Release fluid additive

Abstract

To provide release fluids that realize a long life of a fuser roll in an electrostatographic machine.SOLUTION: A fuser roll 120 comprises: a substrate; an outer layer covering the substrate; and a release coating for coating the outer layer with a release fluid so as to enable clean release of a toner patch from the fuser roll 120. The release fluid for the release coating on the outer layer comprises a specific amino-functional silicone fluid, a non-functional silicone fluid, and vitamin E. The vitamin E serves as an antioxidant to decrease oxidative degradation of a top layer of the fuser roll or the release fluid so as to potentially improve the fuser roll life significantly.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to release fluids or agents useful for release coatings in toner-based technology.

[0002] In electrostatographic reproduction systems, including digital, multi-image, and contact electrostatic printing systems, the light image of the original to be reproduced is typically recorded in the form of an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive member, which is subsequently made visible by the application of electroscopic thermoplastic and pigment particles, or toner. The residual toner image can be fixed directly on the photosensitive member or transferred from the member to another substrate, such as a sheet of plain paper, by subsequent fixing or fusing.

[0003] To permanently fix or fuse toner to a support member by heating, the temperature of the toner must be raised to a temperature at which the constituents of the toner coalesce and become tacky. This heating action causes the toner to flow to some extent into the fibers or pores of the support member. When the toner is then cooled, the toner solidifies and firmly bonds to the support member.

[0004] Typically, thermoplastic resin particles, commonly referred to as toner, are fused to a substrate by heating to temperatures of about 90° C. to about 200° C. or higher, depending on the softening range of the particular resin used in the toner. However, particularly when the substrate is paper, it may be undesirable to raise the temperature of the substrate substantially above about 250° C., as such high temperatures may discolor, scorch, or even ignite the substrate.

[0005] The fuser roll is a replaceable part, and replacing the fuser roll significantly increases the running costs of the electrostatic copier.

[0006] To prevent or mitigate degradation, some antioxidants can be added to release fluids. For example, typical motor oils contain several antioxidants to improve oil stability and oxidation / corrosion of engine parts. However, most of these additives are toxic and not approved for use on printed materials that may come into contact with humans. Some common food-approved additives, such as BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) and vitamin C, are solids that are not soluble in silicone oils and are not stable at fusing temperatures.

[0007] It would be desirable to have a release fluid that provides long life for replacement parts in electrostatographic copiers. Summary of the Invention

[0008] According to various embodiments, a release fluid is provided that includes an amino-functional silicone fluid, a non-functional silicone fluid, and vitamin E.

[0009] A further aspect described herein is a fuser member comprising a substrate, an outer layer overlying the substrate, and a release coating on the outer layer. The release coating comprises a release fluid for coating the outer layer, the release fluid having the structure:

[0010] [ka] wherein R1, R2, and R3 are CH3 or hydrogen.

[0011] A further aspect described herein is an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor having a photosensitive layer, a charging device for charging the photoreceptor, and an exposure device for exposing the charged photoreceptor to light, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor. The image forming apparatus includes a development station for developing a toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor, and at least one transfer device for transferring the toner image to a recording medium. The image forming apparatus includes a fixing station for fixing the toner image transferred to the recording medium on the recording medium by heating the recording medium to form a fixed image on the recording medium. The fixing station includes a fixing member, a pressure member, and a release fluid combined with the fixing member, the release fluid comprising an amino-functional silicone fluid, a non-functional silicone fluid, and a composition having the structure:

[0012] [ka] wherein R1, R2, and R3 are CH3 or hydrogen. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the present teachings and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present teachings. [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an imaging device according to the present disclosure; [Figure 2] 1 is an enlarged side view of one embodiment of a fuser member showing a fuser member having a substrate, an intermediate layer, an outer layer, and a release coating layer according to the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of a release fluid device for supplying release fluid to a fuser member according to the present disclosure.

[0014] It should be noted that some details in these figures have been simplified and strict structural accuracy, detail, and scale are not maintained, but rather are drawn to facilitate understanding of the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present teachings, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

[0016] In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments in which the present teachings may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present teachings, it being understood that other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present teachings. Accordingly, the following description is by way of example only.

