Thin-Walled Photoreceptor Drying with High-Boiling Solvent
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to prevent blushing, a phenomenon where the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor becomes white due to moisture condensation, which affects the charging characteristics and abrasion resistance, especially in single-layer organic photoconductors with thin-walled support bases, without using specialized equipment.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a photosensitive layer application solvent with a boiling point of 70° C. or higher into the binding resin, ensuring the support base has a wall thickness of 0.7 mm or less, to control the drying process and prevent temperature drops during the coating of the photosensitive layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a quick-drying solvent is used to increase drying rate and solidify the application liquid quickly, then productivity is improved, but the temperature of the coating film drops to or below dew point causing blushing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the boiling point parameter of the solvent from low (quick-drying) to high (70°C or higher) to reduce heat loss during evaporation. This parameter change allows the coating film to maintain temperature above dew point while still achieving acceptable drying rates, thereby preventing blushing while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the phase transition of the solvent from liquid to vapor during drying. By selecting a solvent with boiling point of 70°C or higher, the phase transition occurs at a temperature that minimizes heat loss from the coating film, preventing temperature drop below dew point and subsequent moisture condensation.
2Weight of moving object
If the wall thickness of the support base is reduced to decrease weight, then portability is improved, but heat loss increases causing temperature drop and blushing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent compensates for the reduced thermal mass of thin-walled support bases by changing the solvent parameter (boiling point to 70°C or higher). This ensures that even with minimal thermal insulation, the coating film maintains sufficient temperature during drying to prevent moisture condensation.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional methods (heating support base, managing application liquid temperature, controlling humidity) are used to prevent blushing, then surface quality is improved, but device complexity and investment cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the solvent itself responsible for preventing blushing through its inherent physical property (high boiling point). The solvent's evaporation process naturally maintains temperature without requiring external heating devices, humidity control systems, or complex temperature management facilities, thereby achieving self-service prevention of blushing.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the solvent parameter (boiling point) to 70°C or higher, the patent eliminates the need for complex temperature and humidity control facilities. The high-boiling-point solvent inherently prevents temperature drop below dew point during evaporation, achieving blushing prevention without additional equipment.
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
This method effectively prevents blushing without specialized equipment, maintaining the charging characteristics and abrasion resistance of the photoreceptor, even with thin-walled support bases, by ensuring a controlled drying process and reducing heat loss.
Implementation Method 1
since heat loss occurs after dipping at the coating film and the support base due to heat of vaporization as the solvent evaporates between extraction and drying
Implementation Method 2
forming the photosensitive layer by coating the photosensitive layer support base with the photosensitive layer application liquid and then drying the photosensitive layer application liquid
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a positively-charged single-layer electrophotographic photoreceptor including the steps of: producing a photosensitive layer application liquid containing a good solvent with respect to a binding resin and at least one organic solvent having a boiling point of 70° C. or higher; and forming a photosensitive layer by coating a photosensitive layer support base having a wall thickness of 0.7 mm or less, with the photosensitive layer application liquid and then drying the photosensitive layer application liquid.