JP5347356B2 - Endless belt for image forming apparatus and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endless belt for an image forming apparatus, having excellent toner separating performance and cleaning performance using a cleaning blade, preventing the outward appearance defect due to the surface rugged parts caused by foaming while maintaining easily forming workability (high productivity) without surging due to the influence of silicone used as a component for reducing surface tension in extrusion forming considered to be preferable in respect of cost, and having excellent buckling resistance. <P>SOLUTION: This endless belt for an image forming apparatus is obtained by taking thermoplastic polymer component formed of thermoplastic resin and/or thermoplastic elastomer as a principal component, heating and mixing the thermoplastic polymer component and carbon black, and extrusion molding the mixture. In the endless belt, the elastic modulus of thermoplastic polymer component is 2,000 MPa or more, the carbon black is impregnated with silicon prior to heating and mixing of the thermoplastic polymer component and carbon black, and the content of silicon is 1-10 pts.wt to 100 pts.wt carbon black, and the mean molecular weight of silicon is &ge;1,000 and &lt;100,000. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an endless belt for an image forming apparatus useful for an intermediate transfer belt, a transfer transfer belt, a photosensitive belt, etc. used in an electrophotographic copying machine, a laser beam printer, a facsimile machine, etc. The present invention relates to a seamless belt for an image forming apparatus excellent in cleaning performance by a cleaning blade and an image forming apparatus including the endless belt for an image forming apparatus.

  Conventionally, as an image forming apparatus such as an OA device, an electrophotographic system using a photoconductor and toner, and an image forming apparatus using gel-like ink instead of toner have been devised and put on the market. In these apparatuses, an intermediate transfer method in which a toner image formed on the surface of an image carrier made of a photoconductor is primarily transferred to a transfer member before being transferred to a recording medium such as paper, and then secondarily transferred to a recording medium. In addition, a paper conveyance system in which a recording medium such as paper is conveyed by a transfer member and transferred to the recording medium is known. As a transfer member, a conductive belt such as a photoreceptor belt, an intermediate transfer belt, a paper transfer belt, a transfer separation belt, a charging tube, a developing sleeve, a fixing belt, a toner transfer belt, etc. Endless belts (seamless belts) controlled to various insulating electric resistances are used.

  For example, an intermediate transfer device used in an electrophotographic system is configured to once form a toner image on an intermediate transfer member and then transfer the toner to paper or the like. An endless belt made of a seamless belt is used for charging and discharging the toner on the surface layer of the intermediate transfer member. The seamless belt is set to have different surface electric resistance and electric resistance in the thickness direction (hereinafter referred to as “volume electric resistance”) for each machine model, and is adjusted to be conductive, semiconductive, or insulative.

  In addition, the paper transport transfer device holds the paper once on the transport transfer body, transfers the toner from the photosensitive member onto the paper held on the transport transfer body, and further removes the paper from the transport transfer body by discharging. It is configured. On the surface of the transport transfer body, an endless belt with or without a seam is used for charging or neutralizing paper. The endless belt is set to have different surface electric resistance and volume electric resistance for each machine model, like the intermediate transfer belt.

  FIG. 1 is a side view of a general intermediate transfer apparatus. In the figure, 1 is a photosensitive drum and 6 is a conductive endless belt. 1 is an electrophotographic process unit including a charging device 2, an exposure optical system 3 using a semiconductor laser as a light source, a developing device 4 containing toner, and a cleaner 5 for removing residual toner. Is arranged. The conductive endless belt 6 is wound around the transport rollers 7, 8, and 9 and moves in the direction of the arrow in synchronization with the photosensitive drum rotating in the direction of the arrow.

  Next, the operation will be described. First, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 rotating in the direction of arrow A is uniformly charged by the charger 2. Next, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to an image obtained by an image reading device (not shown) is formed on the photosensitive drum 1 by the optical system 3. The electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image by the developing device 4. This toner image is electrostatically transferred to the conductive endless belt 6 by the electrostatic transfer machine 10 and transferred to the recording paper 11 between the conveying roller 9 and the pressing roller 12.

  By the way, in the case of a conductive endless belt used in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a printer, since it is functionally driven with a high tension and a high voltage for a long time by two or more rolls, sufficient Mechanical and electrical durability is required.

  In particular, in the case of an intermediate transfer belt used in an intermediate transfer device or the like, an image is formed with toner on the belt and transferred to paper, so if the belt is loosened, stretched or meandered during driving, the image Due to misalignment, high dimensional accuracy (small circumferential length difference in belt width and uniform thickness), high elastic modulus (high tensile elastic modulus in belt circumferential direction), high bending resistance The thing excellent in (it is hard to break) is desired.

By using a thermoplastic polymer component that constitutes an endless belt having a modulus of elasticity that is greater than a predetermined value, it can be stretched by being stretched by two or more rolls when used as an endless belt for an image forming apparatus. Can be prevented. However, conventionally, when the elastic modulus of the thermoplastic polymer component is increased, even when the strain is low, the thermoplastic polymer component is easily cracked when stretched on a roll. In particular, the roll diameter has become smaller due to the recent downsizing of the image forming apparatus, and thus there has been a tendency to be more easily broken.
In addition, a polymer having a large elastic modulus has a high heating temperature at the time of molding, and when a conductive filler or the like is blended, it becomes extremely easy to break, and there is a problem in bending resistance.

  In general, endless belts with high elastic modulus are easily broken by a little strain (high bending resistance deteriorates). Therefore, by controlling the alloying of the base polymer of endless belts with a catalyst, etc. Even if it exists, examination which hold | maintains high bending resistance has been made | formed (for example, patent documents 1-4).

  However, if alloying is controlled using a catalyst, etc., it will be sensitive to the production environment such as humidity, resulting in poor production stability, causing carbon black agglomeration and causing fouling. Hydrolysis occurs abruptly, causing low molecular weight and foaming.

  In recent years, electrophotographic image forming apparatuses such as color laser printers and color LED printers have become more competitive with low-cost inkjet image forming apparatuses. Therefore, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus aims at differentiating from the inkjet system by a high-speed printing technique, and is an image forming apparatus that prints at a high speed by a tandem type paper conveyance transfer in which four photoconductors are arranged and an intermediate transfer system. Has been commercialized. For this reason, further improvement in durability and prevention of image misalignment have become increasingly important for endless belts for image forming apparatuses.

  Conventionally, endless belts have achieved certain results by improving their materials. However, recently, not only high-speed printing but also the demand for improving image quality has been increasing. Especially, high-quality images can be obtained in a wide range of temperature and humidity environments, and only special paper for color printers. However, it is becoming particularly important to obtain high image quality on various types of paper such as high-quality paper, recycled paper, backing paper, and OHP film in order to clarify the features of the ink jet printer.

  For this reason, development of polymerized toners has progressed, and toners with a small particle size of 4 to 6 μm and small variations in particle size have been commercialized, and improvements to surface properties, chemical properties, and electrical properties of transfer belts have been made. The demand is also increasing.

  In particular, in the case of a transfer belt used in an intermediate transfer device or the like, the toner on the photoconductor is directly transferred onto the transfer belt by electrostatic force (primary transfer), and after synthesizing a color image on the transfer belt, the toner is added. In order to transfer to paper with electrostatic force (secondary transfer), not only the electrical resistance characteristics such as the surface electrical resistance and volume electrical resistance characteristics of the transfer belt are important, but also the surface physical characteristics and surface chemical characteristics need to be improved. There is. For example, the surface of an endless belt is required to be smoother in order to improve the cleaning properties for toners having a smaller particle size in recent years. However, if the surface of the endless belt is too smooth, a blade that scrapes off residual toner. The friction of the toner increases, and troubles related to the toner cleaning property are likely to occur.

Therefore, conventionally, the following techniques have been proposed to improve the surface characteristics of the endless belt in order to solve toner releasability and cleaning properties.
(1) Using fluororesin for the endless belt (Patent Document 5)
(2) The surface of the endless belt is coated with a lubricant (Patent Document 6)
(3) Coating the endless belt with fluorine-based paint (Patent Document 7)
(4) Mix long-chain fatty acids at the endless belt molding (Patent Document 8)
(5) Add chain silicone resin to endless belt (Patent Document 9)
(6) Carbon black, which is an endless belt filler, is surface-treated with silicone (Patent Document 10)

  When a fluororesin is used for the endless belt as in Patent Document 5, the linear expansion coefficient creeps large, so when using it stretched on a roller or the like, there may be slack or wrinkles on the roller part. Therefore, it is not preferable. Further, it is not preferable to use a fluororesin as a main component because of high cost.