[0017] The illustrated embodiments can be illustrated, modified, and / or altered with respect to one or more implementations without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. In addition, while a particular feature may be disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other implementations as may be desirable and advantageous for any given function or functions. Furthermore, to the extent the terms "including," "includes," "having," "has," "with," or variations thereof are used in either the Detailed Description or the Claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in the same manner as the term "comprising." The term "at least one of" is used to mean that one or more of the listed items can be selected.

[0018] Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the embodiments are approximations, the numerical values ​​set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. However, any numerical value inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. Furthermore, all ranges disclosed herein should be understood to encompass any and all subranges subsumed therein. For example, a range "less than 10" can include any and all subranges between a minimum value of zero and a maximum value of 10 (inclusive), i.e., any and all subranges having a minimum value greater than or equal to zero and a maximum value less than or equal to 10, e.g., 1 to 5. In some cases, the numerical values ​​recited for parameters can assume negative values. In this case, exemplary values ​​for a range recited as "less than 10" can assume negative values, e.g., -1, -2, -3, -10, -20, -30, etc.

[0019] Although embodiments of the disclosure herein are not limited in this respect, as used herein, the terms "plurality" and "a plurality" can include, for example, "multiple" or "two or more." The terms "plurality" or "a plurality" may be used throughout this specification to describe two or more components, devices, elements, units, parameters, etc. For example, "a plurality of resistors" may include two or more resistors.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 1, in a typical electrostatic reproduction device, a light image of an original to be reproduced is recorded on a photosensitive member in the form of an electrostatic latent image. The latent image is then made visible by the application of electroscopic thermoplastic resin particles, commonly referred to as toner. Specifically, a photoreceptor 110 is charged on its surface by a charging device 112 supplied with a voltage from a power supply 111. The photoreceptor 110 is then imagewise exposed to light from an optical system or an image input device 113, such as a laser or light-emitting diode, to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 110. Typically, the electrostatic latent image is developed by bringing a developer mixture from a development station 114 into contact with the electrostatic latent image. Development can be accomplished by using a magnetic brush, powder cloud, or other known development process. The dry developer mixture typically includes carrier granules having toner particles adhering triboelectrically thereto. The toner particles are attracted from the carrier granules to the latent image, forming a toner powder image. Alternatively, a liquid developer material, including a liquid carrier with toner particles dispersed therein, can be used. The liquid developer material is advanced into contact with the electrostatic latent image and the toner particles are deposited thereon in image configuration.

[0021] After the toner particles are deposited on the photoconductive surface, in image configuration, they are transferred by transfer device 115 to a copy sheet 116, which may be done by pressure transfer or electrostatic transfer. Alternatively, the developed image may be transferred to an intermediate or bias transfer member and subsequently transferred to the copy sheet 116. Examples of copy substrates include paper, transparent materials such as polyester, polycarbonate, cloth, wood, or any other desired material upon which the finished image will be placed.

[0022] After transfer of the developed image is complete, the copy sheet 116 advances to a fusing station 119, such as a fuser roll 120 and pressure roll 121 shown in FIG. 1 (although any other fusing member components, such as a fuser belt in contact with a pressure roll, a fuser roll in contact with a pressure belt, etc., are suitable for use in this apparatus), where the developed image is fused to the copy sheet 116 by passing the copy sheet 116 between the fuser and pressure members, thereby forming a permanent image. Alternatively, transfer and fusing can be performed by a transfix application. The photoreceptor 110 advances to a cleaning station 117 after transfer, where any toner remaining on the photoreceptor 110 is cleaned from the photoreceptor by use of a blade 122 (as shown in FIG. 1), a brush, or other cleaning device. Alternatively, transfer and fusing can be performed by a transfix application.

