Surface coating layer for fixing member, fixing roller, and method for manufacturing the fixing roller

Abstract

To provide a surface coating layer for a fixing member that exhibits excellent toner release properties. [Solution] A surface coating layer for a fixing member, wherein the surface coating layer is made of a resin composition, the resin composition contains a resin having a structural unit with a siloxane bond as its main backbone, and the surface coating layer has a contact angle of 15° or more with respect to hexadecane.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a surface coating layer for a fixing member, a fixing roller, and a method for manufacturing the fixing roller.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, in an image forming process in a copier, a laser beam printer, etc. that uses an electrophotographic method, first, a toner image is formed on a transfer material such as recording paper through an exposure process, a developing process, and a transfer process. Then, a fixing process for fixing the unfixed toner image to the transfer material is performed. As a fixing method, a method of heating and pressing the unfixed toner image to fuse it onto the transfer material is common. As heating means and pressing means, as shown in FIG. 1, a fixing roller 1 and a pressing roller 3 are opposed to each other, and a transfer material 4 on which an unfixed toner image 5 is placed is passed between them, and while pressing between the two rollers, it is heated by a heating source 2 provided in the fixing roller 1 to form a fixed toner image 6. This method is widely adopted.

[0003] As a material for the surface of such a fixing roller, a fluororesin excellent in abrasion resistance, heat resistance, and release property with respect to toner (hereinafter, may be referred to as "toner release property") is widely used. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-313304 (Patent Document 1) discloses a fixing roller characterized by having a multilayer heating layer formed by laminating a plurality of multilayer bodies each composed of a heat generating layer made of a conductive member and a support layer for supporting the heat generating layer (Claim 1). Further, Patent Document 1 discloses providing a release layer of a fluorine-based polymer on the outermost surface of the roller having the multilayer heating layer (Claim 11).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Fluoropolymers possess excellent abrasion resistance, non-stick properties, heat resistance, and chemical resistance. Therefore, they are used in a variety of fields, including automotive parts, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, sliding parts in image forming machinery, and wire insulation. However, the EU has proposed the REACH regulation, which aims to restrict the production, distribution, and use of all fluorine-containing compounds (PFAS). Consequently, fluoropolymers may be subject to potential restrictions. Therefore, there is a need for new materials to replace fluoropolymers for the surface (outer surface) of fixing rollers.

[0006] As mentioned above, the surface material of the fixing roller requires abrasion resistance, heat resistance, and toner release properties, but no material is yet known that has toner release properties comparable to fluororesin.

[0007] This disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances and aims to provide a surface coating layer for a fixing member that has excellent toner release properties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The surface coating layer for the fixing member relating to this disclosure is A surface coating layer for a fixing member, The above surface coating layer consists of a resin composition. The above resin composition includes a resin having a structural unit with a siloxane bond as its main backbone. The above surface coating layer has a contact angle of 15° or more with respect to hexadecane.

[0009] The fixing roller according to this disclosure is a fixing roller equipped with a surface coating layer for the fixing member described above.

[0010] The manufacturing method for the fixing roller relating to this disclosure is: Preparation steps include preparing a cylindrical fixing roller precursor, Forming step: Forming a surface coating layer mainly composed of resin on the outer surface of the fixing roller precursor described above. A method for manufacturing a fixing roller, including, The above resin has structural units with siloxane bonds as its main backbone. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] This disclosure makes it possible to provide a surface coating layer for a fixing member that has excellent toner release properties. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a fixing method using a fixing roller. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a resin tube for a fixing member according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the layer configuration of an example of a fixing roller according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the layer configuration of another example of the fixing roller according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the method for forming the surface coating layer according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. [1] The surface coating layer for the fixing member relating to this disclosure is A surface coating layer for a fixing member, The above surface coating layer consists of a resin composition. The above resin composition includes a resin having a structural unit with a siloxane bond as its main backbone. The above surface coating layer has a contact angle of 15° or more with respect to hexadecane.

