direction is measured using a thermal diffusivity measuring device, and the thermal conductivity (W / m·K) is calculated by multiplying the specific heat and density by the thermal diffusivity.

[0138] When the molded article of the present invention is in the form of a film, it can be a flat film or a tubular film.

[0139] When the molded article of the present invention is in the form of a film, its average thickness can be set according to the use, for example, 10 μm or more and 1000 μm or less, 15 μm or more and 800 μm or less, 20 μm or more and 500 μm or less.

[0140] When the molded article of the present invention is in the form of a film, as its manufacturing method, for example, a manufacturing method that sequentially performs the following steps (1) to (3) can be cited.

[0141] Step (1): Mix a resin or rubber with a filler to prepare a coating solution. If necessary, a solvent or a dispersion medium is also mixed.

[0142] Step (2): Coat the coating solution on a substrate and dry it to form a coating film.

[0143] Step (3): Calcinate the coating film to obtain a molded article.

[0144] By forming the substrate in step (2) into a cylindrical mold, a tubular molded article can be manufactured.

[0145] As the use of the molded article of the present invention, there can be cited a sheet provided for an electronic device for the purpose of heat absorption and heat release, a tubular fixing member of an image forming apparatus, and the like.

[0146] <Complex>

[0147] The complex of the present invention includes the molded body of the present invention.

[0148] The complex of the present invention can be a complex formed by simply combining multiple molded bodies of the present invention, or a complex formed by combining the molded body of the present invention with other objects.

[0149] When the complex of the present invention includes other objects in addition to the molded body of the present invention, there are no restrictions on the material and shape of the other objects.

[0150] Examples of the other objects included in the complex of the present invention include objects made of polymer materials, objects made of metal materials, objects formed by compounding polymer materials and metal materials, etc.

[0151] There are no restrictions on the form and use of the complex of the present invention. Examples of the uses of the complex of the present invention include heat conduction sheets, heat sinks, furniture, building materials, mechanical parts, vehicle parts, aircraft parts, etc.

[0152] As an example of an embodiment of the complex of the present invention, a laminated film including the molded body of the present invention formed into a film shape can be cited. Here, the molded body of the present invention can be a flat film or a tubular film.

[0153] Hereinafter, the laminated film will be described in detail.

[0154] [Laminated Film]

[0155] The laminated film of the present invention includes the molded body of the present invention formed into a film shape.

[0156] The laminated film of the present invention can be a laminated film formed by simply laminating the molded body of the present invention, or a laminated film formed by laminating the molded body of the present invention and other films (for example, a film with anti-sticking property, a metal substrate, a ceramic film, etc.). An adhesive layer may exist between the laminated films.

[0157] The laminated film of the present invention can have one layer of the molded body of the present invention formed into a film shape, or two or more layers. When the laminated film of the present invention has two or more molded bodies of the present invention, the two or more molded bodies can be the same or different in composition and / or constitution from each other.

[0158] When the laminated film of the present invention has two or more molded bodies of the present invention formed into a film shape, it can be a laminated film formed by simply laminating the first molded body, or a laminated film formed by simply laminating the second molded body, or a laminated film formed by laminating the first molded body and the second molded body. The lamination order of these molded bodies is not restricted.

[0159] The laminated film of the present invention can be a flat film or a tubular film. As the use of the laminated film of the present invention, there can be cited a sheet provided in an electronic device for the purpose of heat absorption and heat release, a tubular fixing member of an image forming apparatus, etc.

[0160] <Tubular fixing member>

[0161] The tubular fixing member of the present invention includes the molded body of the present invention molded into a tubular shape.

[0162] The tubular fixing member of the present invention can be a member composed only of the molded body of the present invention, a member in which the molded body of the present invention and other films are laminated, or a member in which a plurality of molded bodies of the present invention are laminated. In the case of laminating a plurality of molded bodies of the present invention, the plurality of molded bodies can be the same or different in composition and / or constitution from each other.

[0163] As an example of an embodiment of the tubular fixing member of the present invention, there can be cited the following method: a base material layer, an elastic layer, and an anti - sticking layer are laminated in sequence, and one or both of the base material layer and the elastic layer are the molded body of the present invention.

[0164] As an example of the above - mentioned embodiment, there can be cited the following method: the base material layer is the first molded body and / or the elastic layer is the second molded body.

[0165] Figure 1 It is a schematic cross - sectional view showing an example of the tubular fixing member of the present invention.

[0166] Figure 1 The tubular fixing member 110 shown has a base material layer 110A, an elastic layer 110B provided on the base material layer 110A, and an anti - sticking layer 110C provided on the elastic layer 110B. A bonding agent layer can be provided between the base material layer 110A and the elastic layer 110B and / or between the elastic layer 110B and the anti - sticking layer 110C. One or both of the base material layer 110A and the elastic layer 110B are the molded body of the present invention. The base material layer 110A is preferably the first molded body, for example. The elastic layer 110B is preferably the second molded body, for example.

