Method for optimizing fuser release agent composition

• US 20060110543A1
• Filed: 11/22/2004
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Gervasi, David J., Badesha, Santokh S., Wilkins, Douglas B., Gibson, George A.
• Application Number:
  US10/996,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20060110543A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/407.100
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 11/00 Selection of substances for use as fixing agents

Abstract

A method for optimizing an amino-functional release agent for use in fusing of electrostatic toner particles in an electrostatographic reproducing apparatus, includes identifying a major failure (such as offset life and stripping life) in a fusing system of the electrostatographic reproducing apparatus; selecting an amino-functional release agent including a mixture of an amino-functional fluid diluted with a non-functional polydimethylsiloxanes, wherein the amino-functional fluid includes a functional polytrialkylsiloxanes containing measured amounts of amine functionality from either propylamino or propylamino ethylamino residues; selecting a plurality of variables associated with the amino-functional fluid including number of amines per residue, finished fluid amine concentration, concentrate fluid amine concentration and concentrate viscosity; obtaining performance data of the fusing system for the plurality of variables associated with the identified major failure; correlating the obtained performance data with the plurality of variables; and based on the correlation results, selecting a variable having a desired performance result.

Claims

1. A method of optimizing a release agent for the fusing of electrostatic toner particles in an electrostatographic reproducing apparatus, comprising:

identifying at least one major failure in a fusing system of the electrostatographic reproducing apparatus;

selecting at least one release agent component and a plurality of variables associated with the at least one release agent component;

obtaining performance data of the fusing system for the plurality of release agent variables associated with the identified major failure;

correlating the obtained performance data with the plurality of release agent variables; and

based on the correlation results, selecting a release agent variable having a desired performance result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the major failure comprises stripping life.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the major failure comprises offset life.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising correlating performance data between pairs of release agent variables.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein correlating performance data between pairs of release agent variables comprises determining a correlation coefficient r for each release agent variable according to the relationship:

6. A method for optimizing an amino-functional release agent for use in fusing of electrostatic toner particles in an electrostatographic reproducing apparatus, comprising:

identifying a major failure in a fusing system of the electrostatographic reproducing apparatus, wherein the major failure is one of image offset life and image stripping life;

selecting an amino-functional release agent comprising a mixture of an amino-functional fluid diluted with a non-functional polydimethylsiloxanes, wherein the amino-functional fluid comprises a functional polytrialkylsiloxanes containing measured amounts of amine functionality from either propylamino or propylamino ethylamino residues;

selecting a plurality of variables associated with the amino-functional fluid comprising number of amines per residue, finished fluid amine concentration, concentrate fluid amine concentration and concentrate viscosity;

obtaining performance data of the fusing system for the plurality of variables associated with the identified major failure;

correlating the obtained performance data with the plurality of variables; and

based on the correlation results, selecting a variable having a desired performance result.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the major failure is image offset life and further comprising:

correlating performance data for number of amines per residue with each of finished fluid viscosity;

finished fluid amine concentration, concentrate viscosity and concentrate fluid amine concentration.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

correlating performance data for finished fluid viscosity with each of finished fluid amine concentration, concentrate viscosity and concentrate fluid amine concentration.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

correlating performance data for finished fluid amine concentration with each of concentrate viscosity and concentrate fluid amine concentration.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

correlating concentration viscosity with concentrate fluid amine concentration.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the major failure comprises stripping life and further comprising:

correlating performance data for number of amines per chain, finished fluid amine concentration (FFNC), concentrate viscosity and concentrate fluid amine concentration (CNC).

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

correlating performance data for finished fluid viscosity with each of finished fluid amine concentration, concentrate viscosity and concentrate fluid amine concentration.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

correlating performance data for finished fluid amine concentration with each of concentrate viscosity and concentrate fluid amine concentration.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

correlating concentration viscosity with concentrate fluid amine concentration.

15. The method of claim 6, further comprising correlating performance data between pairs of variables by determining a correlation coefficient r for each variable according to the relationship:

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising correlating correlation coefficients for variables associated with stripping life with correlation coefficients for variables associated with offset life.

17. A method of manufacturing a fuser member for the fusing of electrostatic toner particles in an electrostatographic reproducing apparatus, comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming a polymer layer over the substrate;

selecting a release agent for coating the polymeric layer, wherein the release agent comprises a mixture of (a) an organosiloxane polymer concentrate containing amino-substituted organosiloxane polymers, wherein there are amino functional groups on at least some of the polymer molecules of the concentrate; and

(b) a nonfunctional organosiloxane polymer diluent;

optimizing composition of an amino-functional release agent for use in fusing of electrostatic toner particles, comprising;

identifying a major failure in a fusing system of the electrostatographic reproducing apparatus, wherein the major failure is one of image offset life and image stripping life;

selecting an amino-functional release agent comprising a mixture of an amino-functional fluid diluted with a non-functional polydimethylsiloxanes, wherein the amino-functional fluid comprises a functional polytrialkylsiloxanes containing measured amounts of amine functionality from either propylamino or propylamino ethylamino residues;

selecting a plurality of variables associated with the amino-functional fluid comprising number of amines per residue, finished fluid amine concentration, concentrate fluid amine concentration and concentrate viscosity;

obtaining performance data of the fusing system for the plurality of variables associated with the identified major failure;

correlating the obtained performance data with the plurality of variables; and

based on the correlation results, selecting a variable having a desired performance result; and

coating the release agent on the polymeric layer.