[0014] The above surface coating layer is composed of a resin composition containing a resin having a structural unit with a siloxane bond as a main skeleton, and has a contact angle of 15° or more with respect to hexadecane. Therefore, the above surface coating layer has improved liquid repellency, and thus improved toner releasability. That is, by having the above-described configuration, the above surface coating layer is a surface coating layer for a fixing member having excellent toner releasability.

[0015] [2] In the surface coating layer for the fixing member of the above [1], The pencil hardness of the above surface coating layer may be H or more. By doing so, in addition to toner releasability, the surface coating layer has excellent abrasion resistance and is more suitable for the use of the fixing member.

[0016] [3] In the surface coating layer for the fixing member of the above [1] or [2], The thermal decomposition temperature of the above surface coating layer may be 250°C or more. By doing so, in addition to toner releasability, it is possible to provide a surface coating layer for a fixing member having excellent heat resistance.

[0017] [4] In the surface coating layer for the fixing member of any one of the above [1] to [3], The thickness of the above surface coating layer may be 1 μm or more and 500 μm or less. By doing so, in addition to toner releasability, it is possible to provide a surface coating layer for a fixing member having excellent fixing property. Here, "fixing property" means the fixing property of toner to the transfer material.

[0018] [5] The fixing roller according to the present disclosure is a fixing roller provided with the surface coating layer for the fixing member of any one of the above [1] to [4]. By doing so, it is possible to provide a fixing roller having excellent toner releasability.

[0019] [6] The manufacturing method of the fixing roller according to the present disclosure is A preparation step of preparing a columnar fixing roller precursor, and A forming step of forming a surface coating layer mainly composed of resin on the outer peripheral surface of the above fixing roller precursor, A method for manufacturing a fixing roller, including, The above resin has structural units with siloxane bonds as its main backbone.

[0020] The above-mentioned surface coating layer is made of a resin composition containing a resin having structural units with siloxane bonds as the main backbone, and has a contact angle of 15° or more with respect to hexadecane. As a result, the above-mentioned surface coating layer has improved liquid repellency, and consequently, improved toner release properties. In other words, by having the above-mentioned configuration, the manufacturing method for the fixing roller makes it possible to manufacture a fixing roller with excellent toner release properties.

[0021] [7] In the method for manufacturing the fixing roller described in [6] above, The above forming process is, The process involves applying a coating containing the above resin to the outer surface of the fixing roller precursor, Heating the fixing roller precursor to which the above paint has been applied, It may also include [a specific ingredient / method]. This makes it possible to manufacture a fuser roller with excellent toner release properties.

[0022] [8] In the method for manufacturing the fixing roller described in [6] above, The above forming process is, Inserting the fixing roller precursor into a resin tube whose main component is the above resin, Heating the resin tube into which the fixing roller precursor is inserted, It may also include [a specific ingredient / method]. This makes it possible to manufacture a fuser roller with excellent toner release properties.

[0023] [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as "this embodiment") will be described. However, this embodiment is not limited thereto. In this specification, the notation in the form of "A~Z" means the upper and lower limits of a range (i.e., A or greater and Z or less), and if no unit is specified for A, but a unit is specified only for Z, the unit for A and the unit for Z are the same.

[0024] ≪Surface coating layer for fixing member≫ The surface coating layer for the fixing member relating to this disclosure is A surface coating layer for a fixing member, The above surface coating layer consists of a resin composition. The above resin composition includes a resin having a structural unit with a siloxane bond as its main backbone. The above surface coating layer has a contact angle of 15° or more with respect to hexadecane.

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a resin tube (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "resin tube") which is an example of a surface coating layer for a fixing member according to this embodiment. The shape of the resin tube 11 according to this embodiment is typically cylindrical.

[0026] The thickness, outer diameter, length, etc., of the resin tube described above can be appropriately selected according to the desired mechanical strength, application, etc. Here, the thickness of the resin tube refers to the shortest distance between the outer and inner surfaces of the resin tube. When the resin tube according to this embodiment is used as the surface layer of a fixing roller or fixing belt in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the thickness of the resin tube (thickness of the surface coating layer) may be 1 to 500 μm, 5 to 100 μm, or 10 to 50 μm. The outer diameter of the resin tube may be 5 to 100 mm or 10 to 50 mm. The length of the resin tube can be appropriately set according to the size of the transfer material, such as copy paper.

