PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTOSENSITIVE MEMBER

• US 20140377703A1
• Filed: 06/04/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ogaki, Harunobu, Okuda, Atsushi, Sekido, Kunihiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,280,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/131
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0525 Coating methods
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14 Inert intermediate or cover layers for charge-receiving layers G03G5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/142 Inert intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/144 comprising inorganic material

Abstract

Provided is a process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member, the process including the steps of: preparing a dispersion liquid by dispersing particles each containing an electron transporting substance in an aqueous dispersion medium; forming the coat of the dispersion liquid on the support; and forming an undercoat layer by heating the coat at a temperature equal to or more than the melting point of the electron transporting substance.

Claims

1. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a support, an undercoat layer formed on the support, a charge generating layer formed on the undercoat layer, and a hole transporting layer formed on the charge generating layer, the process comprising:

preparing a dispersion liquid for the undercoat layer by dispersing particles each containing an electron transporting substance in an aqueous dispersion medium;

forming a coat of the dispersion liquid on the support; and

forming the undercoat layer by heating the coat at a temperature equal to or more than a melting point of the electron transporting substance.

2. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein:

the dispersion liquid comprises one of dispersion liquids described in the following (i) and the following (ii);

(i) a dispersion liquid obtained by dispersing the particles each containing the electron transporting substance, and particles each containing at least one of a resin or a crosslinking agent in the aqueous dispersion medium, and

(ii) a dispersion liquid obtained by dispersing particles each containing the electron transporting substance and at least one of the resin or the crosslinking agent in the aqueous dispersion medium; and

at least one of the resin or the crosslinking agent is soluble in a molten product of the electron transporting substance at the temperature at which the coat is heated.

3. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 2, wherein the resin comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a polyamide resin, a butyral resin, and an acetal resin.

4. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 2, wherein the crosslinking agent comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of an isocyanate compound and a blocked isocyanate compound.

5. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein a content of water in the aqueous dispersion medium is 30 mass % or more with respect to a total mass of the aqueous dispersion medium.

6. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 5, wherein the aqueous dispersion medium further contains at least one selected from the group consisting of methanol and ethanol.

7. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 6, wherein a total content of the content of the water and a content of at least one selected from the group consisting of the methanol and the ethanol in the aqueous dispersion medium is 60 mass % or more with respect to the total mass of the aqueous dispersion medium.

8. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 7, wherein the total content of the content of the water and a content of at least one selected from the group consisting of the methanol and the ethanol in the aqueous dispersion medium is 100 mass % with respect to the total mass of the aqueous dispersion medium.

9. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the electron transporting substance comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of an imide compound and a quinone compound.

10. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the temperature at which the coat is heated is 200°

C. or less.

11. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a support, an undercoat layer formed on the support, a charge generating layer formed on the undercoat layer, and a hole transporting layer formed on the charge generating layer, the process comprising:

preparing a dispersion liquid for the undercoat layer by dispersing particles each containing an electron transporting substance in an aqueous dispersion medium;

forming a coat of the dispersion liquid on the support; and

forming the undercoat layer by heating the coat at a temperature equal to or more than a melting point of the electron transporting substance to melt the electron transporting substance.

12. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 11, wherein:

the dispersion liquid comprises one of dispersion liquids described in the following (i) and the following (ii);

(i) a dispersion liquid obtained by dispersing the particles each containing the electron transporting substance, and particles each containing at least one of a resin or a crosslinking agent in the aqueous dispersion medium, and

(ii) a dispersion liquid obtained by dispersing particles each containing the electron transporting substance and at least one of the resin or the crosslinking agent in the aqueous dispersion medium; and

the forming the undercoat layer is

forming the undercoat layer by heating the coat at the temperature equal to or more than the melting point of the electron transporting substance to melt the electron transporting substance, and dissolving at least one of the resin or the crosslinking agent in a molten product of the electron transporting substance.

13. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 12, wherein the resin comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a polyamide resin, a butyral resin, and an acetal resin.

14. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 12, wherein the crosslinking agent comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of an isocyanate compound and a blocked isocyanate compound.

15. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 11, wherein a content of water in the aqueous dispersion medium is 30 mass % or more with respect to a total mass of the aqueous dispersion medium.

16. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 15, wherein the aqueous dispersion medium further contains at least one selected from the group consisting of methanol and ethanol.

17. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 16, wherein a total content of the content of the water and a content of at least one selected from the group consisting of the methanol and the ethanol in the aqueous dispersion medium is 60 mass % or more with respect to the total mass of the aqueous dispersion medium.

18. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 17, wherein the total content of the content of the water and a content of at least one selected from the group consisting of the methanol and the ethanol in the aqueous dispersion medium is 100 mass % with respect to the total mass of the aqueous dispersion medium.

19. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 11, wherein the electron transporting substance comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of an imide compound and a quinone compound.

20. A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 11, wherein the temperature at which the coat is heated is 200°

C. or less.