  Further, as in Patent Document 6, when a material having lubricity is applied to the surface of the endless belt, the material having lubricity applied to the surface is also scraped off with the cleaning of the toner by the cleaning blade. This is not preferable because it complicates the apparatus and increases the cost.

  In addition, as described in Patent Document 7, when the endless belt is coated with a fluorine-based paint, the coating layer may be peeled off due to use over time, and the cost increases due to increased tact time such as the coating process, drying process, and curing process. Absent.

  In addition, as in Patent Document 8, although it is very cost-effective to add a long chain fatty acid at the time of molding, the long chain fatty acid has a low melting point, and depending on the temperature conditions, it causes bleeding and surging during extrusion molding. Or causing foaming of the base resin during molding of the endless belt, which causes a problem of roughening the surface of the endless belt.

  In addition, as in Patent Document 9, the addition of a high molecular weight chain silicone resin has the same problems as in the case of a fluororesin, and if it is a high molecular weight, the number of terminals is small and does not react with carbon black or resin. For this reason, bleed occurs and surging occurs during molding, which is not preferable.

Further, as in Patent Document 10, it is very effective to surface-treat carbon black with silicone, but the patent presupposes polypropylene as a base resin. On the other hand, when engineering plastics with heat resistance other than polyolefin are used as the base resin, the molding conditions are higher than when molding polyolefin, so the amount and type of silicone functional groups, molecular weight, Depending on the type of group, it is necessary to control the pH and processing conditions of carbon black.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-24785 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-12948 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-12949 JP 2003-12950 A JP 2002-365866 A JP-A-2-238881 JP-A-11-212374 Japanese Patent No. 3473808 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-316040 JP 2002-214927 A

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and is an endless belt excellent in toner releasability and cleaning performance by a cleaning blade, and as a component that reduces surface tension in extrusion molding, which is a preferable method in terms of cost. Maintains easy moldability (high productivity) without causing surging due to the influence of silicone used, does not cause appearance defects due to surface irregularities caused by foaming, etc., and also has excellent bending resistance Another object of the present invention is to provide an endless belt for an image forming apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus including such an endless belt for an image forming apparatus.

  As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have used a thermoplastic polymer component having a large elastic modulus and added silicone to carbon black before heating and mixing the thermoplastic polymer component and carbon black. In some cases, the reaction improves the dispersion of silicone, improves the affinity between the thermoplastic polymer component and carbon black, reduces surface irregularities, suppresses bleeding and foaming, and provides bending resistance. It has been found that the toner releasability of the endless belt and the cleaning property by the cleaning blade can be improved while improving the properties.

  In order to improve toner releasability, it is important to reduce the adhesion between the toner and the transfer belt and to increase the cleaning efficiency by the cleaning blade. In the present invention, since the main toner component is styrene, epoxy, or polyester as a countermeasure for reducing toner adhesion while suppressing unevenness of the belt surface to the extent that the cleaning efficiency is not lowered, the low surface of the endless belt Toner release is improved by tensioning.

  When an endless belt is manufactured by extrusion, it can be produced at a very low cost because it is a continuous process. However, in order to improve toner releasability, when a material for lowering the surface tension (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “surface tension reducing substance”) is mixed with the molding material, the thermoplastic polymer component as the substrate and the surface Since the energy is greatly different (especially when the thermoplastic polymer component is polyester, polyamide, polyether, etc.), the surface tension reducing substance bleeds to the belt surface without mixing. Therefore, the bleed surface tension reducing substance becomes a lubricant, and the pellet slips when the resin is put into the extruder, and a pulsation phenomenon called surging (the resin is discharged or not) occurs. When surging occurs, the thickness of the endless belt will change and productivity will drop, or air will be involved and the resin will be extruded, which may cause poor appearance such as foaming (traces of gas on the film surface). It becomes.

  On the other hand, there are fine powder fluororesin, silicone rubber, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, etc. as surface tension reducing substances which are difficult to bleed. In the case of base resins such as polyester and polyamide, these are not melted at the temperature at the time of heating and mixing, and are dispersed like fillers. Since it is a substance, its surface energy is greatly different from that of the thermoplastic resin as a base material, and it is unevenly distributed as an aggregate on the belt surface without being mixed. For this reason, since the surface irregularities become large, a cleaning failure occurs when used as a transfer belt or the like.

  If these surface tension reducing substances are used at a temperature at which they are melted, the heating and mixing temperature will be too high, so the molecular weight of the main component polyester or polyamide will decrease, impairing the carbon black dispersibility, When it is used as a belt, it is not preferable because durability and the like are lowered.

  Therefore, the present inventors, as a method for improving the toner releasability of the endless belt in the extrusion molding that is advantageous in terms of cost, while suppressing the bleeding to the belt surface, without causing aggregation and generation of fuzz, As a result of investigating the method of mixing the surface tension reducing substance, before heating and mixing the thermoplastic polymer component, which is the main component, and carbon black, the carbon black is pre-added with silicone as the surface tension reducing substance and then heated. A method of mixing was found.

Further, by using a thermoplastic polymer component constituting the endless belt having a modulus of elasticity greater than a predetermined value, it is stretched over two or more rolls when used as an endless belt for an image forming apparatus. Elongation can be prevented. Thus, in the case where a thermoplastic polymer component having a modulus of elasticity greater than a predetermined value is used, silicone is added to carbon black in advance before the thermoplastic polymer component and carbon black are heated and mixed. Due to the interpenetrate effect (polymer entanglement effect) due to the silicone chain and the polymer chain, the interfacial strength between the carbon black and the thermoplastic polymer component is improved, and it is easy to crack due to the use of the thermoplastic polymer component with a high elastic modulus. It was found that this problem can be solved and the bending resistance can be improved.
The present invention has been achieved based on the above findings, and the gist thereof is as follows.

[1] A seamless belt used in an image forming apparatus, the main component of which is a thermoplastic polymer component made of a thermoplastic resin and / or a thermoplastic elastomer, the thermoplastic polymer component and carbon black are heated and mixed, and extruded. In an endless belt for an image forming apparatus formed by molding, the thermoplastic polymer component has an ester bond, and the elastic modulus of the thermoplastic polymer component is 2000 MPa or more, and the thermoplastic polymer component and carbon black Prior to heating and mixing, silicone is attached to the carbon black, the silicone content is 1 to 10 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of carbon black, and the average molecular weight of the silicone is 1,000 or more and less than 100,000 An endless belt for an image forming apparatus.

[ 2 ] The endless belt for an image forming apparatus according to [ 1 ], wherein at least one of the thermoplastic polymer components is an aromatic polyester.

[3] [1] or Oite in [2], the carbon black, DBP oil absorption 50~300cm ³ / 100g, a specific surface area 35~500m ² / g, volatile content 0-20%, average primary particle size 20 An endless belt for an image forming apparatus characterized by satisfying ˜50 nm.

[ 4 ] The endless belt for an image forming apparatus according to any one of [1] to [ 3 ], wherein the folding resistance is 30,000 or more.

[ 5 ] The endless belt for an image forming apparatus according to any one of [1] to [ 4 ], wherein the surface tension is 35 dyne / cm or less.

[ 6 ] The endless belt for an image forming apparatus according to any one of [1] to [ 5 ], wherein the thermoplastic polymer component contains polyalkylene terephthalate.

[ 7 ] In any one of [1] to [ 6 ], the thermoplastic polymer component comprises a thermoplastic resin, or a thermoplastic resin having a thermoplastic elastomer content of less than 30% by weight, a thermoplastic elastomer, An endless belt for an image forming apparatus, comprising a mixture of

[ 8 ] An image forming apparatus comprising the endless belt for an image forming apparatus according to any one of [1] to [ 7 ].

  According to the present invention, chemical and physical properties excellent in toner releasability and cleaning properties can be obtained without lowering the mechanical strength and without deteriorating the surface roughness. Thus, it is possible to provide an endless belt for an image forming apparatus that has excellent mechanical characteristics and surface characteristics such as excellent image quality, and excellent toner releasability and toner cleaning properties.

The thermoplastic polymer component is preferably a polar polymer having an ester bond in order to disperse fillers such as carbon black, and in particular, polybutylene terephthalate, polyester elastomer, polycarbonate and the like are nonpolar polymers as the polymer having an ester bond. It is preferable to remove the polyolefin, because it is the cheapest. In particular has in the present invention aims to disperse by impregnating the silicone to the carbon black, therefore the variance of the thermoplastic polymer of the carbon black is required, thus the thermoplastic polymer component have a ester bond (Claim 1 ), particularly preferably containing an aromatic polyester (Claim 2 ).

