PROCESS TO PREPARE CARBON NANOTUBE-REINFORCED FLUOROPOLYMER COATINGS

• US 20080152896A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Mihai, Nicoleta Doinita, Song, Guiqin, Hu, Nan-Xing, Moorlag, Carolyn Patricia, Hawkins, Michael Steven
• Application Number:
  US11/615,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20080152896A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/323
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2057 relating to the chemical composition of the heat element and layers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/2048 Surface layer material
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/2054 Inorganic filler, e.g. silica powder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles

Abstract

A method to form a stable suspension includes dispersive mixing a semi-soft or molten fluoropolymer and a plurality of carbon fibrils by mechanical shear force to form a polymer composite and dispersing the composite into an effective solvent to form a stable suspension.

Claims

1. A method for forming a stable suspension, comprising:

dispersive mixing a semi-soft or molten fluoropolymer and a plurality of carbon fibrils by mechanical shear force to form a polymer composite; and

dispersing the composite into an effective solvent to form a stable suspension.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispersive mixing comprises extrusion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the extrusion comprises operating an extruder at a rotor speed from about 10 revolutions per minute to about 200 rpm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluoropolymer comprises vinylidene fluoride with another monomer selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride, hexafluoropropylene, tetrafluoroethyelene, and mixtures thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon fibrils comprise carbon nanotubes having a diameter less than about 100 nanometers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer composite contains carbon fibrils in an amount of from about 0.3 to about 30% by weight of the composite.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer composite contains carbon fibrils in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 10% by weight of the composite.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the effective solvent is selected from the group consisting of acetone, methyl isobutyl ketone, methyl ethyl ketone, and mixtures thereof.

9. A method, comprising:

dispersive mixing of nanoparticles and at least one polymer comprising a monomeric repeat unit of vinylidene fluoride by extrusion to form a composite, wherein the nanoparticles are substantially non-agglomerated and substantially uniformly dispersed in the composite;

dispersing the composite into an effective solvent to form a suspension;

coating the suspension onto a substrate;

evaporating the solvent; and

curing the coating on the substrate.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the nanoparticles comprise carbon nanotubes having a diameter less than about 100 nanometers.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the polymer composite contains the nanoparticles in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 10% by weight of the composite.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the polymer is a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride with another monomer selected from the group consisting of hexafluoropropylene, tetrafluoroethyelene, and a mixture thereof.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the extrusion comprises single screw or twin screw extrusion.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the extrusion comprises operating an extruder at an extrusion temperature from about 150°

C. to about 200°

C.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising adding a cross-linking agent to the suspension prior to coating.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cross-linking agent comprises a bisphenol compound.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the substrate comprises a fusing member.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the coating comprises flow coating.

19. A fusing member, comprising.

a substrate;

and

at least one fluoropolymer composite coating, wherein the composite coating comprises a plurality of substantially non-agglomerated carbon nanotubes in a fluoropolymer, and wherein the composite coating h a volume resistivity less than 1×

10⁸ ohm-cm.

20. The fusing member of claim 19, wherein a carbon nanotube concentration in the composite coating is about 0.5% to about 10% by weight of the composite.

21. The fusing member of claim 19, wherein the fluoropolynier contains more than 60% by weight of fluorine content.

22. The fusing member of claim 19, wherein the fluoropolymer is a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride with another monomer selected from the group consisting of hexafluoropropylene, tetrafluoroethyelene, and mixtures thereof.

23. The fusing member of claim 19, wherein the composite coating is crosslinked.