[0167] From the viewpoints of durability and heat conductivity, the average thickness of the base material layer 110A is, for example, preferably 20 μm or more and 200 μm or less, more preferably 30 μm or more and 150 μm or less, and still more preferably 40 μm or more and 100 μm or less.

[0168] From the viewpoints of durability and heat conductivity, the average thickness of the elastic layer 110B is, for example, preferably 30 μm or more and 500 μm or less, more preferably 50 μm or more and 480 μm or less, and still more preferably 80 μm or more and 450 μm or less.

[0169] The anti-sticking layer 110C preferably contains, for example, an anti-sticking material having heat resistance. Examples of the anti-sticking material having heat resistance include fluororesins. Examples of the fluororesin include tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene / hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), polyethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), and the like.

[0170] Various additives may be contained in the anti-sticking layer 110C. Examples of the additives include fillers (such as calcium carbonate), functional fillers (such as alumina), softeners (such as paraffin), processing aids (such as stearic acid), anti-aging agents (such as amines), crosslinking agents, and the like.

[0171] The average thickness of the anti-sticking layer 110C is preferably, for example, 5 μm or more and 30 μm or less, more preferably 10 μm or more and 25 μm or less, and further preferably 15 μm or more and 20 μm or less.

[0172] The average thickness of each layer of the tubular fixing member is a value obtained by uniformly measuring the layer thickness at 10 locations in the axial direction of the tubular fixing member with an eddy current thickness gauge and measuring the layer thickness at 40 locations of 90° scales in the circumferential direction, and then performing arithmetic averaging.

[0173] The embodiment of the tubular fixing member of the present invention is not limited to Figure 1 the manner shown. For example, it may be any one of the manner without the base material layer 110A, the manner without the elastic layer 110B, and the manner without the anti-sticking layer 110C.

[0174] Examples of the shape of the tubular fixing member of the present invention include a cylindrical shape and a belt shape.

[0175] The tubular fixing member of the present invention may be a fixing belt or a fixing roller.

[0176] <Fixing device>

[0177] The fixing device of the present invention includes a first rotating body and a second rotating body arranged to be in contact with the outer surface of the first rotating body, and a recording medium having a toner image formed on its surface is passed through the contact portion between the first rotating body and the second rotating body to fix the toner image onto the recording medium. At least one of the first rotating body and the second rotating body is a rotating body that applies heat to the recording medium and is the tubular fixing member of the present invention.

[0178] Examples of the embodiment of the fixing device of the present invention include a first embodiment and a second embodiment.

[0179] The fixing device according to the first embodiment includes a heating roller and a pressure belt, and at least the heating roller is the tubular fixing member of the present invention.

[0180] The fixing device according to the second embodiment includes a heating belt and a pressure roller, and at least the heating belt is the tubular fixing member of the present invention.

[0181] [First Embodiment]

[0182] Figure 2 FIG. 60 is a schematic diagram showing the fixing device 60 according to the first embodiment.

[0183] The fixing device 60 includes a heating roller 61 (an example of the first rotating body) and a pressure belt 62 (an example of the second rotating body).

[0184] A halogen lamp 66 (an example of a heating member) is disposed inside the heating roller 61. A temperature sensing element 69 is disposed in contact with the surface of the heating roller 61. The lighting of the halogen lamp 66 is controlled according to the temperature measurement value detected by the temperature sensing element 69, and the surface temperature of the heating roller 61 is maintained at a target set temperature (for example, 150 °C).

[0185] The pressure belt 62 is rotatably supported by a pressing pad 64 and a belt travel guide 63 disposed inside.

[0186] The pressing pad 64 presses the pressure belt 62 against the heating roller 61. The pressure belt 62 is pressed against the heating roller 61 by the pressing pad 64 to form a clamping area N (a biting portion).

[0187] The pressing pad 64 includes a clamping member 64a and a clamping member 64b. In order to ensure a wide clamping area N, the clamping member 64a is disposed on the entrance side of the clamping area N. In order to deform the heating roller 61 and facilitate the peeling of the recording medium, the clamping member 64b is disposed on the exit side of the clamping area N.

[0188] In order to reduce the sliding resistance between the inner peripheral surface of the pressure belt 62 and the pressing pad 64, a sheet-like sliding member 68 is disposed between the pressing pad 64 and the pressure belt 62. The pressing pad 64 and the sliding member 68 are held by a metal holding member 65. A belt travel guide 63 is mounted on the holding member 65. A lubricant supply device 67 as a member for supplying a lubricant (oil) to the inner peripheral surface of the pressure belt 62 is mounted on the belt travel guide 63.

[0189] The peeling member 70 is an auxiliary member for peeling the recording medium from the fixing device 60, and is disposed on the downstream side of the clamping area N. The peeling member 70 includes a peeling claw 71 and a holding member 72. The peeling claw 71 is held by the holding member 72 at a position close to the heating roller 61.