[0023] One of the major failure modes of fuser devices is the accumulation of toner contamination on the fuser roll. The fuser roll topcoat can be Viton, a low-surface-energy anti-blocking fluoropolymer. A release agent management (RAM) system applies a metered amount of release fluid to the fuser roll to aid in the clean release of toner patches from the fuser roll. Fusing conditions include extremely aggressive high temperatures and pressures, oxygen from the environment, vapors from water contained in the paper, environmental humidity, and aggressive chemicals from the toner. All of these factors impose significant oxidative decomposition stress on the Viton polymer. Oxidative degradation of the Viton surface transforms its low-surface-energy anti-blocking properties into high-surface-energy adhesion. Furthermore, the silicone oil in the RAM is itself susceptible to oxidative degradation and can degrade over time, reducing its release properties. Oxidative degradation of the Viton surface or release fluid can cause toner to adhere to the roll surface, leading to contamination accumulation and potentially resulting in print defects or fuser roll failure. Therefore, any mechanism that can slow the oxidative decomposition of Viton or the release fluid could significantly improve fuser roll life. The antioxidant prevents oxidation of the release fluid and the Viton topcoat of the fuser roll.

[0024] Disclosed herein are exfoliating fluid formulations containing a Vitamin E antioxidant.

[0025] The Vitamin E antioxidant reduces oxidative degradation of the fuser release fluid and the Viton topcoat of the fuser roll.The release fluids of the present disclosure can be used in existing release fluid delivery systems without modification.

[0026] The release fluid includes three ingredients: Vitamin E, an amino-functional silicone oil, and a non-functional silicone oil, which are described in more detail below.

[0027] Component 1 of the exfoliating fluid contains vitamin E. Vitamin E is a group of eight lipid-soluble compounds, including four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. Vitamin E exists in eight different forms: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. All of these are characterized by a chroman ring with a hydroxyl group that can donate a hydrogen atom to reduce free radicals, and a hydrophobic side chain that allows penetration into biological membranes.

[0028] The general structure of tocotrienol is shown below:

[0029] [ka] (wherein R1, R2 and R3 are CH3 or hydrogen (Formula I(a))).

[0030] The general structure of tocopherol is shown below.

[0031] [ka] (wherein R1, R2 and R3 are CH3 or hydrogen (Formula I(b))).

[0032] The molecules responsible for activity are four tocopherols and four tocotrienols, each of whose four groups is identified by the prefixes alpha- (α-), beta- (β-), gamma- (γ-), and delta- (δ-). For alpha (α)-tocopherol, a methyl group (CH3) is attached to each of the three "R" sites. For beta (β)-tocopherol, R1 = methyl, R2 = H, and R3 = methyl. For gamma (γ)-tocopherol, R1 = H, R2 = methyl, and R3 = methyl. For delta (δ)-tocopherol, R1 = H, R2 = H, and R3 = methyl. The same configurations exist for tocotrienols, except that tocopherols have saturated side chains, whereas tocotrienols' hydrophobic side chains contain three carbon-carbon double bonds.

[0033] The vitamin E described herein may be a mixture of one or more tocopherols and tocotrienols known to those skilled in the art. The vitamin E described herein may be of natural or synthetic origin.

[0034] To improve the release fluid's degradation, some antioxidants can be added to it. For example, typical motor oils contain several antioxidants to improve oil stability and oxidation / corrosion of engine parts. However, most of these additives are toxic and not approved for use on printed materials that may come into contact with humans. Some common food-approved additives, such as BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) and vitamin C, are solids that are not soluble in silicone oil and are not stable at fusing temperatures.

[0035] Another advantage of using vitamin E as an antioxidant additive in polydimethylsilicone (PDMS) fluids is its safety. Vitamin E is extremely safe for human contact applications and has no known harmful environmental effects. This is especially important because toner prints made using the fusing systems described herein typically terminate with a thin layer of silicone release fluid and come into contact with humans.

[0036] Vitamin E has a decomposition temperature of 500° C. and is expected to be stable at fusing temperatures of approximately 160-200° C. Therefore, release fluids containing vitamin E additives are expected to be stable in the machine over their lifetime.