[0027] In this embodiment, the resin tube is used as a fixing member. Here, "fixing member" refers to a member used in the fixing process to fix an unfixed toner image to a transfer material in an image forming process using an electrophotographic method. Examples of the fixing member include a fixing roller and a fixing belt. In other words, in this embodiment, the fixing member may be a fixing roller or a fixing belt. For example, the fixing roller uses a core made of aluminum, iron, or the like as the roller base material, and the resin tube is provided on the outer circumference of the base material. For example, the fixing belt uses a tube made of polyimide or thin-walled SUS as the base material 13, and the resin tube 11 is provided on the outer circumference of the base material (for example, Figure 3). The resin tube according to this embodiment can be used as the outermost layer (release layer) of the fixing roller or fixing belt.

[0028] <Resin composition> (Resin components) The resin composition according to this embodiment contains a resin having structural units with siloxane bonds (Si-O-Si bonds) as its main backbone (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "silicone-containing resin"). The silicone-containing resin may be manufactured by known methods or purchased as a commercially available product. An example of a manufacturing method is the manufacturing method using a commercially available product described in the examples below.

[0029] The above-mentioned silicone-containing resin is not particularly limited as long as it has structural units with siloxane bonds as its main backbone, and may have other structural units. Examples of other structural units include structural units derived from acrylic acid esters, structural units derived from methacrylic acid esters, and structural units derived from vinyl acetate. In other words, the above-mentioned silicone-containing resin may be a copolymer with an acrylic resin or a copolymer with polyvinyl acetate. In one aspect of this embodiment, the above-mentioned silicone-containing resin may be a resin consisting only of structural units with siloxane bonds as its main backbone.

[0030] The average molecular weight (M) of the above silicone-containing resin n) is not particularly limited to the extent that the effects of this disclosure are achieved, but may be, for example, 1,000 or more and 150,000 or less.

[0031] In one aspect of this embodiment, the silicone-containing resin may have functional groups such as silanol groups, alkoxy groups, methylsilyl groups, vinylsilyl groups, and hydrosilyl groups within its molecule.

[0032] The content ratio of the above-mentioned silicone-containing resin may be 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or 75% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, based on the entire resin composition.

[0033] (Other ingredients) In one aspect of this embodiment, the resin composition may further contain other components to the extent that the effects of the present disclosure are achieved. Examples of other components include resins other than those described above (e.g., polyolefins, PEEK, etc.), fillers (e.g., high thermal conductivity fillers, conductive fillers, and wear-resistant fillers, etc.), and crosslinking aids (e.g., alkoxysilanes, TAIC, organotitanium compounds, organic peroxides, and platinum catalysts, etc.).

[0034] If the above resin composition contains a crosslinking aid, the presence of the crosslinking aid can be confirmed by gas chromatography.

[0035] <Physical properties of the surface coating layer for fixing members> The surface coating layer for the fixing member according to this embodiment consists of a resin composition containing a resin having structural units with siloxane bonds as the main backbone. Therefore, it has the following physical properties.

[0036] (contact angle) In this embodiment, the surface coating layer has a contact angle of 15° or more with respect to hexadecane, and may be between 15° and 60°, or between 15° and 58°. The larger the contact angle with respect to hexadecane, the better the toner release properties of the surface coating layer can be evaluated. The above contact angle is measured by the droplet method. The same applies to the contact angles with water and diiodomethane, which will be described later.

[0037] The above surface coating layer may have a contact angle with water of 90° or more, 90° to 125° or less, or 90° to 123° or less. The larger the contact angle with water, the better the toner release properties of the above surface coating layer can be evaluated.

[0038] The above surface coating layer may have a contact angle with diiodomethane of 60° or more, 60° to 100°, or 60° to 98°. The larger the contact angle with diiodomethane, the better the toner release properties of the above surface coating layer can be evaluated.

