Electroconductive Resin Layer for Low-Temperature Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face challenges in maintaining high image quality and durability under severe environmental conditions, particularly at extremely low temperatures, where the electrical resistance of electroconductive resin layers containing ionic liquids increases, leading to defects in electrophotographic images.
Innovation Solution
An electrophotographic member with an electroconductive resin layer containing a resin synthesized from an ion conducting agent and a compound that reacts with the ion conducting agent, featuring a specific anion and cation structure, including fluorinated sulfonylimide anions and nitrogen-containing heterocyclic cations with multiple hydroxy groups, which stabilizes the ionization and maintains electroconductivity even at low temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an ionic liquid is used to impart electroconductivity to the electroconductive resin layer, then the electrical resistance value can be controlled under normal temperature conditions, but the electrical resistance value significantly fluctuates under low-temperature and low-humidity environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the ionic liquid by selecting specific cations (imidazolium, pyridinium, pyrazinium, piperidinium, or pyrrolidinium rings) and specific anions (fluorinated sulfonylimide, fluorinated alkylsulfonylimide, fluorinated sulfonyl methide, fluorinated alkylsulfonyl methide, fluorinated sulfonate, fluorinated alkylsulfonate, fluorinated carboxylate, fluorinated borate, fluorinated phosphate, fluorinated arsenate, fluorinated antimonate, dicyanamide, or bis(oxalato)borate). This parameter optimization ensures the electroconductive resin layer maintains stable electrical resistance from -30°C to +50°C, resolving the environmental adaptability issue while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If conventional ionic liquids are used in the electroconductive resin layer, then electroconductivity can be achieved under normal conditions, but the ionization rate decreases at extremely low temperatures, resulting in increased electrical resistance and image defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the physical and chemical parameters of the ionic liquid components. Specifically, it selects cations with nitrogen-containing aromatic or aliphatic rings and anions with fluorinated groups or specific functional groups. This parameter optimization maintains high ionization rates even at -30°C, ensuring stable electroconductivity and preventing image defects at extremely low temperatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite ionic liquid system by combining specifically selected cation structures (with nitrogen-containing rings) and anion structures (with fluorinated groups). This composite approach enhances the overall ionization performance and thermal stability of the electroconductive resin layer, allowing it to maintain reliable electroconductivity across extreme temperature ranges from -30°C to +50°C.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively minimizes fluctuations in electrical resistance across different temperature environments, ensuring stable electroconductivity and high-quality electrophotographic images, even at 0°C, by enhancing the ionization rate and stability of the cation and anion interactions.
Implementation Method 1
a resin synthesized from an ion conducting agent and a compound being able to react with the ion conducting agent... which stabilizes the ionization and maintains electroconductivity even at low temperatures
Implementation Method 2
the electrical resistance value under a normal-temperature environment... and its electrical resistance value under a low-temperature and low-humidity environment significantly differ from each other... minimizes fluctuations in electrical resistance across different temperature environments, ensuring stable electroconductivity
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
Figure 3
Figure 4A~5
AI summary
Provided is an electrophotographic member capable of forming a high-quality electrophotographic image. The electrophotographic member includes an electroconductive substrate and an electroconductive resin layer on the electroconductive substrate, in which the electroconductive resin layer contains a resin having, in the molecule, a specific cation structure, and a specific anion.