[0037] Examples of suitable amino-functional silicone fluids (component 2) include those having the following structure represented by Formula II:

[0038] [ka] (wherein Q represents -R1-X, where R1 represents an alkyl group having about 1 to about 10 carbon atoms; X represents -NH2 or -NHR2NH2; and R2 represents the same as R1). In Formula II, n is an integer from 1 to 50, and m is an integer from 10 to 5,000. T1 and T2 are methyl (-CH3) groups or hydroxyl (-OH) groups. The structure of Formula II can be a block copolymer or a random copolymer. In embodiments of Formula II, n is from about 1 to about 50, or from about 1 to about 25, or from about 1 to about 10. m is from about 10 to about 5,000, or from 50 to 1,000, or from 100 to 1,000. In some embodiments, n is from about 1 to about 10, providing pendant groups such as mono-amino, di-amino, tri-amino, tetra-amino, penta-amino, hexa-amino, hepta-amino, octa-amino, nonano-amino, and deca-amino. The amount of amino-functional silicone fluid in the release fluid is from about 1.0 weight percent to about 20.0 weight percent based on the weight of the release fluid. In some embodiments, X represents —NH2, and in other embodiments, R1 is propyl. In some embodiments, X represents —NHR2NH2, and in other embodiments, R2 is propyl.

[0039] In some embodiments, Formula II has a molecular weight (Mw) of about 1,000 to about 100,000 daltons, or about 1,000 to about 10,000 daltons, and a viscosity of about 10 to about 1,500 centipoise, or about 50 to about 1,000 centipoise.

[0040] Examples of suitable non-functional silicone release fluids (component 3) include those represented by the following formula III:

[0041] [ka] In Formula III, r is an integer from 10 to 5,000. T1 and T2 are methyl (-CH3) or hydroxyl (-OH). The structure of Formula II can be a block copolymer or a random copolymer.

[0042] In embodiments of Formula III, r is from about 10 to about 5,000, or from 50 to 1000, or from 100 to 1000.

[0043] In some embodiments, Formula III has a molecular weight (Mw) of about 1,000 to about 100,000 daltons, or about 1,000 to about 10,000 daltons, and a viscosity of about 10 to about 1,500 centipoise, or about 50 to about 1,000 centipoise.

[0044] In some embodiments, the blended release fluid includes vitamin E. The amount of vitamin E of either Formula I(a) or Formula I(b) (component 1) in the release fluid blend is from 0.5 weight percent to about 10.0 weight percent by weight of the blended release fluid. In some embodiments, the amount of Formula II (component 2) is from 1 weight percent to 20 weight percent by weight of the blended release fluid. In some embodiments, the amount of Formula III (component 3) is from 69.5 weight percent to 98.5 weight percent by weight of the release fluid blend.

[0045] In some embodiments, the release fluid blends of Formula I(a) or Formula I(b) and Formula II and Formula III have a viscosity of from about 50 to about 1500 centipoise, or from about 60 to about 500 centipoise, or from about 70 to about 400 centipoise. The silicone release fluid can have terminal silanol Si—OH groups during synthesis of the silicone release fluid.

[0046] Figure 2 is an enlarged schematic diagram of one embodiment of a fuser member showing various possible layers. As shown in Figure 2, substrate 201 includes an optional intermediate layer 202. Intermediate layer 202 may be, for example, a rubber, such as a silicone rubber or other suitable rubber material. Disposed on intermediate layer 202 is outer layer 203. Disposed on outer layer 203 is an outermost release fluid or agent 204, which will be described in more detail below.

[0047] The outer layer 203 may be selected from the group consisting of silicone elastomers, fluorosilicone elastomers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated hydrocarbon polymers, polymer blends of fluorinated hydrocarbons and silicones, silicone copolymers, and crosslinked blends of fluorinated hydrocarbon copolymers and silicone copolymers. Examples of the outer layer 203 of the fusing system member 200 include fluoroelastomers or hydrofluoroelastomers.