Further, carbon black, DBP oil absorption amount 50~300cm ³ / 100g, a specific surface area of 35~500m ² / g, a volatile matter content of 0-20%, preferably used having an average primary particle diameter satisfies a 20~50nm (Claim 3 ).

Endless belt of the present invention, it is preferable folding endurance number shows a 30,000 times higher than bending resistance (claim 4).

Further, it is preferable that the surface tension is less than 35 dyne / cm (claim 5).

The thermoplastic polymer component preferably contains polyalkylene terephthalate (Claim 6 ).

Further, in order to ensure the above elastic modulus, the thermoplastic polymer component consists of a thermoplastic resin alone or a mixture of a thermoplastic resin having a thermoplastic elastomer content of less than 30% by weight and a thermoplastic elastomer. (Claim 7 ).

With the image forming apparatus of the present invention including such an endless belt for an image forming apparatus of the present invention, a high-quality image can be formed over a long period of time (claim 8 ).

  Hereinafter, embodiments of an endless belt for an image forming apparatus and an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail.

  In the present invention, a thermoplastic polymer component having an elastic modulus of 2000 MPa or more is used, and a silicone having a predetermined average molecular weight is previously added to carbon black at a predetermined ratio before being heated and mixed with the thermoplastic polymer component. Prevents bleed during and after molding of the belt, disperses carbon black, disperses silicone uniformly, prevents agglomeration on the belt surface, reduces surface irregularities and has excellent surface properties. Further, by using a thermoplastic polymer component having a high elastic modulus, it is possible to prevent elongation when stretched on two or more rolls as an endless belt for an image forming apparatus (that is, creep resistance is improved). .

In order for the thermoplastic polymer component to have an ester bond and increase the elastic modulus to 2000 MPa or more, it is preferable to include an aromatic polyester. If the aromatic component is terephthalic acid, from the viewpoint of thermal stability and cost. Even more preferred.
However, when aromatic polyester is used, it tends to become hot during heat mixing and endless belt molding, and when low molecular weight components such as silane coupling agents and alkyl silanes are added, they will decompose and bleed even if attached to carbon black. Therefore, it is not preferable. In addition, when an aromatic polyester is added with a low molecular weight component such as a silane coupling agent or an alkylsilane, the mechanical durability tends to be remarkably lowered. In addition, aromatic polyesters have a greater shear dependency on melt viscosity than aliphatic polyesters, and when a low surface tension material such as silicone or alkylsilane is heated and mixed, the melt viscosity is further increased due to the influence of silicone or alkylsilane. There was a problem that carbon black and the like were not dispersed.

  In the present invention, the content of silicone is 1 to 10 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of carbon black, and the molecular weight is 1000 or more and less than 100,000. By obtaining an interpenetrate effect on the components (entanglement effect between the silicone chain and the base polymer), high flex resistance is exhibited and the releasability of the endless belt from the toner is enhanced.

[About silicone]
In the present invention, the average molecular weight of the silicone attached to the carbon black is 1000 or more and less than 100,000. When the average molecular weight of silicone is high, the functional group equivalent is relatively increased (the functional group is decreased), so that it is difficult to attach to carbon black, the grafting efficiency is lowered, and bleed out without adhesion is not preferable. Also, if the molecular weight of the silicone is too small, the effect of interpenetrating with the thermoplastic polymer component will not be exhibited, and if the silicone molecular weight is large, it will not be attached to carbon black as described above, so in any case improved flex resistance It is not preferable because it cannot be made. Moreover, low molecular weight silicone is not preferable because siloxane gas is easily generated and foaming scratches may be caused during heat mixing and heat extrusion. Silicone usually exists in a chain form, but when it becomes low molecular weight, it tends to be cyclic, and when it becomes cyclic, it cannot be attached to carbon black, but it volatilizes and attaches to switch parts of electronic device parts. Since it becomes a switching defect by becoming silica (insulation) with the heat of a switch part, it is not preferred. In particular, an oligomer that volatilizes when used as a product such as a printer is not preferable because it may contaminate the photoreceptor. Therefore, the average molecular weight of silicone that can be attached to carbon black and is suitable for use as an endless belt is 1000 or more and less than 100,000, and more preferably 3000 or more and less than 50,000.

  In addition, the average molecular weight of silicone is a weight average molecular weight in terms of polystyrene determined from a peak value in a molecular weight distribution curve measured by gel permeation chromatography.

  Moreover, the silicone used for this invention can also introduce | transduce a metal component and another polymer component partially by a graft bond or a block bond in the range which does not impair the effect of this invention remarkably. Specific examples include those having a methacrylic resin as the main chain and graft-bonding polydimethylsiloxane or the like.

Examples of silicone include dimethyl silicone, methyl hydrogen silicone, methyl phenyl silicone, amino modified silicone, alkyl modified silicone, fluorine modified silicone, polyether modified silicone, alcohol modified silicone, epoxy modified silicone, alkoxy modified silicone, carboxy modified silicone, and the like. These are preferably oil-like or gum-like and attached to carbon black. The silicone is more preferably a silicone having a functional group, particularly for the purpose of grafting to carbon black.
These silicones may be used individually by 1 type, and 2 or more types may be mixed and used for them.

  In order to suppress bleed of silicone, the content of silicone in the endless belt with respect to 100 parts by weight of carbon black is 1 to 10 parts by weight, preferably 2 to 5 parts by weight. If the silicone content is too high, the amount of silicone that is not attached to the carbon black increases, and the silicone is poorly compatible with the thermoplastic polymer component and therefore bleeds to the surface. On the other hand, if the silicone content is too small, the reduction in surface tension, which is the object of the present invention, cannot be achieved, and it does not contribute to the improvement of toner releasability and cleaning properties. The silicone content in the endless belt is usually equal to the amount of carbon black.

Further, if either one of the functional groups of silicone and carbon black is too much, it is not preferable because the thermoplastic polymer component deteriorates and causes foaming when the thermoplastic polymer component and carbon black are heated and mixed.
Therefore, the optimum amount of silicone to be attached is determined by the type and amount of carbon black and the surface tension for the desired toner releasability, but in an endless belt containing about 10 to 50% by weight of carbon black. As described above, it is preferable to add 1 to 10 parts by weight of silicone to 100 parts by weight of carbon black.

[About carbon black]
Carbon black is mixed in consideration of mechanical characteristics, electrical characteristics, dimensional characteristics, and chemical characteristics when used as an endless belt. In the present invention, carbon black used with silicone is added before heating and mixing. In order to mix silicone with the powder, it is preferably a powder product or a granular product, and the powder is preferably uniform.

Carbon black to be used by impregnating a silicone, pH 4 or more of the following reasons, DBP oil absorption 50~300cm ³ / 100g, a specific surface area 35~500m ² / g, volatile content 0-20%, average primary particle size 20~50nm It is preferable that the carbon black satisfies the above.

-About pH of carbon black When silicone is added, if the pH of carbon black is low, the silicone is hydrolyzed, the molecular weight of the silicone is lowered, the siloxane bond that is the main chain of the silicone is decomposed, and the silanol groups are increased. For this reason, the thermoplastic polymer component and carbon black are not preferable because they decompose and generate low molecular weight siloxane gas when heated to cause foaming. Further, the silicone is hydrolyzed and bleeds without being attached to the surface of the carbon black, causing surging, and if the bleed silicone has a low molecular weight, foaming may be caused. Moreover, even if the pH is adjusted to neutrality during heating mixing or extrusion, the silanol groups produced during the dehydration condensation process, so water is generated and becomes steam in the molding machine, which is also the cause of foaming. Therefore, it is not preferable. Therefore, it is desirable to increase the pH of the carbon black before heating and mixing, and the pH is preferably 4 or more. Moreover, it is preferable that the upper limit of pH of carbon black is 12 or less.
In addition, if the pH of the carbon black is 4 or more and less than 10, the hydrolysis of the silicone is suppressed, and polycondensation occurs. Therefore, it is preferable that the silicone is easily attached to the carbon black surface.
Further, when the pH of the carbon black is 10 or more, polycondensation is more likely to proceed than the hydrolysis of silicone, but there is a tendency to be hydrolyzed as compared with the case where the pH is 4 or more and less than 10. It is necessary to consider.
Accordingly, the pH of the carbon black to which silicone is attached is preferably 4 or more and 12 or less, particularly 4 or more and less than 10.
The pH of the carbon black is, for example, 10 ml of water per 1 g of carbon black in a beaker, and after boiling for 15 minutes to cool to room temperature, the supernatant is removed by a gradient method or a centrifugal method, and then the muddy state. A glass electrode pH meter electrode is inserted into the object, and measurement is performed according to JIS Z8802.