[0190] The heating roller 61 is rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown). The heating roller 61 rotates in the direction of arrow S by the drive motor, and following this rotation, the pressure belt 62 rotates in the direction of arrow R. The paper K (an example of a recording medium) having a toner image that has not been fixed is guided by the fixing inlet guide 56 and conveyed to the clamping area N, and when passing through the clamping area N, the toner image on the paper K is fixed by pressure and heat.

[0191] [Second Embodiment]

[0192] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram showing a fixing device 80 according to the second embodiment.

[0193] The fixing device 80 includes: a fixing belt module 86 having a heating belt 84 (an example of a first rotating body); and a pressure roller 88 (an example of a second rotating body) configured to press against the heating belt 84 (fixing belt module 86).

[0194] A clamping area N (biting part) is formed at the contact part between the heating belt 84 (fixing belt module 86) and the pressure roller 88.

[0195] The fixing belt module 86 includes a heating belt 84, a heating pressure roller 89, a support roller 90, a support roller 92, a posture correction roller 94, and a support roller 98. The heating belt 84 is wound around the heating pressure roller 89 and the support roller 90. The heating pressure roller 89 is rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown), and presses the heating belt 84 from its inner peripheral surface toward the pressure roller 88 side. The support roller 92 is disposed outside the heating belt 84, and defines the surrounding path of the heating belt 84. The posture correction roller 94 corrects the posture of the heating belt 84 from the support roller 90 to the heating pressure roller 89, and suppresses the meandering of the heating belt 84. The support roller 98 applies tension to the heating belt 84 from the inner peripheral surface on the downstream side of the clamping area N.

[0196] In order to reduce the sliding resistance between the inner peripheral surface of the heating belt 84 and the heating pressure roller 89, a sheet-like sliding member 82 is disposed between the heating belt 84 and the heating pressure roller 89. The sliding member 82 is disposed in a state where its both ends are supported by a support member 96.

[0197] A halogen heater 89A (an example of a heating member) is disposed inside the heating pressure roller 89, and heats the heating belt 84 from the inner peripheral surface side.

[0198] A halogen heater 90A (an example of a heating member) is disposed inside the support roller 90, and heats the heating belt 84 from the inner peripheral surface side.

[0199] A halogen heater 92A (an example of a heating member) is disposed inside the support roller 92, and heats the heating belt 84 from the outer peripheral surface side.

[0200] The pressure roller 88 is supported so as to be rotatable freely, and is arranged to press, by a biasing member (not shown), on the portion of the heating belt 84 wound around the heating pressure roller 89. The heating belt 84 rotates and moves in the direction of arrow S by the rotational drive of the heating pressure roller 89, and following this rotational movement, the pressure roller 88 rotates and moves in the direction of arrow R.

[0201] The paper K (an example of a recording medium) having an unfixed toner image is conveyed in the direction of arrow P and is guided to the clamping area N of the fixing device 80. When the paper K passes through the clamping area N, the toner image on the paper K is fixed by pressure and heat.

[0202] <Image forming apparatus>

[0203] The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes: an image holding member; a charging device that charges the surface of the image holding member; an electrostatic latent image forming device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the image holding member; a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image holding member with a developer containing toner to form a toner image; a transfer device that transfers the toner image onto the surface of a recording medium; and the fixing device of the present invention that fixes the toner image onto the recording medium. The fixing device may be a cartridge detachably attached to the image forming apparatus.

[0204] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. The image forming apparatus 100 includes the fixing device 60 according to the first embodiment above. The image forming apparatus 100 may also include the fixing device 80 according to the second embodiment above in place of the fixing device 60.

[0205] The image forming apparatus 100 is an image forming apparatus of an intermediate transfer type generally called a tandem type. The image forming apparatus 100 includes: image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, 1K that form toner images of respective colors by an electrophotographic method; a primary transfer unit 10 that sequentially transfers (primary transfer) the toner images of respective colors onto an intermediate transfer belt 15; a secondary transfer unit 20 that transfers (secondary transfer) the overlapping toner images transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 15 all at once onto the paper K as a recording medium; a fixing device 60 that fixes the image after secondary transfer onto the paper K; and a control unit 40 that controls the operations of the respective devices (each unit).

[0206] The image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, 1K are arranged in a substantially linear shape in the order of 1Y (yellow unit), 1M (magenta unit), 1C (cyan unit), 1K (black unit) from the upstream side of the intermediate transfer belt 15.

[0207] The image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K each include a photoreceptor 11 (an example of an image holding member). The photoreceptor 11 rotates in the direction of arrow A.

[0208] Around the photoreceptor 11, a charger 12 (an example of a charging device), a laser exposure unit 13 (an example of an electrostatic latent image forming device), a developing unit 14 (an example of a developing device), a primary transfer roller 16, and a photoreceptor cleaner 17 are arranged in sequence along the rotation direction of the photoreceptor 11.

