Electrically conductive and semi-conductive polymers

• US 6,063,499 A
• Filed: 07/24/1997
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fleet National Bank (Bank of America Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Mearthane Products Corporation
• Inventors: Chiang, Albert C., Chen, Wen-Pin, Roderick, John A., Martins, Marcelino A., Martins, George B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoke, Veronica P.
• Application Number:
  US08/899,678
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 252/500, 524/142, 524/144, 524/413, 524/435, 264/331.19, 355/245, 430/110, 430/31, 428/425.8
• US Class Current: 428/425.8
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/10 Metal compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/16 Halogen-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/098 Metal salts of carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/122 Ionic conductors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31605 Next to free metal

Abstract

An electrically conductive or semi-conductive polymeric material including a metal salt dissolved in a polymer. The metal salt is completed with the polymer, which is what provides the material with its conductive properties. The materials have a resistivity of between 10⁵ and 10¹² ohms-cm.

Claims

1. A toner pick-up roller for a laser printer, comprising a metal core, a cylinder comprising a polyurethane including unsaturation, the polyurethane including a solid solution of a transition metal halide salt, the polyurethane comprising less than 5% of the transition metal halide salt by weight, wherein the transition metal halide salt is complexed with said polyurethane to provide the polyurethane with a uniform conductivity and a uniform resistivity of between about 10¹² ohms-cm and 10⁵ ohm cm, and a conductive adhesive between the metal core and the cylinder.

2. The roller of claim 1, wherein the cylinder does not include an additional conductive coating.

3. The roller of claim 1, wherein the transition metal halide salt is selected from the group consisting of CuCl₂, CuBr₂, FeCl₃, and FeBr₃.

4. The roller of claim 1, wherein the roller further includes a metal core surrounded by said cylinder.

5. The roller of claim 1, wherein the polyurethane comprises less than 1% of the transition metal halide salt by weight.