-About the DBP oil absorption amount of carbon black The larger the DBP oil absorption amount of carbon black, the easier it is for carbon to form a chain-like chain (carbon structure), and the advantage that carbon aggregates are less likely to be generated. Although it is easy to express conductivity, there was an advantage of low cost, but on the other hand, the carbon chain was broken by various shearing forces applied to the resin containing carbon black in the process of compounding and molding, and the electrical resistivity was reduced. There is a problem that it tends to vary and is not stable.
On the other hand, if the DBP oil absorption amount of carbon black is too small, it is difficult to form a carbon chain, so that the amount of carbon black added for expressing conductivity is excessively increased, and there is a problem that the bending resistance of the material is impaired.
In addition, when silicone is attached before heating and mixing, the larger the DBP oil absorption amount of carbon black, the more preferable it is because the silicone can be physically adsorbed. This is not preferable because it causes deterioration of the thermoplastic polymer component during heating and mixing with the resin.
Therefore, DBP oil absorption of the preferred carbon black is 50~300cm ³ / 100g.

-About the particle size and specific surface area of carbon black The larger the specific surface area of carbon black, the more electrically conductive it will be expressed with a small addition weight, so the mechanical strength is advantageous in terms of resistance to cracking, but depending on the amount of carbon black added Since the conductivity tends to change abruptly, it is necessary to have a blending accuracy within ± 0.05% in order to control to the semiconductive region, and the resistance variation of the endless belt must be made uniform within ± 1 order. difficult. In addition, since carbon black with a large specific surface area generally has a small particle size, carbon black particles tend to be fooled when dispersed in a resin. As a result, carbon agglomerates are mixed in the molded product, resulting in carbon agglomerates. Electricity concentrates on the part of this area, and partial dielectric breakdown is likely to occur. In addition, if the specific surface area of carbon black is too small (carbon particles are too large), it is difficult to form carbon aggregates, so the appearance of the molded product is smooth, but the electrical conductivity is easily affected by the contact between the carbon particles. Resistivity tends to vary. Therefore, it is important to select an optimized carbon particle size.
In addition, in order to attach silicone, if the specific surface area of carbon black is too small, the functional groups to be attached are relatively reduced, and there is a possibility that silicone is not bonded to carbon black and bleeds. Also, if the specific surface area of carbon black is too large, unattached functional groups exist, which degrades the main thermoplastic polymer component and increases the amount of adsorbed moisture, which increases the drying time before molding. It is not preferable.
Accordingly, the average primary particle size of carbon black is preferably 20 to 50 nm, and the specific surface area is 35 to 500 m ² / g.

-About the volatile matter of carbon black The more the volatile matter of carbon black, the better the dispersibility of carbon due to its surface characteristics, but it is disadvantageous in molding because it generates gas during heating and kneading. Conversely, the smaller the volatile content of carbon black, the less the gas is generated during heating and kneading, so the moldability is better, but the carbon dispersibility tends to deteriorate.
Therefore, the preferable volatile content of carbon black is 0 to 20%.

  There are no particular restrictions on the type of carbon black as long as it satisfies the DBP oil absorption, specific surface area, volatile content, and average primary particle size, and two types of carbon black can be used. It may be above.

  For example, as the type of carbon black, acetylene black, furnace black, channel black, and the like can be suitably used. Among them, acetylene black that has few impurities called ash such as potassium, calcium, sodium, etc., and hardly causes poor appearance, is particularly preferable. It can be suitably used. Further, carbon black subjected to a known post-treatment process such as resin-coated carbon black, heat-treated carbon black, or graphitized carbon black can be used as long as the invention is not inhibited.

  Furthermore, carbon black treated with a coupling agent such as silane, aluminate, titanate, and zirconate may be used for the purpose of improving dispersibility and suppressing gas generation.

  The blending amount of carbon black varies depending on the type of carbon black used and the degree of conductivity required for the endless belt, but is preferably 1 to 50 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic polymer component. If it is less than this range, conductivity will not be manifested, the carbon black dispersion will be rough and the electrical resistivity will tend to vary, and the contact resistance will be greatly influenced by the environment. In some cases, an image abnormality may occur depending on the environment. On the other hand, if the amount is too large, the rigidity of the endless belt is increased, durability is impaired, and moldability is impaired.

In the present invention, the resistance value of the endless belt, that is, the content of carbon black in the molding material (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “carbon black concentration”) satisfies the following formulas (i) and (ii). This is preferable because the influence on temperature and humidity dependency is reduced.
Formula (i): LogY ≧ −X + 20
Formula (ii): LogY ≦ −X + 30
However, X and Y are as follows.
X: Carbon black content (% by weight) in the endless belt
Y: Surface electrical resistivity (Ω) at 100 V applied voltage, 10 seconds for endless belt

That is, for example, in the case of a belt having a surface electrical resistivity of 1 × 10 ⁶ (Ω), the carbon black concentration is 14 to 24% by weight, and in the case of a belt having a surface electrical resistivity of 1 × 10 ¹⁰ (Ω). In the case of a belt having a carbon black concentration of 10 to 20% by weight and a surface electrical resistivity of 1 × 10 14 (Ω), the carbon black concentration is 6 to 16% by weight. It is preferable in that it can be an endless belt with little fluctuation in electrical resistivity with respect to environmental fluctuation.

X and Y are particularly logY ≧ −X + 21
logY ≦ −X + 29
It is preferable that

[Thermoplastic polymer component]
In the present invention, the thermoplastic polymer component comprises a thermoplastic elastomer and / or a thermoplastic resin.

<Thermoplastic resin>
Examples of the thermoplastic resin used in the endless belt of the present invention include polypropylene, polyethylene (high density, medium density, low density, linear low density), propylene ethylene block or random copolymer, rubber or latex component such as ethylene Propylene copolymer rubber, styrene / butadiene rubber, styrene / butadiene / styrene block copolymer or hydrogenated derivatives thereof, polybutadiene, polyisobutylene, polyamide (PA), polyamideimide (PAI), polyacetal (POM), polyarylate ( Par), polycarbonate (PC), polyalkylene terephthalate (PAT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polybutylene naphthalate (PBN), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyphenylene oxide (PPE), polyethersulfone (PES), polymethylpentene (TPX), polyoxybenzylene (POB), polyimide ( PI), liquid crystalline polyester, polysulfone (PSF), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polybisamide triazole, polyamino bismaleimide, polyether imide (PEI), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), acrylic, polyfluorinated vinylidene (PVDF) ), Polyfluorinated vinyl, chlorotrifluoroethylene, ethylenetetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE), hexafluoropropylene, perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer An acrylic acid alkyl ester copolymer, a polyester ester copolymer, a polyether ester copolymer, a polyether amide copolymer, a polyurethane copolymer, or the like, or a mixture of two or more thereof can be used. .

  Among the thermoplastic resins used in the endless belt of the present invention, the crystalline resin preferably has at least one of a hydroxyl group, a carboxylic acid group and an ester bond, and has a crystallinity of 20% or more and less than 90%. If it is, there will be no restriction | limiting in particular and a general purpose resin can be used.

  Specifically, among thermoplastic crystalline resins, PAT (polyalkylene terephthalate) is preferable, and PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) are more preferable, and PBT is crystallized. Since the speed is high, there is little change in crystallinity due to molding conditions, and it is particularly preferable because it is generally stable at a crystallinity of around 30%.

  Moreover, a copolymerization component can also be introduce | transduced in the crystalline resin used for this invention in the range which does not impair the effect of this invention remarkably. Specific examples include an ester bond in the main chain and an aliphatic polyester such as polytetramethylene glycol or polycaprolactone or an alicyclic polyester such as polycyclohexadimethylene.

  As the molecular weight of the thermoplastic crystalline resin used in the endless belt of the present invention, a resin having a general molecular weight such as a weight average molecular weight of 10,000 to 100,000 can be used, but mechanical properties such as tensile elongation at break are high. When required, high molecular weight is preferred. Specifically, it is preferably 20,000 or more, more preferably 25,000 or more, and particularly preferably 30,000 or more.

  Among the thermoplastic resins used in the endless belt of the present invention, the amorphous resin preferably has at least one of a hydroxyl group, a carboxylic acid group and an ester bond, and has a crystallinity of 0% or more and 10%. If it is less than this, there will be no restriction | limiting in particular and a general purpose resin can be used.

  Specifically, polyesters such as PC (polycarbonate) and PAr (polyarylate), and resins having ester bonds in the side chains such as PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) can be given as suitable examples. Of these, polyester is preferable, and PC can be used particularly preferably.