[0048] In particular, suitable fluoroelastomers are described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,257,699, 5,017,432, and 5,061,965, as well as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,166,031, 5,281,506, 5,366,772, and 5,370,931, the disclosures of which are each incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. As described herein, these elastomers are selected from the classes of 1) copolymers of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene, 2) terpolymers of vinylidene fluoride, hexafluoropropylene, and tetrafluoroethylene, and 3) tetrapolymers of vinylidene fluoride, hexafluoropropylene, tetrafluoroethylene, and a cure site monomer, and are commercially available as VITON®, VITON B®, VITON E®, VITON E 60C®, VITON E430®, VITON 910®, VITON GH®, VITON GF®, and VITON ETP®. The VITON® designation is a trademark of EI DuPont de Nemours, Inc. The cure site monomer can be 4-bromoperfluorobutene-1,1,1-dihydro-4-bromo-perfluorobutene-1,3-bromoperfluoro-propene-1,1,1-dihydro-3-bromoperfluoro-propene-1, or any other suitable known cure site monomer commercially available from DuPont. Other commercially available fluoropolymers include FLUOREL 2170®, FLUOREL 2174®, FLUOREL 2176®, FLUOREL 2177®, and FLUOREL LVS 76®, where FLUOREL® is a trademark of 3M Company.Additional commercially available materials include AFLAS®, a poly(propylene tetra-fluoroethylene), and Fluorel II® (LII900), a poly(propylene-tetrafluoroethylene-vinylidene fluoride), both available from 3M Company, and Tecnoflon®, identified as FOR-60KIR®, FOR-LHF®, NM® FOR-THF®, FOR-TFS®, TH®, and TN505®, available from Montedison Specialty Chemical Company.

[0049] The fluoroelastomers Viton GH® and Viton GF® have relatively small amounts of vinylidene fluoride. VITON GF® and Viton GH® have about 35 weight percent vinylidene fluoride, about 34 weight percent hexafluoropropylene, and about 29 weight percent tetrafluoroethylene with about 2 weight percent cure site monomer.

[0050] The amount of fluoroelastomer compound in the outer layer solution is about 10 to about 25 weight percent, or about 16 to about 22 weight percent, of the total solids. As used herein, total solids includes the amount of fluoroelastomer, dehydrofluorination agent, and optional adjuvants and fillers, including metal oxide fillers. In addition to the fluoroelastomer, the outer layer may contain a fluoropolymer or other fluoroelastomer blended with the fluoroelastomer described above. Examples of suitable polymer blends include the fluoroelastomer described above blended with a fluoropolymer selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene and perfluoroalkoxy. The fluoroelastomer may also be blended with non-fluorinated ethylene or non-fluorinated propylene.

[0051] Inorganic particulate fillers may be used in combination with the outer layer to provide binding sites for the adhesion promoter functional groups. Suitable fillers include inorganic fillers such as silica, or metal-containing fillers such as metals, metal alloys, metal oxides, metal salts, or other metal compounds. Typical metal classes that can be used include metals and rare earth elements from Groups 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6b, 7b, and 8 of the periodic table. For example, the filler may be an oxide of aluminum, copper, tin, zinc, lead, iron, platinum, gold, silver, antimony, bismuth, zinc, iridium, ruthenium, tungsten, manganese, cadmium, mercury, vanadium, chromium, magnesium, nickel, or an alloy thereof. Other specific examples include inorganic particulate fillers such as aluminum oxide, cupric oxide, reinforcing and non-reinforcing calcined alumina, and platelet alumina, in addition to silica. Other fillers include various forms of carbon, such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, or other forms of carbon, as well as doped metal oxides, such as antimony-doped tin oxide and indium-doped tin oxide. The filler may contain a single filler or a mixture of multiple fillers.

[0052] The thickness of the outer layer 203 of the fixing member 200 herein is from about 10 to about 250 micrometers, or from about 5 to about 100 micrometers, or from about 1 to about 50 micrometers.

[0053] An optional intermediate adhesive layer and / or intermediate polymer or elastomer layer 202 can be applied to achieve the desired properties and performance objectives of the embodiments herein. The intermediate layer 202 may be present between the substrate 201 and the layer 203. Examples of suitable intermediate layers include silicone rubbers, such as room temperature vulcanization (RTV) silicone rubber, high temperature vulcanization (HTV) silicone rubber, and low temperature vulcanization (LTV) silicone rubber. These rubbers are well known and readily available commercially, such as SILASTIC® 735 black RTV and SILASTIC® 732 RTV, both manufactured by Dow Corning, and 106 RTV Silicone Rubber and 90 RTV Silicone Rubber, both manufactured by General Electric. Other suitable silicone materials include siloxanes (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane). Another specific example is Dow Corning Sylgard 182. The adhesive interlayer may be selected from, for example, epoxy resins and polysiloxanes.