[0209] The charger 12 charges the surface of the photoreceptor 11.

[0210] The laser exposure unit 13 emits an exposure beam Bm to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 11.

[0211] The developing unit 14 accommodates toner of each color and visualizes the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 11 with the toner.

[0212] The primary transfer roller 16 transfers the toner image formed on the photoreceptor 11 to the intermediate transfer belt 15 in the primary transfer section 10.

[0213] The photoreceptor cleaner 17 removes residual toner on the photoreceptor 11.

[0214] The intermediate transfer belt 15 is a belt made of a material obtained by adding an antistatic agent such as carbon black to a resin such as polyimide or polyamide. The volume resistivity of the intermediate transfer belt 15 is, for example, 1×10 6 Ω·cm or more and 1×10 14 Ω·cm or less, and the thickness is, for example, 0.1 mm.

[0215] The intermediate transfer belt 15 is supported by a driving roller 31, a supporting roller 32, a tension applying roller 33, a back roller 25, and a cleaning back roller 34, and is circularly driven (rotated) in the direction of arrow B as the driving roller 31 rotates.

[0216] The driving roller 31 is driven by a motor (not shown) with excellent constant speed performance to rotate the intermediate transfer belt 15.

[0217] The supporting roller 32 supports the intermediate transfer belt 15 that extends substantially linearly along the arrangement direction of the four photoreceptors 11 together with the driving roller 31.

[0218] The tension applying roller 33 applies a constant tension to the intermediate transfer belt 15 and functions as a correcting roller for suppressing the meandering of the intermediate transfer belt 15.

[0219] The back roller 25 is provided in the secondary transfer section 20, and the cleaning back roller 34 is provided in the cleaning section for scraping off residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt 15.

[0220] The primary transfer roller 16 holds the intermediate transfer belt 15 and is disposed in pressure contact with the photoreceptor 11 to form the primary transfer portion 10.

[0221] A voltage (primary transfer bias) having a polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the toner (assumed to be negative polarity, the same applies hereinafter) is applied to the primary transfer roller 16. Thereby, the toner images on the respective photoreceptors 11 are electrostatically adsorbed onto the intermediate transfer belt 15 in sequence, and overlapping toner images are formed on the intermediate transfer belt 15.

[0222] The primary transfer roller 16 is a cylindrical roller composed of a shaft (e.g., a metal cylindrical rod such as iron or SUS) and an elastic layer (e.g., a sponge layer of a mixed rubber containing a conductive agent such as carbon black) fixed around the shaft. The volume resistivity of the primary transfer roller 16 is, for example, 1×10 7.5 Ω·cm or more and 1×10 8.5 Ω·cm or less.

[0223] The secondary transfer roller 22 holds the intermediate transfer belt 15 and is disposed in pressure contact with the back roller 25 to form the secondary transfer portion 20.

[0224] The secondary transfer roller 22 forms a secondary transfer bias between it and the back roller 25 to secondarily transfer the toner image onto the paper K (recording medium) conveyed to the secondary transfer portion 20.

[0225] The secondary transfer roller 22 is a cylindrical roller composed of a shaft (e.g., a metal cylindrical rod such as iron or SUS) and an elastic layer (e.g., a sponge layer of a mixed rubber containing a conductive agent such as carbon black) fixed around the shaft. The volume resistivity of the secondary transfer roller 22 is, for example, 1×10 7.5 Ω·cm or more and 1×10 8.5 Ω·cm or less.

[0226] The back roller 25 is disposed on the back side of the intermediate transfer belt 15 to constitute the counter electrode of the secondary transfer roller 22, thereby forming a transfer electric field between it and the secondary transfer roller 22.

[0227] The back roller 25 is formed by covering a rubber base material with a mixed rubber tube in which carbon is dispersed, for example. The surface resistivity of the back roller 25 is, for example, 1×10 7 Ω / Υ or more and 1×10 10 Ω / Υ or less, and the hardness is, for example, 70° (ASKER C: manufactured by KOBUNSHIKEIKI CO., LTD., the same applies hereinafter).

[0228] The metal supply roller 26 is disposed in contact with the back roller 25. The supply roller 26 applies a voltage (secondary transfer bias) having the same polarity as the charging polarity of the toner (negative polarity) to form a transfer electric field between the secondary transfer roller 22 and the back roller 25.

[0229] A secondary transfer cleaner 35 is provided on the downstream side of the secondary transfer section 20 of the intermediate transfer belt 15, and is capable of contacting / separating from the intermediate transfer belt 15. The secondary transfer cleaner 35 removes residual toner and paper dust on the intermediate transfer belt 15 after secondary transfer.

