High temperature silicone processing of fuser structure

A method for the production of a fuser structure useful in electrostatic marking systems, said method comprises a metallic substrate, priming said substrate by dipping, wiping, brushing, or spraying adhesive, coating said substrate with an elastomer material, curing said elastomeric material on said substrate, applying a fluoropolymer layer or coating onto said elastomer, said fluoropolymer applied by a spraying technique in a first heating and curing step, heating the resulting structure at a first temperature above the melting point of the fluoropolymer, and subsequently reheating the resulting structure to a second temperature of about 175° C. to 275° C.

A method for the production of a fuser structure including a roll for use in an electrostatic marking system, said method comprising providing a tubular aluminum substrate, priming said substrate with an adhesive where a silicone elastomer is coated over said adhesive, a fluoropolymer is spray coated over said silicone elastomer to form a resulting coated tubular structure, said structure is then baked in a first heating and curing step to a first temperature of about 300° C. to about 400° C., permitting said structure to cure and cool, subsequently re-heating said structure to a second temperature of about 175° C. to about 275° C., said re-heating continued until at least some compression properties of said silicone elastomer that were diminished by said first temperature are at least partially restored.