[0054] An adhesive layer may be provided between the substrate 201 and the intermediate layer 202. An adhesive layer may be present between the intermediate layer and the outer layer. If there is no intermediate layer, the outer layer may be bonded to the substrate via an adhesive layer. The thickness of the intermediate layer is about 0.5 to about 20 mm, or about 1 to about 10 mm, or about 3 to about 5 mm.

[0055] In some embodiments, the release fluid described herein is supplied onto the outer layer of the fuser member via a delivery mechanism, such as a delivery roll, that is partially immersed in a sump containing the release fluid or agent.

[0056] The release fluid or agent is renewable in that it is contained in a holding sump and, optionally, supplied to the fuser roll by a release fluid donor roll in an amount of about 0.1 to about 20 mg / copy, or about 1 to about 12 mg / copy. Systems in which release fluid in a fuser device is supplied to the fuser roll via a holding sump and, optionally, a donor roll, are known. The release fluid may be present in a continuous or semi-continuous phase on the fuser member surface. Release fluid in the form of a film is a continuous phase and continuously covers the fuser member.

[0057] FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a variable speed meter (VSM) for delivering release fluid. It shows a drive motor 310 attached to a metering roll 330 by a belt 320, such that the drive motor 310 rotates the metering roll 330. A controller 390 controls the drive motor 310. The metering roll 330 picks up release fluid 380 from a release fluid pan 370. The release fluid 380 adheres to the surface of the metering roll 330, is spread into a layer of the desired thickness by a metering blade 360, and is then transferred to a donor roll 340. The release fluid 380 is then transferred from the donor roll 340 to a fuser roll (or belt) 350. The fuser roll 350 may correspond to the upper roll 120 of the fusing station 119 shown in FIG. 1, which is the roll that contacts the unfused toner on the print sheet. As a result, the apparatus shown in FIG. 3 applies a uniform layer of release fluid or agent to the fuser roll to reduce adhesion of toner to the fuser roll surface.

[0058] The terms "drive" or "drive motor" may apply to any electromechanical configuration capable of providing a desired rotational speed, and may include, for example, simply an electric motor, such as a brushed motor, a brushless motor, or a stepper motor, with or without an associated transmission. Also, any roll, including a fuser roll, donor roll, or metering roll, may, in alternative embodiments, be in the form of a belt wrapped around two or more rollers.

[0059] Conventional release agent management systems (RAMs) apply release fluid to the fuser roll at an idle release fluid rate (or no release fluid) when a print job is not running, and at a steady-state running release fluid rate when a print job is running. These systems change from the idle release fluid rate to the steady-state running oil rate when a print job begins.

[0060] The blend release fluids described herein comprise a blend of vitamin E (Formula I(a) or Formula I(b)), an amino-functional silicone fluid (Formula II), and a non-functional silicone fluid (Formula III).

[0061] Specific embodiments are described in detail below. These examples are intended to be illustrative and are not limited to the materials, conditions, or process parameters described in these embodiments. All parts are percentages by solid weight unless otherwise indicated. [Example]

[0062] A release fluid was prepared as follows: 1000 g of a non-functional silicone release fluid (Formula III) and 250 g of an amine-functional silicone release fluid (Formula II) were mixed in a beaker using an overhead stirrer. 50 g of vitamin E (α-tocopherol, product number 258024, obtained from Sigma Aldrich) was slowly added to the silicone fluid mixture in the beaker while stirring.

[0063] It will be understood that variations of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into other different systems or applications. Various alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein, presently not anticipated or foreseen, may be made by those skilled in the art, and are also encompassed by the following claims.

Claims

1. an amino-functional silicone fluid; a non-functional silicone fluid; 【Chemical 1】 (In the formula, R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each independently CH 3 and hydrogen; A release fluid comprising: is stable at temperatures between about 160°C and about 200°C; A release fluid wherein the amount of antioxidant is from about 1.5 weight percent to about 10.0 weight percent based on the weight of the release fluid.