[0230] A reference sensor (home position sensor) 42 is disposed on the upstream side of the image forming unit 1Y. The reference sensor 42 generates a reference signal that serves as a reference for obtaining the image forming timing in each image forming unit. The reference sensor 42 generates a reference signal by recognizing a mark provided on the back side of the intermediate transfer belt 15, and the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K start forming an image according to an instruction from the control unit 40 that has recognized the reference signal.

[0231] An image density sensor 43 for performing image quality adjustment is disposed on the downstream side of the image forming unit 1K.

[0232] The image forming apparatus 100 includes a paper storage section 50, a paper feed roller 51, a transfer roller 52, a transfer guide 53, a conveyor belt 55, and a fixing inlet guide 56 as transfer members for transferring the paper K.

[0233] The paper storage section 50 stores the paper K before image formation.

[0234] The paper feed roller 51 takes out the paper K stored in the paper storage section 50.

[0235] The transfer roller 52 transfers the paper K taken out by the paper feed roller 51.

[0236] The transfer guide 53 sends the paper K transferred by the transfer roller 52 to the secondary transfer section 20.

[0237] The conveyor belt 55 transfers the paper K with an image transferred thereon through the secondary transfer section 20 to the fixing device 60.

[0238] The fixing inlet guide 56 guides the paper K to the fixing device 60.

[0239] An image forming method of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described.

[0240] In the image forming apparatus 100, image processing is performed on image data output from an image reading device (not shown), a computer (not shown), or the like by an image processing device (not shown), and imaging work is performed by the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K.

[0241] In an image processing apparatus, image processing such as shadow correction, position deviation correction, brightness / color space conversion, gamma correction, border removal or color editing, and movement editing is performed on the input reflectance data. The image data subjected to the image processing is converted into toner gray-scale data of four colors, Y, M, C, and K, and output to a laser exposure unit 13.

[0242] The laser exposure unit 13 irradiates exposure beams Bm to the photoreceptors 11 of each of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K according to the input toner gray-scale data.

[0243] After the photoreceptors 11 of each of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K are surface-charged by a charger 12, the surface is scanned and exposed by the laser exposure unit 13 to form an electrostatic latent image. The electrostatic latent image formed on each photoreceptor 11 is developed into a toner image of each color by each image forming unit.

[0244] The toner images formed on the photoreceptors 11 of the image forming units 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K are transferred to an intermediate transfer belt 15 at a primary transfer portion 10 where each photoreceptor 11 contacts the intermediate transfer belt 15. At the primary transfer portion 10, a voltage (primary transfer bias) having a polarity opposite to the charging polarity (negative polarity) of the toner is applied to the intermediate transfer belt 15 by a primary transfer roller 16, and the toner images are sequentially overlapped and transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 15.

[0245] The toner image once transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 15 is conveyed to a secondary transfer portion 20 as the intermediate transfer belt 15 moves.

[0246] Corresponding to the timing when the toner image reaches the secondary transfer portion 20, a sheet K accommodated in a sheet accommodating portion 50 is conveyed by a paper feed roller 51, a conveyance roller 52, and a conveyance guide device 53 and supplied to the secondary transfer portion 20, and is sandwiched between the intermediate transfer belt 15 and a secondary transfer roller 22.

[0247] Then, in the secondary transfer portion 20 where a transfer electric field is formed, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 15 is electrostatically transferred (secondary transfer) to the sheet K.

[0248] The sheet K electrostatically transferred with the toner image is peeled off from the intermediate transfer belt 15 by the secondary transfer roller 22 and conveyed to a fixing device 60 by a conveyor belt 55.

[0249] The sheet K conveyed to the fixing device 60 is heated and pressed by the fixing device 60, so that the unfixed toner image is fixed.

[0250] Through the above processes, an image is formed on a recording medium by an image forming apparatus 100.

[0251] Example

[0252] Hereinafter, embodiments of the molded body will be described in detail by way of examples, but the embodiments of the molded body are not limited to these examples.

[0253] In the following description, unless otherwise specified, "parts" and "%" are based on mass.

[0254] In the following description, unless otherwise specified, synthesis, manufacturing, processing, measurement, etc. are carried out at normal temperature (25°C ± 3°C).

[0255] <Manufacture of Molded Body with Filler Dispersed in Resin>

[0256] [Example 1]

[0257] A polyamic acid solution (TX-HMM, UNITIKA LTD.) and carbon nanotubes were mixed and kneaded with a three-roll mill to prepare a coating liquid (1). When the polyamic acid solution was cured, the amount was mixed so that the volume ratio of the carbon nanotubes became the volume ratio recorded in Table 1. When kneading the polyamic acid solution and the carbon nanotubes, the distance between the roll mills of the roll mill and the rotational speed of the roll mill were adjusted to control the dispersion state of the carbon nanotubes.

