Processes for forming polymeric seamless belts and imaging members

Abstract

A process which includes providing a preform including a polymeric material formed to permit the introduction of a fluid under pressure into the preform, heating the preform to a temperature at or above the glass transition temperature of the polymeric material and below the melting temperature of the polymeric material, placing the heated preform into a substantially cylinderical mold with a polished seamless inside surface, introducing a fluid under pressure into the heated preform while maintaining the preform axially centered in the mold, thereby causing the preform to expand without contacting the mold surface, subsequently causing the preform to expand until it contacts the mold surface, heating the expanded preform to an appropriate heat setting temperature above the stretching temperature and below the melting temperature of the polymeric material while maintaining fluid pressure, and subsequently cooling the set preform, resulting in formation of a biaxially oriented seamless belt. The thin walled, high surface quality biaxially oriented seamless belt thus formed is then either used as a substrate for an electrophotographic or ionographic imaging member or used as a paper handling belt in the document handler of an electrophotographic copier.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.