2. the amino-functional silicone fluid is 【Chemistry 2】 (Wherein, Q is -R 1 represents -X, and R 1 represents an alkyl group having from about 1 to about 10 carbons, and X is —NH 2 or -NHR 2 NH 2 represents R 2 is R 1 where n is an integer of 1 to 50, m is an integer of 10 to 5,000, and T 1 and T 2 and each independently is selected from methyl (-CH3) and hydroxyl (-OH).

3. The release fluid of claim 2 wherein X represents an aminopropylamine functional group.

4. the non-functional silicone fluid is 【Chemistry 3】 (wherein r is an integer from 10 to 5,000, and T 1 and T 2 and each independently is selected from methyl (-CH3) and hydroxyl (-OH).

5. The antioxidant is 【Chemistry 4】 (In the formula, R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each independently CH 3 10. The release fluid of claim 1, further comprising a compound represented by the formula:

6. The release fluid of claim 1, wherein the viscosity of the release fluid is from about 50 to about 1500 centipoise.

7. 1. A fuser member comprising: a substrate; an outer layer overlying the substrate; and a release coating on the outer layer comprising a release fluid for coating the outer layer, 10. The release fluid having the structure: 【Chemistry 5】 (In the formula, R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each independently CH 3 and hydrogen; the release fluid is stable at a temperature of about 160°C to about 200°C; A fuser member wherein the amount of the antioxidant is from about 1.5 weight percent to about 10.0 weight percent based on the weight of the release fluid.

8. The fuser member of claim 7 , wherein the fuser member substrate is in the form of a belt or roller.

9. The fuser member of claim 7 further comprising an intermediate layer disposed between the substrate and the outer layer.

10. The fuser member of claim 9 wherein the intermediate layer comprises a silicone rubber.

11. The fuser member of claim 7, wherein the release fluid has a viscosity of from about 50 to about 1500 centipoise.

12. An image forming apparatus, a photoreceptor having a photosensitive layer, a charging device for charging the photoreceptor, and an exposure device for exposing the charged photoreceptor to light, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor; a development station for developing a toner image on the surface of said photoreceptor; at least one transfer device for transferring the toner image to a recording medium; a fixing station that heats the recording medium to fix the toner image transferred to the recording medium onto the recording medium, thereby forming a fixed image on the recording medium; Equipped with The fusing station includes a fuser member, a pressure member, and a release fluid associated with the fuser member, the release fluid comprising an amino-functional fluid, a non-functional silicone fluid, and a composition having the structure: 【Chemistry 6】 (In the formula, R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each independently CH 3 and hydrogen; the release fluid is stable at a temperature of about 160°C to about 200°C; An imaging device wherein the amount of the antioxidant is from about 1.5 weight percent to about 10.0 weight percent based on the weight of the release fluid.

13. the aminosilicone functional fluid is 【Chemistry 7】 (Wherein, Q is -R 1 represents -X, and R 1 represents an alkyl group having from about 1 to about 10 carbons, and X is —NH 2 or -NHR 2 NH 2 represents R 2 is R 1 where n is an integer of 1 to 50, and m is an integer of 10 to 5,000, the non-functional silicone fluid is 【Chemistry 8】 (wherein r is an integer from 10 to 5,000, and T 1 and T 2 and each independently represents a group selected from methyl (-CH3) and hydroxyl (-OH).

14. 14. The imaging apparatus of claim 13, wherein X represents an aminopropylamine functional group.

15. 13. The imaging apparatus of claim 12, wherein the fuser member comprises a substrate, an outer layer covering the substrate, and the release fluid on the outer layer.

16. 16. The image forming apparatus of claim 15, wherein the outer layer is selected from the group consisting of silicone elastomers, fluorosilicone elastomers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated hydrocarbon polymers, polymer blends of fluorinated hydrocarbons and silicones, silicone copolymers, and crosslinked blends of fluorinated hydrocarbon copolymers and silicone copolymers.

17. The imaging device of claim 15 further comprising an intermediate layer disposed between the substrate and the outer layer.

18. 13. The imaging apparatus of claim 12, wherein the release fluid has a viscosity of from about 50 to about 1500 centipoise.

19. 13. The imaging apparatus of claim 12, wherein the fusing station comprises a substrate in the form of a belt or roller.

Images