[0258] The coating liquid (1) was coated on the outer peripheral surface of an aluminum cylindrical mold (diameter 30 mm) and dried at a temperature of 100°C for 80 minutes. The coating amount of the coating liquid (1) was adjusted so that the thickness of the molded body became 80 μm. The cylindrical mold with the coating film was placed in a heating furnace and heated at a temperature of 380°C for 40 minutes to calcine the molded body. The cylindrical mold under the molded body was pulled out to obtain a tubular molded body.

[0259] [Comparative Example 1]

[0260] It was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1, but the dispersion state of the filler was changed by shortening the distance between the roll mills of the three-roll mill to 1 / 1.3, thereby manufacturing a tubular molded body.

[0261] [Comparative Example 2]

[0262] It was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1, but as recorded in Table 1, the volume ratio of the filler was changed, and the dispersion state of the filler was changed by shortening the distance between the roll mills of the three-roll mill to 1 / 1.5, thereby manufacturing a tubular molded body.

[0263] [Comparative Example 3]

[0264] It was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1, but the filler was changed to carbon black, and the dispersion state of the filler was changed by shortening the distance between the roll mills of the three-roll mill to 1 / 2, thereby manufacturing a tubular molded body.

[0265] [Examples 2 to 7]

[0266] It was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1, however, the type, size, and volume ratio of the filler were changed as described in Table 1, thereby manufacturing a tubular molded body.

[0267] [Example 8]

[0268] The surface of boron nitride particles was treated with a silane coupling agent having an isocyanate group, and an isocyanate group was imparted to the surface of the boron nitride particles.

[0269] The surface of boron nitride particles was treated with a silane coupling agent having a hydroxyl group, and a hydroxyl group was imparted to the surface of the boron nitride particles.

[0270] The above two kinds of fillers were mixed and placed in a heating furnace, heated to a temperature of 150 °C at a heating rate of 2 °C / minute and held for 50 minutes, and then cooled to room temperature, thereby obtaining a filler mixture.

[0271] It was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1, however, the filler was changed to the filler mixture, and the heating rate of the heating furnace when a cylindrical mold with a coating film was placed in the heating furnace for calcination was changed to half of that in Example 1, thereby manufacturing a tubular molded body. The respective usage amounts of the two kinds of boron nitride particles were such that they became the volume ratios described in Table 1 when the polyamic acid solution was cured.

[0272] [Example 9]

[0273] The surface of boron nitride particles was treated with a silane coupling agent having an epoxy group, and an epoxy group was imparted to the surface of the boron nitride particles.

[0274] The surface of alumina particles was treated with a silane coupling agent having an amino group, and an amino group was imparted to the surface of the alumina particles.

[0275] The above two kinds of fillers were mixed and placed in a heating furnace, heated to a temperature of 120 °C at a heating rate of 2 °C / minute and held for 50 minutes, and then cooled to room temperature, thereby obtaining a filler mixture.

[0276] It was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1, however, the filler was changed to the filler mixture, and the heating rate of the heating furnace when a cylindrical mold with a coating film was placed in the heating furnace for calcination was changed to half of that in Example 1, thereby manufacturing a tubular molded body. The respective usage amounts of the boron nitride particles and the alumina particles were such that they became the volume ratios described in Table 1 when the polyamic acid solution was cured.

[0277] <Manufacture of a molded body in which a filler is dispersed in rubber>

[0278] [Example 11]

[0279] A mixed liquid silicone rubber (two-component type, X-34-2826-A / B, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) and carbon nanotubes were kneaded using a three-roll mill to prepare a coating liquid (11). When the liquid silicone rubber was cured, the volume ratio of the carbon nanotubes was mixed in an amount recorded in Table 2. When kneading the liquid silicone rubber and the carbon nanotubes, the distance between the roll mills and the rotation speed of the roll mills were adjusted to control the dispersion state of the carbon nanotubes.

[0280] The coating liquid (11) was coated on the outer peripheral surface of an aluminum cylindrical mold (diameter 30 mm) and dried at 115°C for 15 minutes. The coating amount of the coating liquid (11) was adjusted so that the thickness of the molded body became 400 μm. The cylindrical mold with the coating film was placed in a heating furnace and heated at 200°C for 2 hours to calcine the molded body. The cylindrical mold under the molded body was pulled out to obtain a tubular molded body.

[0281] [Comparative Example 11]

[0282] Performed in the same manner as Example 11, but the dispersion state of the filler was changed by shortening the distance between the roll mills of the three-roll mill to 1 / 1.5, thereby manufacturing a tubular molded body.

[0283] [Comparative Example 12]

[0284] Performed in the same manner as Example 11, but the volume ratio of the filler was changed as recorded in Table 2, and the dispersion state of the filler was changed by shortening the distance between the roll mills of the three-roll mill to 1 / 1.3, thereby manufacturing a tubular molded body.

[0285] [Comparative Example 13]

[0286] Performed in the same manner as Example 11, but the filler was changed to carbon black, and the dispersion state of the filler was changed by shortening the distance between the roll mills of the three-roll mill to 1 / 2, thereby manufacturing a tubular molded body.