  The amorphous resin used for the endless belt of the present invention can introduce a copolymer component within a range that does not significantly impair the effects of the present invention. Specific examples include an ester bond in the main chain and an aliphatic polyester such as polytetramethylene glycol or polycaprolactone and an alicyclic polyester such as polycyclohexadimethylene introduced therein.

  There is no particular limitation on the molecular weight of the amorphous resin used in the endless belt of the present invention. For example, a resin having a general molecular weight such as a weight average molecular weight of 10,000 to 100,000 can be used. When there is a demand for high physical properties, those having a high molecular weight are preferred. Specifically, it is preferably 20,000 or more, more preferably 25,000 or more, and particularly preferably 30,000 or more.

<Thermoplastic elastomer>
As the thermoplastic elastomer used in the present invention, thermoplastic elastomers such as polyester, polyamide, polyether, polyolefin, polyurethane, and vinyl chloride can be used.

  The feature of the thermoplastic elastomer is that the crack resistance of the endless belt can be greatly enhanced and flexibility can be imparted.

<Alloy material of thermoplastic resin and thermoplastic elastomer>
When an alloy material of a thermoplastic resin and a thermoplastic elastomer is used as the thermoplastic polymer component, the thermoplastic elastomer has a common functional group with the thermoplastic resin and has high affinity with the thermoplastic resin. By using an elastomer, the alloy dispersibility of the thermoplastic resin and the thermoplastic elastomer is improved, the crack resistance can be dramatically improved and the tensile elastic modulus can be adjusted. Excellent surface smoothness, carbon black, etc. The conductive material dispersibility is obtained, which is preferable.

  Accordingly, when a polyester such as polybutylene terephthalate or polyethylene terephthalate and / or polycarbonate is used as the thermoplastic resin, it is preferable to use a polyester-based or polyether-based thermoplastic elastomer. In addition, it is preferable to combine a polyamide-based thermoplastic elastomer with an amide-based thermoplastic resin such as nylon.

  The polyester elastomer block is a polyester polyether block copolymer using an aromatic polyester as a hard component, an aliphatic polyether as a soft component, an aromatic polyester as a hard component, and an aliphatic polyester as a soft component. Copolymers can be used.

  More specifically, the following (A) and (B) can be used as the polyester polyether block copolymer and the polyester polyester block copolymer.

(A) Polyester polyether block copolymer The polyester polyether block copolymer comprises (a) an aliphatic and / or alicyclic diol having 2 to 12 carbon atoms, and (b) an aromatic dicarboxylic acid or an alkyl ester thereof. And (c) Polyalkylene ether glycol having a weight average molecular weight of 400 to 6,000 as a raw material, and an oligomer obtained by esterification reaction or transesterification reaction is polycondensed. Examples of the aliphatic and / or alicyclic diol having 2 to 12 carbon atoms include ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, trimethylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,4-cyclohexanediol, and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol. Preferably, 1,4-butanediol and ethylene glycol are the main components, and one or a combination of two or more of these can be used.

  Examples of the aromatic dicarboxylic acid include terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, and the like. Preferably, terephthalic acid and 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid are the main components. A combination of the above may also be used. Examples of the alkyl ester of aromatic dicarboxylic acid include dimethyl esters such as dimethyl terephthalate, dimethyl isophthalate, dimethyl phthalate, and 2,6-dimethyl naphthalate, preferably dimethyl terephthalate and 2,6-dimethyl naphthalate. There may be a combination of two or more of these. In addition to the above, trifunctional diols, other diols and other dicarboxylic acids and esters thereof may be copolymerized in small amounts, and aliphatic dicarboxylic acids such as adipic acid or alicyclic dicarboxylic acids, or What uses alkylester etc. as a copolymerization component is also good.

  As the polyalkylene ether glycol, those having a weight average molecular weight of 400 to 6,000 are used, preferably 500 to 4,000. Here, as polyalkylene ether glycol, polyethylene glycol, poly (1,2 and 1,3-propylene ether) glycol, polytetramethylene ether glycol, polyhexamethylene ether glycol, block or random copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide And a block or random copolymer of ethylene oxide and tetrahydrofuran. Particularly preferred is polytetramethylene ether glycol. The content of the polyalkylene ether glycol is desirably 5 to 95% by weight, preferably 10 to 85% by weight, based on the block copolymer to be produced.

(B) Polyester polyester block copolymer The polyester polyester block copolymer is (d) an aliphatic or alicyclic dicarboxylic acid instead of the above (c) polyalkylene ether glycol having a weight average molecular weight of 400 to 6,000. And a polyester oligomer obtained by condensation of an aliphatic diol, (e) a polyester oligomer synthesized from an aliphatic lactone or an aliphatic monool carboxylic acid, and (a) an aliphatic and / or alicyclic group having 2 to 12 carbon atoms. A diol and (b) an aromatic dicarboxylic acid or an alkyl ester thereof are used as raw materials, and an oligomer obtained by esterification or transesterification is polycondensed.

  Examples of the above (d) include 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, alicyclic dicarboxylic acid such as dicyclohexyl-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid, or succinic acid, oxalic acid, adipic acid And polyester oligomers having a structure in which one or more aliphatic dicarboxylic acids such as sebacic acid and one or more diols such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, tetramethylene glycol, and pentamethylene glycol are condensed. Examples of e) include polycaprolactone-based polyester oligomers synthesized from ε-caprolactone, ω-oxycaproic acid and the like.

  Specific examples of thermoplastic elastomers other than polyesters used in the present invention include those based on polystyrene, such as styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymer, styrene-isoprene-styrene copolymer, styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene copolymer, styrene- There are ethylene-propylene-styrene copolymers, etc., and in the case of polyvinyl chloride, there are cross-linked (three-dimensional) vinyl chloride-linear vinyl chloride polymers, etc., and as olefins, there are polyethylene-EPDM copolymer, polypropylene-EPDM copolymer, polyethylene- There are EPM copolymer polypropylene-EPM copolymer, etc., and PBT (1,4-butadienediol-terephthalic acid condensate) -PTMEGT (polytetramethyleneglycol) (Poly-terephthalic acid condensate) copolymer and the like, and examples of the polyamide system include a copolymer having a basic skeleton of nylon oligomer-dicarboxylic acid-polyether oligomer, and examples of the nylon oligomer include nylon 6 and nylon. 66, nylon 610, nylon 612, nylon 11, nylon 12, and the like. As the polyether oligomer, for example, polyether glycol, polypropylene glycol, polytetramethylene glycol and the like can be used. Examples of the urethane system include a polyurethane-polycarbonate polyol copolymer, a polyurethane-polyether polyol copolymer, a polyurethane-polycaprolactone polyester copolymer, and a polyurethane-adibate polyester copolymer.

(Weight ratio of thermoplastic resin to thermoplastic elastomer)
When an alloy material of a thermoplastic resin and a thermoplastic elastomer is used as the thermoplastic polymer component, the weight ratio of the thermoplastic resin and the thermoplastic elastomer is not particularly limited. However, among thermoplastic resins, crystalline resins are generally excellent in chemical resistance and flex resistance, and amorphous resins are excellent in molding dimensional stability. Therefore, the ratio to thermoplastic elastomer is set according to the purpose of use. However, in the present invention, it is preferable to suppress the content of the thermoplastic elastomer having a small elastic modulus so that the elastic modulus of the thermoplastic polymer component is 2000 MPa or more, and in particular, the thermoplastic resin / thermoplastic elastomer The weight ratio of the thermoplastic resin is more than 70/30, the weight ratio of thermoplastic resin / thermoplastic elastomer is more preferably 75/25 to 100/0, particularly preferably 80/20 to 100/0, and 85/15 to 100/0 is particularly preferred.

(Difference in viscosity between thermoplastic resin and thermoplastic elastomer)
When an alloy material of a thermoplastic resin and a thermoplastic elastomer is used as the thermoplastic polymer component, if the difference in viscosity between the two materials is too large, good dispersion cannot be obtained even if the production conditions are adjusted. The carbon black impregnated with is also dispersed in one phase of the thermoplastic resin and the thermoplastic elastomer, and tends to be non-uniformly dispersed. Therefore, it is preferable that the viscosity difference is small. Specifically, the ratio of the thermoplastic resin and the thermoplastic elastomer measured by MFR under the same conditions is preferably within a range of about 1/20 to 20/1, and should be within a range of 1/10 to 10/1. More preferred.