[0039] (Pencil hardness) In this embodiment, the pencil hardness of the surface coating layer may be H or higher, H to 5H or lower, or H to 4H or lower. The pencil hardness is measured in accordance with JIS-K5600-5-4:1999 "General test methods for paints - Part 5: Mechanical properties of coating films - Section 4: Scratch hardness (pencil method)".

[0040] (pyrolysis temperature) In this embodiment, the thermal decomposition temperature of the surface coating layer may be 250°C or higher, 250°C to 550°C, or 250°C to 500°C. The thermal decomposition temperature is determined by adopting the starting temperature T1 described in JIS K7120:1987 "Thermogravimetric Analysis Method for Plastics".

[0041] << Fixing Roller >> The fixing roller according to this disclosure is a fixing roller equipped with a surface coating layer for the fixing member described above. The fixing roller comprises a cylindrical base material 13 and a surface coating layer 11 provided directly on the outer circumferential surface of the base material 13 or via an intermediate layer 12 (for example, Figures 3 and 4). The form of the surface coating layer for the fixing member is as described above.

[0042] ≪Manufacturing method for fixing rollers≫ The method for manufacturing a fixing roller relating to this disclosure is: Preparation steps include preparing a cylindrical fixing roller precursor, Forming step: Forming a surface coating layer mainly composed of resin on the outer surface of the fixing roller precursor described above. A method for manufacturing a fixing roller, including, The above resin has structural units with siloxane bonds as its main backbone.

[0043] <Preparation process> In this process, a cylindrical fixing roller precursor is prepared. In this embodiment, "fixing roller precursor" means an object that can become a fixing roller by forming the surface coating layer according to this embodiment on its outer surface. In this embodiment, "cylindrical" is a concept that includes not only the shape of a cylinder with a solid center, but also the shape of a cylinder with a hollow center (a so-called cylinder). The fixing roller precursor may consist only of a cylindrical base material (core), or it may consist of a cylindrical base material and an intermediate layer provided on the outer surface of the base material. Examples of materials for the base material include heat-resistant resins such as polyimide, metals such as aluminum and iron, and ceramics. Examples of materials for the intermediate layer include silicone rubber (dimethyl silicone rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, methylphenyl silicone rubber, vinyl silicone rubber, etc.).

[0044] <Formation process> In this process, a surface coating layer mainly composed of resin is formed on the outer surface of the fixing roller precursor. The resin has structural units with siloxane bonds as its main backbone. In this embodiment, methods for forming the surface coating layer include (1) applying paint and (2) coating and shrinking a resin tube. Each method will be described below.

[0045] ((1) Method of applying paint) In one aspect of this embodiment, the forming step is: The process involves applying a coating containing the above resin to the outer surface of the fixing roller precursor, Heating the fixing roller precursor to which the above paint has been applied, It may include the following. Details are explained below.

[0046] (Paint application) First, a paint containing a surface coating layer-forming material, mainly composed of the above-mentioned resin, dispersed or dissolved in a solvent is applied to the outer surface of the fixing roller precursor. As the solvent, various mixtures can be used, such as a mixture of water and an emulsifier, a mixture of water and alcohol, a mixture of water and acetone, or a mixture of water, alcohol, and acetone, which can efficiently disperse the above-mentioned resin. The above-mentioned paint may be manufactured by a known method or a commercially available product may be used. Examples of commercially available products include the paints described in the examples below.

[0047] Methods for applying paint include, for example, the dipping method and the dispenser method. The dipping method will be explained below.

[0048] (Application by dipping method) In the dip method, a coating layer is formed on the outer surface of a fixing roller precursor by immersing it in paint. The thickness of the coating layer is not particularly limited, but for example, the thickness of the coating layer may be set so that the thickness after firing (thickness of the surface coating layer) is 1 μm or more and 50 μm or less, or so that the thickness of the coating layer is 2 μm or more and 35 μm or less.

[0049] (Heating of the paint-coated fixing roller precursor) Next, the fixing roller precursor with the coated layer is left to stand at room temperature or placed in a heating furnace to raise the temperature, thereby evaporating the solvent in the coated layer and forming a surface coating layer. At this time, it is preferable to heat at a temperature between room temperature and 400°C for 5 minutes or more. After firing, the temperature of the heating furnace may be controlled and the surface coating layer may be cooled at a rate of 20°C / min or less. The surface coating layer may be cooled at a rate of 20°C / min or less until its temperature reaches 200°C or less, preferably 150°C or less.