[0287] [Examples 12 to 17]

[0288] Performed in the same manner as Example 11, but the type and volume ratio of the filler were changed as recorded in Table 2, thereby manufacturing a tubular molded body.

[0289] [Example 18]

[0290] Boron nitride particles having isocyanate groups on the surface and boron nitride particles having hydroxyl groups on the surface used in Example 8 were prepared.

[0291] The above two kinds of fillers were mixed and placed in a heating furnace, heated at a heating rate of 2 °C per minute to a temperature of 150 °C and held for 50 minutes, and then cooled to room temperature, thereby obtaining a filler mixture.

[0292] It was carried out in the same manner as in Example 11, but the filler was changed to the filler mixture, thereby manufacturing a tubular molded body. The respective usage amounts of the two kinds of boron nitride particles were such that they became the volume ratios shown in Table 2 when the polyamic acid solution was cured.

[0293] [Example 19]

[0294] Boron nitride particles having an epoxy group on the surface and alumina particles having an amino group on the surface used in Example 9 were prepared.

[0295] The above two kinds of fillers were mixed and placed in a heating furnace, heated at a heating rate of 2 °C per minute to a temperature of 120 °C and held for 50 minutes, and then cooled to room temperature, thereby obtaining a filler mixture.

[0296] It was carried out in the same manner as in Example 11, but the filler was changed to the filler mixture, thereby manufacturing a tubular molded body. The respective usage amounts of the boron nitride particles and the alumina particles were such that they became the volume ratios shown in Table 2 when the polyamic acid solution was cured.

[0297] <Cross-section analysis of the molded body>

[0298] A rectangular parallelepiped with a circumference of 1 mm and an axial length, having the axial direction, the circumferential direction, and the film thickness direction as three sides, was sheared from the central portion in the axial direction of the tubular molded body and embedded with epoxy resin. The embedded object was subjected to cross-section processing with a microtome to form a block cross-section where the film thickness direction could be seen. The specimen with the block cross-section formed was fixed to the specimen stage of a FIB-SEM apparatus (FIB-SEM Helios NanoLab 600i, FEI Company, USA), and a vapor deposition treatment was carried out. By repeating FIB processing and SEM observation on the block cross-section with the FIB-SEM apparatus, a two-dimensional stacked image was obtained. FIB processing and SEM observation were repeated until at least 100 fillers were observed. Regarding the SEM observation, it was carried out at a magnification capable of observing the fillers dispersed in the molded body.

[0299] The two-dimensional stacked image was read into three-dimensional image analysis software (Avizo-Fire, VSG Company) to construct a three-dimensional image.

[0300] In the constructed three-dimensional image, 100 fillers were randomly selected. The major axis length and aspect ratio were measured for each of the 100 fillers, and the respective averages were calculated. The results were recorded in Table 1 and Table 2.

[0301] Further, the volume ratio of the filler in the molded body is obtained by analyzing the formed three-dimensional image, and the results are recorded in Tables 1 and 2.

[0302] <Measurement of Martensite Hardness of Molded Body>

[0303] A square of 50 mm in the axial direction × 50 mm in the circumferential direction is collected from the axial center of the tubular molded body in such a manner as to maintain the thickness of the molded body, and used as a specimen. Using a microhardness tester FischerScope HM2000, the measurement is performed as described above, and the Martensite hardness (N / mm 2 ) is obtained from the load-displacement curve. The measurement is performed at any 10 points within a 50 mm square area, and the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the Martensite hardness (N / mm 2 ) is calculated.

[0304] <Performance Evaluation of Molded Body>

[0305] [Thermal Conductivity]

[0306] A square of 2 mm in the axial direction × 2 mm in the circumferential direction is collected from the axial center of the tubular molded body in such a manner as to maintain the thickness of the molded body, and used as a specimen. At room temperature (25 °C ± 3 °C), the thermal diffusivity in the film thickness direction is measured using a thermal diffusivity measuring device ai-phase (ai~Phase Co., Ltd), and the thermal conductivity (W / m·K) is calculated by multiplying the specific heat and density by the thermal diffusivity. The results are recorded in Tables 1 and 2.

[0307] The abbreviations in Tables 1 and 2 have the following meanings.

