Metal filled, multi-layered elastomer fuser member

A fuser member for fusing electroscopic toner images at elevated temperatures in a fuser assembly of the type wherein a mercapto-functional polyorganosiloxane release agent is used as an abhesive layer on the working surface of the fuser member, comprising a base member, at least one base layer of a fluoroelastomer selected from the group consisting of poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) and poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene-tetrafluoroethylene) upon the base member, said base layer fluoroelastomer having 0 to about 15.0 parts metal-containing filler per 100 parts of base layer fluoroelastomer, and an outer layer of a fluoroelastomer coated upon the base layer fluoroelastomer, said outer layer fluoroelastomer having about 0.25 to about 95.0 parts metal-containing filler per 100 parts outer layer elastomer dispersed therein to interact with mercapto-functional polyorganosiloxane release agent used upon the working surface.

In a heated pressure fusing system for fusing toner images in an electrostatic reproducing apparatus in which a fuser roll and a backup roll define a contact arc to fuse toner images onto a substrate and a release agent is applied to the working surface of the fuser roll to prevent toner offset upon the fuser roll, the improvement comprising a fuser roll having a cylindrical base member, at least one base layer of elastomer adhered to the base member, said base layer elastomer optionally having a metal-containing filler dispersed therein, and an outer layer of an elastomer coated upon the base layer elastomer, said outer layer elastomer having a metal-containing filler dispersed therein;

• the release agent applied upon the working surface of outer layer elastomer being a polymeric release agent having functional groups which interact with the metal in the metal-containing filler.