  In addition, it is preferable to select the conditions close | similar to the processing temperature of a thermoplastic resin composition as measurement temperature conditions based on JISK-7210 as a measuring method of MFR. For example, when PBT and polyester elastomer are selected, it is preferable to set a processing temperature of 240 ° C. as the measurement temperature and compare the difference in viscosity between the two materials. Moreover, it can measure suitably by selecting 2.16 kg, for example as a load.

<Melting point of thermoplastic polymer component>
In the present invention, it is preferable to use a thermoplastic polymer component having a melting point of 130 ° C. or higher and 260 ° C. or lower according to the following DSC measurement.
(DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) measurement)
Using SSC-5200 (trade name) manufactured by Seiko Denshi Kogyo Co., Ltd., the sample is heated to 400 ° C. at a heating rate of 20 ° C./min, and the melting peak temperature is set to the melting point by DSC measurement.

  If the melting point of the thermoplastic polymer component is too low, the heat resistance of the endless belt to be obtained is deteriorated, and not only the trace of the roller is easily made but also the creep property is deteriorated. Conversely, if the melting point of the thermoplastic polymer component is too high, the molding temperature at the time of heat-kneading and heat-extrusion is too high, and the appearance of the belt surface may be roughened due to volatilization of the added component. The melting point of the thermoplastic polymer component is more preferably 180 ° C. or higher and 250 ° C. or lower, more preferably 200 ° C. or higher and 240 ° C. or lower.

<Elastic modulus of thermoplastic polymer component>
The thermoplastic polymer component used in the present invention must have an elastic modulus of 2000 MPa or more.
When the elastic modulus of the thermoplastic polymer component is less than 2000 MPa, the thermoplastic polymer component is stretched when stretched on two or more rolls as an endless belt for an image forming apparatus, and the image is deteriorated. Therefore, the higher the elastic modulus of the thermoplastic polymer component is, the more preferable, especially 2500 MPa or more.
However, the upper limit of the elastic modulus of the thermoplastic polymer component is usually determined by the bending resistance when stretched on a roll, and is usually 6000 MPa or less for a thermosetting polymer component such as polyimide, and the thermoplastic polymer component such as polyester. In this case, it is 3000 MPa or less.
In addition, the elasticity modulus of this thermoplastic polymer component is a value measured by JIS-K7127 (tensile elasticity modulus of a film).

  In addition, as a thermoplastic polymer component, 1 type (s) or 2 or more types of thermoplastic resins may be used, 1 type or 2 types or more of thermoplastic elastomers may be used, and these may be mixed and used. . When two or more kinds of thermoplastic polymer components are used, the elastic modulus of the thermoplastic polymer component refers to an elastic modulus composed of a mixture thereof.

[Additional ingredients (optional ingredients)]
In the endless belt of the present invention, arbitrary blending components can be blended according to various purposes. However, for heat-resistant engineering plastics and the like, it is necessary to consider the heat resistance of the additional components so that they do not volatilize during heating and kneading, and there is a case where there is no need for blending.

  Specifically, irgafos 168, irganox 1010, antioxidants such as phosphorus antioxidants, heat stabilizers, various plasticizers, light stabilizers, ultraviolet absorbers, neutralizers, lubricants, antifogging agents, anti Various additives such as a blocking agent, a slip agent, a crosslinking agent, a crosslinking aid, a colorant, a flame retardant, and a dispersant can be added.

  Furthermore, compounding materials such as various thermoplastic resins, various elastomers, thermosetting resins, and fillers can be blended as the second and third components within a range that does not significantly impair the effects of the present invention.

  Thermoplastic resins include polypropylene, polyethylene (high density, medium density, low density, linear low density), propylene ethylene block or random copolymer, rubber or latex components such as ethylene / propylene copolymer rubber, styrene Butadiene rubber, styrene / butadiene / styrene styrene block copolymer or its hydrogenated derivatives, polybutadiene, polyisobutylene, polyamide, polyamideimide, polyacetal, polyarylate, polycarbonate, polyimide, liquid crystalline polyester, polysulfone, polyphenylene sulfide, poly Bisamidotriazole, polyetherimide, polyetheretherketone, acrylic, polyfluorinated vinylidene, polyfluorinated vinyl, chlorotrifluoroethylene, ethylene Lafluoroethylene copolymer, hexafluoropropylene, perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, acrylic acid alkyl ester copolymer, polyester ester copolymer, polyether ester copolymer, polyether amide copolymer, polyurethane copolymer What consists of 1 type, such as coalescence, or these mixtures can be used.

  As a thermosetting resin, what consists of 1 type, such as an epoxy resin, a melamine resin, a phenol resin, unsaturated polyester resin, or these mixtures, for example can be used.

  Examples of various fillers include calcium carbonate (heavy and light), talc, mica, silica, alumina, aluminum hydroxide, zeolite, wollastonite, diatomaceous earth, glass fiber, glass beads, bentonite, asbestos, and hollow. Glass ball, graphite, molybdenum disulfide, titanium oxide, carbon fiber, aluminum fiber, styrene steel fiber, brass fiber, aluminum powder, wood powder, rice husk, graphite, metal powder, conductive metal oxide, organometallic compound, organic In addition to fillers such as metal salts, additives such as antioxidants (phenolic, sulfur, phosphate ester, etc.), lubricants, various organic and inorganic pigments, UV inhibitors, antistatic agents, dispersants, neutralization Agents, foaming agents, plasticizers, copper damage inhibitors, flame retardants, crosslinking agents, flowability improvers, and the like.

The filler is mixed in consideration of mechanical characteristics, electrical characteristics, dimensional characteristics, and chemical characteristics when used as an endless belt.
In addition to carbon black, carbon fiber fillers such as carbon fibers, graphite, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanocoils, fullerenes, various metal fillers, metals, etc., as long as the performance required for the application is satisfied. A conductive filler such as an oxide-based conductive filler may be blended, and in addition to the conductive filler, an ionic conductive material such as a quaternary ammonium salt may be used. Among these conductive materials, In particular, carbon black is an essential component in the present invention because it is preferable to use carbon black because the humidity dependency of the electrical resistivity is reduced.

[How to attach silicone to carbon black]
In order to attach silicone to carbon black, it is desirable that the surface functional group of carbon black and the functional group of silicone are chemically bonded. Therefore, depending on the type of the functional group, a certain amount of heating was performed. Is easier to combine. Further, as the method of attachment, there are a dry method such as spray coating and mixing with a mixer, and a wet method in which carbon black and silicone are dispersed and mixed in a solution and dried to skip the solution. The dry method is excellent in cost, and the wet method has a merit that it can be uniformly applied.

In order to uniformly attach the silicone to the carbon black, it is preferable to mix with stirring using a mixer having a stirring function. Further, when stirring and mixing, the heating is preferably performed at 100 ° C. or higher for 2 hours or longer. In addition to reducing the amount of solvent residue, it is possible to promote the adhesion of non-attached silicone to the carbon black surface, so that it is not decomposed during heat mixing or heat molding, which is preferable in terms of suppressing foaming and suppressing surging. More preferable heating temperature and time are, for example, 130 to 280 ° C. and 3 to 24 hours. When the heating temperature is 300 ° C. or more, the silicone is decomposed to become silica, which is not preferable.
In addition, as a mixing method, not only agitation and mixing in mixers as a dry method, but also as a wet method, silicone is diluted with various solvents, carbon black is put into the solution and mixed, and then the solvent is dried in various dryers. There is a method of removing by such as, but not limited to this.

[About heating and mixing]
In the present invention, an endless belt can be formed after heat-mixing a thermoplastic polymer component and carbon black to which silicone is added to form a resin composition, or heat-mixing the thermoplastic polymer component and carbon black to which silicone is added. And you can get an endless belt as it is.

  In this case, the kneading conditions are adjusted so that the desired surface electrical resistivity can be obtained by either heat kneading in the stage of obtaining the thermoplastic resin composition or heat kneading in the stage of molding the resin composition into an endless belt. To do. In any case, since sufficient dispersion is not possible unless it is in a molten state, it is preferable that the heating temperature be higher to some extent. Is preferable, and it is more preferable that it is melting | fusing point +10 degreeC or more. Further, if the heating temperature is too high, thermal decomposition may be caused and physical properties may be deteriorated. Specifically, using the melting point of the crystalline resin as a guide, the melting point of the crystalline resin is preferably + 80 ° C. or lower, more preferably the melting point + 60 ° C. or lower.

  In addition, it is preferable to dry the raw material before drying by heating since the raw material may be dried to obtain an endless belt having better physical properties. In some cases, the thermoplastic resin composition can be heat-kneaded and then heat-treated at a melting point or lower to form an endless belt.