[0308] ·PI: Polyimide resin

[0309] ·Si rubber: Silicone rubber

[0310] ·CNT: Carbon nanotube

[0311] ·CB: Carbon black

[0312] ·BN: Boron nitride

[0313] ·SiC: Silicon carbide

[0314] ·ALUMINA: Alumina

[0315]

[0316]

[0317] The molded body, composite body, tubular fixing member, fixing device, and image forming device of the present invention include the following modes. (1)

[0319] A molded body containing a resin and a filler dispersed in the resin,

[0320] when measuring the martensite hardness at 10 locations in a 50 mm square area of the largest surface of the molded body, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensite hardness is 200 N / mm 2 or more. (2)

[0322] A molded body containing a rubber and a filler dispersed in the rubber,

[0323] when measuring the martensite hardness at 10 locations in a 50 mm square area of the largest surface of the molded body, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensite hardness is 5 N / mm 2 or more. (3)

[0325] The molded body according to (1) or (2), wherein,

[0326] the filler includes two or more kinds of fillers having different shapes, or includes two or more kinds of fillers having different surface properties. (4)

[0328] The molded body according to (1) or (2), wherein,

[0329] the filler includes a first filler having a first functional group on the surface and a second filler having a second functional group different from the first functional group on the surface. (5)

[0331] The molded body according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein,

[0332] the average value of the aspect ratio of the filler is 10 or more and 500 or less. (6)

[0334] The molded body according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein,

[0335] the volume ratio of the filler in the molded body is 10% by volume or more and 50% by volume or less. (7)

[0337] A composite body including the molded body according to any one of (1) to (6). (8)

[0339] A tubular fixing member including the molded body according to any one of (1) to (6) formed into a tubular shape. (9)

[0341] A fixing device includes a first rotating body and a second rotating body, and the second rotating body is arranged to be in contact with the outer surface of the first rotating body.

[0342] At least one of the first rotating body and the second rotating body is the tubular fixing member described in (8).

[0343] A recording medium having a toner image formed on its surface is passed through the contact portion between the first rotating body and the second rotating body to fix the toner image. (10)

[0345] An image forming apparatus includes:

[0346] An image holding body;

[0347] A charging device that charges the surface of the image holding body;

[0348] An electrostatic latent image forming device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the charged image holding body;

[0349] A developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image holding body with a developer containing toner to form a toner image;

[0350] A transfer device that transfers the toner image onto the surface of a recording medium; and

[0351] (9) The fixing device described above that fixes the toner image onto the recording medium.

[0352] According to (1), (3), (4), (5), or (6), there is provided a molded body containing a resin and a filler, wherein when measuring the martensite hardness at 10 locations in a region of 50 mm square on the largest surface, compared with a molded body in which the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensite hardness is less than 200 N / mm 2 it has excellent thermal conductivity.

[0353] According to (2), (3), (4), (5), or (6), there is provided a molded body containing a rubber and a filler, wherein when measuring the martensite hardness at 10 locations in a region of 50 mm square on the largest surface, compared with a molded body in which the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensite hardness is less than 5 N / mm 2 it has excellent thermal conductivity.

[0354] According to (7), there is provided a composite body having excellent thermal conductivity.

[0355] According to (8), there is provided a tubular fixing member having excellent thermal conductivity.

[0356] According to (9), there is provided a fixing device having a tubular fixing member with excellent thermal conductivity.

[0357] According to (10), there is provided an image forming apparatus having a tubular fixing member with excellent thermal conductivity.

[0358] The above-described embodiments of the present invention are provided for purposes of illustration and description. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention do not comprehensively and exhaustively include the present invention and do not limit the present invention to the disclosed forms. Obviously, various modifications and variations are apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. The present embodiment is selected and described in order to most easily explain the principles of the present invention and its applications. Thus, other technicians in the art can understand the present invention through various modified examples optimized for specific uses assumed to be various embodiments. The scope of the present invention is defined by the above claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A molded article containing a resin and a filler dispersed in the resin, When the martensite hardness was measured at 10 locations within a 50 mm square area of the largest surface of the molded body, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensite hardness was 200 N / mm 2 or more.

2. A molded article containing a rubber and a filler dispersed in the rubber, When the martensite hardness was measured at 10 points within a 50 mm square area on the largest surface of the molded body, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the martensite hardness was 5 N / mm 2 or more.

3. The molded article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the filler contains two or more fillers having different shapes, or contains two or more fillers having different surface properties.

4. The molded article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the filler contains a first filler having a first functional group on the surface and a second filler having a second functional group different from the first functional group on the surface.

5. The molded article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, the average aspect ratio of the filler is 10 or more and 500 or less.

6. The molded article according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, the volume ratio of the filler in the molded article is 10% by volume or more and 50% by volume or less.

7. A composite body comprising the molded article according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A tubular fixing member having the molded article according to any one of claims 1 to 6 formed into a tubular shape.

9. A fixing device having a first rotating body and a second rotating body, the second rotating body being arranged to contact the outer surface of the first rotating body, at least one of the first rotating body and the second rotating body being the tubular fixing member according to claim 8, and a recording medium having a toner image formed on its surface is passed through the contact portion between the first rotating body and the second rotating body to fix the toner image.

10. An image forming apparatus having: an image holding member; a charging device for charging the surface of the image holding member; an electrostatic latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the image holding member; a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image holding member with a developer containing toner to form a toner image; a transfer device for transferring the toner image onto the surface of a recording medium; and the fixing device according to claim 9 for fixing the toner image onto the recording medium.

Images