[0050] ((2) Method of covering and shrinking a resin tube) In another aspect of this embodiment, the forming step is: Inserting the fixing roller precursor into a resin tube whose main component is the above resin, Heating the resin tube into which the fixing roller precursor is inserted, It may also include the following. The details will be explained below using the embodiment shown in Figure 5 as an example.

[0051] (Insert the fixing roller precursor into the resin tube.) First, as shown in Figure 5, a fixing roller precursor 14 is inserted into a resin tube 11, which is mainly composed of resin, and the heat-shrinkable resin tube 11 is placed over the outer surface of the fixing roller precursor 14. In Figure 5, the fixing roller precursor 14 is composed of an annular base material 13 and an intermediate layer 12 provided on the outer surface of the base material 13. The resin tube 11 is designed so that its inner diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the intermediate layer 12 in order to smoothly insert the base material 13 with the intermediate layer 12 formed on its outer surface.

[0052] (Heating the resin tube) Subsequently, the resin tube 11 is heated to a temperature above its melting point to cause thermal shrinkage and melt the resin of the resin tube 11 with the resin of the intermediate layer 12, thereby melt-bonding the outer surface of the intermediate layer 12 to the inner surface of the resin tube 11. This allows the surface coating layer 11 to be formed on the outer surface of the intermediate layer 12 of the fixing roller. As a result, the process of scraping the surface of the resin tube 11 can be eliminated or simplified, making it possible to obtain a fixing roller with low manufacturing costs.

[0053] <Other processes> The manufacturing method for the fixing roller according to this embodiment may include other steps besides those described above. Other steps include, for example, a step of performing other surface treatments on the surface coating layer, such as radiation irradiation, chemical modification, or plasma treatment, and a step of heating and shrinking the coated resin tube. [Examples]

[0054] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0055] Manufacturing of fixing rollers Samples 1 through 7 were coated with the raw material compositions (paints) shown in Table 1 on the outer surface of a polyimide core (cylindrical) using a dip method. The mixing ratios shown in Table 1 are expressed in weight percent. Afterwards, sample 1 was left to stand at room temperature for 60 minutes. Sample 2 was heated at 100°C for 10 minutes, followed by heating at 280°C for 20 minutes. Samples 3 and 4 were heated at 120°C for 5 minutes. Sample 5 was heated at 360°C for 20 minutes. Samples 6 and 7 were heated at 120°C for 1 minute, followed by heating at 170°C for 2 minutes. A surface coating layer was formed using the above method, and films for samples 1 through 7 were obtained. Samples 8 and 9 were samples that had already been molded into film form. The average thickness of the surface coating layer was 5 μm for samples 1 through 7, and 50 μm for samples 8 and 9. Sample number 10 was a polyimide core with a thickness of 60 μm.

[0056] (Method for manufacturing a polyimide core) First, a solution of polyimide precursor (polyamic acid) (polyimide varnish) was applied to the outer surface of a cylindrical metal core using a dispenser. Then, the precursor was dehydrated and ring-closed by heating at 400°C for 30 minutes to obtain a polyimide core (sample number 10). Sample number 10 is the polyimide core in its raw state (fixing roller precursor) and does not have a surface coating layer formed.

[0057] [Table 1]

[0058] The products shown in Table 1 are supplied by the following manufacturers. X-88-2003A: Manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. FCXA-001: Manufactured by F.C. Co., Ltd. FE-230N: Manufactured by Nisshin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. 1827: Manufactured by Nisshin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. AT-135: Manufactured by Zenith NR-8844: Manufactured by NICCA Chemical Co., Ltd. NR-6082: Manufactured by NICCA Chemical Co., Ltd. TPX: Manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals ZEONEX: Manufactured by Nippon Zeon Co., Ltd. JIV-1002HS: Manufactured by JFE Chemical Co., Ltd.