  Further, before the heating and mixing described above, the thermoplastic resin and the carbon black impregnated with silicone may be premixed with a mixer or the like. The thermoplastic resin can be selected from pellets, flakes, and powders. When premixing, a resin having a bulk density similar to that of carbon black to which silicone is added may be selected.

  In addition, by reducing the pressure (devolatilization) during heating and mixing, oligomers of low molecular weight substances generated by decomposition, moisture, etc. can be removed, and when used as an endless belt, foaming and poor appearance of blisters can be reduced, and Generation of surging due to bleeding can be suppressed.

  In the present invention, a specific dispersion state of the thermoplastic polymer component and the carbon black impregnated with the silicone creates a good dispersion state of the carbon black and the dispersion state of the silicone, and the toner releasability and the electric resistance value uniformity. It is considered that an endless belt excellent in both can be obtained. Therefore, since the temperature during heating and mixing and the time for receiving heat are important, it is desirable to set the heating and mixing conditions while grasping the dispersion form of the obtained endless belt. At that time, the index of the alloy state is the voltage dependency characteristic of the electrical resistivity, the variation of the electrical resistivity, and the ratio of the surface electrical resistivity and the volume electrical resistivity.

  There is no particular limitation on the heating and mixing means, and a known technique can be used. For example, if a resin composition is first prepared by heating and mixing a thermoplastic resin, carbon black to which silicone is added, and other additive components blended as necessary, a single-screw extruder, a twin-screw kneading extruder, Banbury mixers, rolls, brabenders, plastographs, kneaders and the like can be used.

  In particular, there is a technique in which a thermoplastic resin, carbon black to which silicone is added, and other additive components blended as necessary are mixed by, for example, a twin-screw kneading extruder and pelletized to form an endless belt. Preferably used.

[About molding method]
The molding method is not particularly limited, and can be obtained by employing a known method such as a continuous melt extrusion molding method, an injection molding method, a blow molding method, or an inflation molding method. This is a continuous melt extrusion method. In particular, the internal cooling mandrel method or vacuum sizing method of the downward extrusion method capable of controlling the inner diameter of the extruded tube with high accuracy is preferable, and the internal cooling mandrel method is most preferable.

  In addition, an endless belt having better physical properties can be obtained by optimizing the temperature and residence time at the time of molding. Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the conditions according to each compounding composition.

[Physical properties of endless belt]
According to the present invention, an endless belt having the following physical properties can be obtained.

-Surface tension If the surface tension of the endless belt is high, the affinity with the toner is increased and the toner tends to adhere.
If the surface tension of the endless belt is 35 dyne / cm or less, it can be used as an endless belt depending on the toner and other configurations, but is practically preferably 33 dyne / cm or less, and particularly preferably 30 dyne / cm or less. .
However, if the surface tension is too small, the friction between the photoconductor and the belt becomes too small and the primary transfer efficiency of the toner is deteriorated. Therefore, the surface tension is preferably 27 dyne / cm or more.
The surface tension of the endless belt is determined by applying various wetting reagents such as those manufactured by Wako Pure Chemicals to the belt surface using a cotton swab (approx. 6 cm ² for 0.5 seconds). Whether the standard solution closest to wetting for 2 seconds is found and the surface tension is taken as the surface tension of the sample.

<Wetting criteria>
(1) When wet: The liquid film does not break and maintains its state when applied.
(2) When not wet: Liquid film shrinks around it

・ Surface roughness Ra
The surface roughness Ra of the endless belt is preferably 0.02 μm <Ra <0.25 μm. When the surface roughness Ra is less than 0.02 μm, the primary transfer efficiency of the toner is deteriorated. If the surface roughness Ra of the endless belt is large, the cleaning performance by the cleaning blade is deteriorated and the toner slips through, which is not preferable. Therefore, the endless belt of the present invention preferably has 0.02 μm <Ra <0.25 μm, particularly preferably 0.02 μm <Ra <0.15 μm.
The surface roughness Ra of the endless belt can be measured with a non-contact confocal laser microscope such as VK8500 manufactured by Keyence. Specifically, using a lens magnification of 100 times, the surface roughness per arbitrary unit area can be measured. For example, the surface roughness in an area of 40 μm ² can be measured and the average value can be taken. .

-Bend resistance When the endless belt of the present invention is used in an image forming apparatus as an intermediate transfer belt, for example, if the flex resistance is poor, a crack occurs and an image cannot be obtained. It is preferable that As a specific numerical value, if the bending resistance number is 500 times or more, it can be used as an endless belt, but secondary processing such as reinforcing tape to supplement the endless belt with bending resistance can be used. Is necessary and is not preferable in terms of cost. Practically, it is preferably 5000 times or more, more preferably 10,000 times or more, and more preferably 30000 times because cracks are particularly difficult to occur.
The degree of bending resistance can be quantitatively evaluated by following the method for measuring the number of bending resistances of JIS P-8115. The endless belt with the larger number of bending resistances is less prone to cracking and has excellent bending resistance. Judgment can be made.

-Surface resistivity The endless belt of this invention can obtain electroconductivity by mix | blending carbon black.
The resistance region varies depending on the purpose, but is preferably selected from the range of surface resistivity of 1 to 1 × 10 ¹⁶ Ω / □.

Further, the preferred range varies depending on the application. For example, when used as a photoreceptor belt, a low surface resistivity of 1 to 1 × 10 ⁹ Ω / □ is preferable so that the charge on the outer surface can be released to the inner surface as necessary. When used as an intermediate transfer belt, 1 × 10 ⁶ to 1 × 10 ¹³ Ω / □, which can be easily charged and transferred, is preferable, and when used as a transfer transfer belt, it is easily charged and is not easily damaged even at a high voltage. A high region of 10 ¹⁰ to 1 × 10 ¹⁶ Ω / □ is preferable.
Further, it is preferable that the distribution of the surface resistivity in one endless belt is narrow, and in each preferable surface resistivity region, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value in one is preferably within one digit.
The surface resistivity of the endless belt can be easily measured by, for example, Hiresta, Loresta manufactured by Dia Instruments Co., Ltd. or R8340A manufactured by Advantest Co., Ltd.

-Thickness of endless belt The thickness of the endless belt is preferably 50 to 1000 µm, more preferably 80 to 500 µm, and particularly preferably 100 to 200 µm.

[Application of endless belt]
The endless belt of the present invention is used in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine, a laser beam printer, and a facsimile machine as an intermediate transfer belt, a transfer transfer belt, a photosensitive belt, and the like. The endless belt may be used as it is, or may be wound around a drum or a roll.
Furthermore, for the purpose of preventing meandering or reinforcing the end face, heat resistant tape is applied to the inside and / or the vicinity of the outside end of the endless belt of a predetermined size, or a tape such as urethane rubber or silicone rubber is attached to the inside edge of the belt. You may affix on the part vicinity.

  The effects of the present invention will be described below with reference to examples and comparative examples.

<Raw material>
The raw materials were as follows, and the mixing ratio was as shown in Table 1.

(Thermoplastic resin)
・ PBT: “Novaduran 5040ZS” manufactured by Mitsubishi Engineering Plastics Co., Ltd.
Weight average molecular weight = 40,000
PS-converted weight average molecular weight = 122,000
MFR (240 ° C., 2.16 kgf load) = 3 g / 10 min
Crystal melting point = 224 ° C

(Thermoplastic elastomer)
-PEER: Polyester-polyester elastomer manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.
"Perprene S3001"
MFR (240 ° C., 2.16 kgf load) = 19 g / 10 min
Crystal melting point = 216 ° C

(Carbon black)
・ Carbon black 1: Acetylene black "Denka black granular product" manufactured by Electrochemical Co., Ltd.
pH = 9
DBP oil absorption = 180ml / 100g
Specific surface area = 65 m ² / g
Volatile content = 0%
Average primary particle size = 39 nm
・ Carbon black 2: Channel black "NIpex150" manufactured by Degussa
pH = 7
DBP oil absorption = 110ml / 100g
Specific surface area = 110 m ² / g
Volatile content = 5%
Average primary particle size = 25 nm

(Antioxidant)
Phosphoric antioxidant “PEPQ” manufactured by Clariant Japan

(silicone)
・ Silicone 1: Silicone oil “SH200” manufactured by Toray Dow Corning Co., Ltd.
Average molecular weight = 4400

<Combination>
A total of 100 parts by weight of the thermoplastic polymer component and carbon black were blended, and the antioxidant and silicone were externally added. The carbon black concentration was set for each type of carbon black with a target range of an approximate resistance value.

