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AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsStephen Strella, Donald A. Seanor, George R. Imperial, Thomas R. Hoffend
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Polymeric release agents having functional groups such as carboxy, hydroxy, epoxy, amino, isocyanate, thioether or mercapto groups are applied to a heated fuser member in an electrostatic reproducing apparatus to form thereon a thermally stable, renewable, self-cleaning layer having excellent toner release properties for conventional electroscopic thermoplastic resin toners. The functional polymeric fluids interact with the fuser member in such a manner as to form a thin, thermally stable interfacial barrier at the surface of the fuser member while leaving an outer film or layer of unreacted release fluid. The interfacial barrier is strongly attached to the fuser member surface and prevents electroscopic thermoplastic resin toner material from contacting the outer surface of the fuser member. The material on the surface of the fuser member is of minimal thickness and thereby represents a minimal thermal barrier.
A fuser member for an electrostatic reproducing apparatus comprising a heated, metal substrate;
A release agent composition for application to a fuser member having a metal surface for fusing thermoplastic resin toners of the type having no functional groups thereon, in an electrostatic reproducing apparatus comprising a polymeric fluid capable of displacing the electroscopic thermoplastic resin toner, said fluid containing built-in functional groups selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, epoxy, amino, isocyanate, mercapto and combinations thereof and capable of interacting with the metal surface of the fuser member in said apparatus to provide an interfacial barrier layer to said toner and a low surface energy film to release said toner heated by the fuser member, the polymeric fluid containing built-in functional groups remaining fluid on the surface at temperatures between about 250.degree. F. and 400.degree. F.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.