[0059] <Analysis of physical properties of surface coating layers for fixing members> The surface coating layer of the obtained fixing rollers was evaluated using the following method to assess contact angle (water, diiodomethane, hexadecane), toner release properties, pencil hardness, and thermal decomposition initiation temperature. The results are shown in Table 1. In Table 1, fixing rollers sample numbers 1-4 and sample number 6 correspond to examples, fixing rollers sample numbers 5 and 8-10 correspond to comparative examples, and fixing roller sample number 7 corresponds to a reference example.

[0060] (1) Measurement of contact angle The contact angles of the above surface coating layer with respect to hexadecane, water, and diiodomethane were measured by the droplet method. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0061] (2) Measurement of pencil hardness The pencil hardness of the above surface coating layer was measured in accordance with JIS-K5600-5-4:1999 "General test methods for paints - Part 5: Mechanical properties of coatings - Section 4: Scratch hardness (pencil method)". The results are shown in Table 1.

[0062] (3) Measurement of pyrolysis temperature The thermal decomposition temperature of the surface coating layer described above was measured using the starting temperature T1 specified in JIS K7120:1987 "Thermogravimetric Analysis Method for Plastics". The results are shown in Table 1.

[0063] (4) Evaluation of toner release properties The toner release properties were evaluated using the following procedure. First, blue toner (Canon, 069 cyan) was placed on a sample film. Then, copy paper was placed on top of the blue toner, sandwiching the blue toner between the film and the copy paper. This state was maintained and the sample was heated at 180°C for 10 minutes. After that, the film and copy paper were separated from the blue toner, and it was checked which side the blue toner adhered to. The results are shown in Table 1. In Table 1, a rating of A means that all of the blue toner adhered to the copy paper, and a rating of C means that the blue toner adhered to the film and the copy paper to an equal extent.

[0064] As shown in Table 1, the fixing rollers of samples 1-4 and 6 (examples) had good contact angles of 15° or more with the hexadecane of the surface coating layer, and all received an A rating for toner release performance. On the other hand, the fixing rollers of samples 5 and 8-10 (comparative examples) had contact angles of less than 10° with the hexadecane of the surface coating layer, and all received a C rating for toner release performance.

[0065] The above results suggest that the surface coating layer according to the example exhibits excellent toner release properties and is suitable as a surface coating layer for fixing members.

[0066] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the embodiments described above, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] 1. Fixing roller, fixing belt 2. Heat source, heater 3. Pressure roller 4 Transferred material 5. Image of unfixed toner 6. Fixing toner image 11. Resin tube (surface coating layer) 12 Middle Class 13 Base material 14. Fixing roller precursor.

Claims

1. A surface coating layer for a fixing member, The aforementioned surface coating layer consists of a resin composition, The aforementioned resin composition includes a resin having a structural unit with a siloxane bond as its main backbone, The aforementioned surface coating layer is a surface coating layer for a fixing member having a contact angle of 15° or more with respect to hexadecane.

2. The surface coating layer for a fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the pencil hardness of the surface coating layer is H or higher.

3. The surface coating layer for a fixing member according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the thermal decomposition temperature of the surface coating layer is 250°C or higher.

4. The surface coating layer for a fixing member according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the thickness of the surface coating layer is 1 μm or more and 500 μm or less.

5. A fixing roller comprising a surface coating layer for a fixing member according to claim 1 or claim 2.

6. Preparation steps include preparing a cylindrical fixing roller precursor, A forming step involves forming a surface coating layer mainly composed of resin on the outer surface of the fixing roller precursor. A method for manufacturing a fixing roller, including, The resin has structural units with siloxane bonds as its main backbone, and this is a method for manufacturing a fixing roller.

7. The forming step is, The process involves applying a coating containing the resin to the outer surface of the fixing roller precursor, Heating the fixing roller precursor to which the aforementioned paint has been applied, A method for manufacturing a fixing roller according to claim 6, including the method described in claim 6.

8. The forming step is, Inserting the fixing roller precursor into a resin tube whose main component is the aforementioned resin, Heating the resin tube into which the fixing roller precursor is inserted, A method for manufacturing a fixing roller according to claim 6, including the following:

Images