<Applying silicone to carbon black>
30 kg of carbon black was charged into a 300 L Henschel mixer (FM300E / I made by Mitsui Mining Co., Ltd.) heated to 150 ° C., and then isopropyl alcohol was charged to such an extent that carbon black was impregnated. On the other hand, the amount of silicone shown in Table 1 was added and mixed with stirring and heating for 20 minutes. Thereafter, the carbon black was dried at 200 ° C. for 10 hours with a shelf dryer, and silicone was attached to the carbon.

<Heat kneading>
Each raw material was pelletized using a twin-screw kneading extruder (PMG32 manufactured by IKG Co., Ltd.).
The extruder is of L / D = 32, 2 vent type, kneading is arranged on the raw material input side from each vent, the raw material input side vent is only opened, the molten resin discharge side is a vacuum pump The pressure was reduced to -760 mmHg (-100 kPa). The resin discharge rate is 14 kg / hour, the cylinder temperature is 250 ° C. from the cylinder closest to the hopper to the cylinder with the vent on the raw material input side, the other is 220 ° C., and the rotation speed is 140 rpm. The discharged molten resin was made into a strand shape and passed through a water tank, and then pelletized to produce pellets of a predetermined size.

<Endless belt molding method>
The material pellets obtained by heating and kneading are dried at 130 ° C. for 12 hours, extruded in a molten tube state below the annular die by a 40 mmφ extruder with a six-spiral annular die having a diameter of 190 mm and a die slip width of 1.0 mm. The molten tube was placed in the endless belt while contacting the outer surface (temperature 90 ° C) of a cooling mandrel with an outer diameter of 184 mm mounted on the same axis as the annular die via a support rod and cooling and solidifying it. The cylindrical core and the 4-point type belt take-up machine installed on the outside are used to hold the endless belt in a cylindrical shape, and it is cut into a length of 300 mm, with a thickness of 140 μm, surface While adjusting the extrusion amount, the take-off speed, and the extrusion temperature so that the resistance value becomes 1 × 10 ⁷ to 1 × 10 ¹² Ω, The temperature of the chair was 260 ° C., and a seamless belt having an inner diameter of 183 mm and a thickness of 0.14 mm was obtained.

<Evaluation method>
The evaluation was carried out by opening the seamless belt to the required size as required.

・ Surface electrical resistivity Measured by applying 20 points in the belt circumferential direction at a pitch of 20 mm for 10 seconds at 500 V and 10 seconds at 100 V using “HIRESTA UP (UR terminal)” manufactured by Dia Instruments. It was set as the average value.
The voltage dependence was obtained by calculating the 100V / 500V value of the surface electrical resistivity.

・ Folding resistance number In accordance with JIS P-8115, the test piece was cut to a size of 15 mm in width and 100 mm in length, and bent at a speed of 175 times / min with a MIT testing machine, a rotation angle of 135 ° left and right, a tensile load of 1 Under the condition of 0.0 kgf, the radius of curvature at the tip of the bending jig was set to R = 0.38 mm, and the number of times of bending to breakage was measured.

・ Surface tension As for surface tension, apply various wetting reagents such as those manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical on the belt surface using a cotton swab (approx. 6 cm ² for 0.5 seconds). The standard solution closest to wetting for 2 seconds was found, and the surface tension was taken as the surface tension of the sample.
(Wetting criteria)
When wet: The liquid film does not break and maintains the state when applied. When not wet: The liquid film shrinks around it.

-Formability: Evaluated according to the following criteria.
◎: No problem ○: Slightly surging △: Surging ×: Remarkable surging

-Presence / absence of foaming: Evaluated according to the following criteria.
○: No foaming (the belt surface cannot be seen after foaming)
Δ: Slightly foamed (after the foaming is seen on a part of the belt surface, but a few in the flow direction
Within the area, used as an endless belt for image forming devices
It does not deteriorate the image quality. )
X: Foaming (after the foaming is seen on the entire belt surface, endless bell for image forming apparatus
A thing that deteriorates the image quality when used as a camera. )

Presence / absence of evaluation: Evaluation was made according to the following criteria.
◯: No irregularity (no irregularities with a height of 10 μm or more on the belt surface)
Δ: There are small bumps (there is a small bump with a height of 10 μm to 20 μm on the belt surface)
An endless belt for image forming devices, but with a crust-like shape and no gloss
The one that does not deteriorate the image quality when used as. )
X: There are large bumps (the belt surface has large bumps with a height of 20 μm or more, image
Poor image quality when used as an endless belt for forming equipment
Things to make )

<Evaluation results>
The evaluation results are shown in Table 1.
In Table 1, values obtained by measuring the elastic modulus of the used thermoplastic polymer component according to JIS-K7127 (tensile elastic modulus of the film) are also shown.

<Discussion>
Table 1 shows the following.

(Examples 1 to 3, Comparative Examples 1 and 7)
Only PBT was used as the base polymer. In Examples 1-3, NIpex150 was used as the carbon black, and the amount of silicone applied was changed to 2, 5, or 10 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of carbon black. No heating, good moldability, and improved heat resistance and foaming, suppression of blistering, and improved fluidity of carbon powder compared to Comparative Examples 1 and 7 without silicone adhesion. The variation of the raw material feed could be suppressed.

(Example 4, Comparative Examples 2 and 5)
Only PBT was used as the base polymer. In Example 4, carbon black used was a Denka black granular product, and the amount of silicone added was 2 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of carbon black. The bending resistance is improved as compared with Comparative Examples 2 and 5 without silicone adhesion.

(Examples 5 and 6, Comparative Examples 6, 8, and 9)
In Examples 5 and 6 in which PBT and PEER were used as the base polymer in a ratio of 9: 1 (weight ratio), carbon black used was Denka Black granular product or NIpex 150, and the amount of silicone applied was 100 parts by weight of carbon black. On the other hand, it was 2 or 5 parts by weight. In all cases, the bending resistance was improved, and in NIpex150, the moldability, foaming, and blisters were also improved. On the other hand, when PBT and PEER are used as the base polymer in a ratio of 7: 3 (weight ratio), the elastic modulus is less than 2000 MPa and the elongation occurs. Further, in Comparative Examples 8 and 9 in which silicone is not used, the surface tension becomes 36 or more, which deteriorates the toner releasability.

(Comparative Examples 3 and 4)
Only PBT was used as the base polymer. As the carbon black, Denka Black granular product or NIpex 150 was used, and the amount of silicone added was 15 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of carbon black. Since the amount of silicone attached was too large, bleeding occurred and surging occurred, making it impossible to form a film.

  Based on the above results, silicone is added to carbon black in advance and blended, and a thermoplastic polymer component having an elastic modulus of 2000 MPa or more is used to provide a seamless belt for an image forming apparatus that is high in image quality and highly durable. I can see that

It is a side view of a general intermediate transfer device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Photosensitive drum 2 Charging device 3 Exposure optical system 4 Developer 5 Cleaner 6 Conductive endless belt 7, 8, 9 Conveyance roller

Claims (8)

A seamless belt used in an image forming apparatus, comprising a thermoplastic polymer component composed of a thermoplastic resin and / or a thermoplastic elastomer as a main component, the thermoplastic polymer component and carbon black being heated and mixed, and extruded. In an endless belt for an image forming apparatus,
The elastic modulus of the thermoplastic polymer component is 2000 MPa or more,
The thermoplastic polymer component has an ester bond;
Prior to heating and mixing of the thermoplastic polymer component and carbon black, silicone is attached to the carbon black,
The silicone content is 1 to 10 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of carbon black,
An endless belt for an image forming apparatus, wherein the average molecular weight of the silicone is 1,000 or more and less than 100,000. 2. The endless belt for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the thermoplastic polymer components is an aromatic polyester. Characterized in claim 1 or 2, wherein the carbon black, DBP oil absorption 50~300cm ³ / 100g, a specific surface area 35~500m ² / g, volatile content 0-20%, to meet an average primary particle size 20~50nm An endless belt for an image forming apparatus. The endless belt for an image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the folding resistance is 30,000 times or more. In any one of claims 1 to 4, an endless belt for an image forming apparatus, wherein the surface tension is less than 35 dyne / cm. In any one of claims 1 to 5, an image forming apparatus for an endless belt, wherein the thermoplastic polymer component comprises a polyalkylene terephthalate. In any one of claims 1 to 6, the thermoplastic polymer component, or whether made of a thermoplastic resin, a mixture of the thermoplastic resin and the thermoplastic elastomer content of the thermoplastic elastomer is less than 30 wt% An endless belt for an image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus comprising an endless belt for an image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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