Metallization process for making fuser members

Abstract

The presently disclosed embodiments are directed to an improved metallization process for making fuser members which avoids the extra steps of metal nanoparticle seeding or special substrate treatment. In embodiments, a metallized substrate, formed by dip-coating or spraying with a metal nanoparticle dispersion which is subsequently thermally annealed, is used for the complete fabrication of the fuser member.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for forming a fuser member, comprising:
 providing a substrate;   treating the substrate to form a metal heating layer for induction heating on the substrate, comprising the steps of:
 a. coating the substrate in one pass with a dispersion comprising silver nanoparticles to form a thin metal layer on the substrate, wherein the dispersion further comprises a stabilizer selected from the group consisting of a hydrocarbylamine having from about 8 to about 20 carbons and a hydrocarbylcarboxylic acid having from about 6 to about 20 carbons, 
 b. thermally annealing the thin metal layer to form an electrically conductive metallized layer with a thickness of from about 10 nanometers to about 3 micrometers on the substrate, and 
 c. electroplating the substrate to form a thick metal layer on the metallized layer; 
   depositing an outmost releasing layer comprising a fluoropolymer material to avoid toner stain over one or more layers on top of the metal heating layer;   thereby forming a fuser member, wherein the annealing at a temperature ranging from about 100 to about 250° C. for about 1 to about 30 minutes to form the electrically conductive metalized layer on the substrate, and wherein the electrically conductive metalized layer formed on the substrate has an electrical conductivity of at least about 5000 S/cm.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the thick metal layer comprises an electroplated metal selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, and a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  further including depositing, in sequence, a first adhesive layer over the thick metal layer, an elastic layer comprising a silicone polymer over the adhesive layer, a second adhesive layer over the elastic layer, and an outmost releasing layer comprising a fluoropolymer over the second adhesive layer, the fluoropolymer further comprising a monomeric repeat unit that is selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride, hexafluoropropylene, tetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkylvinylether, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the silver nanoparticles have average particle size ranging from about 1 to about 100 nanometers. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyimide, an aromatic polyimide, polyether imide, polyphthalamide, and polyester. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate is further surface modified with an aminosilane coupling agent. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the plating solution for electroplating comprises a platable metal selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, and cobalt. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the thick metal layer has a thickness of from about 5 micrometers to about 100 micrometers. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the thick metal layer comprises an electroplated copper layer with a thickness of from about 5 micrometers to about 50 micrometers, and an electroplated nickel layer with a thickness of from about 5 micrometers to about 50 micrometers. 
     
     
         10 . An induction heating fuser member made by the process of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A process for forming a fuser member, comprising:
 providing a substrate;   treating the substrate to form a metal heating layer for induction heating on the substrate, comprising the steps of:
 a. coating the substrate in one pass with a dispersion comprising silver nanoparticles to form a thin metal layer on the substrate, wherein the dispersion further comprises an stabilizer selected from the group consisting of a hydrocarbylamine having from about 8 to about 20 carbons and a hydrocarbylcarboxylic acid having from about 6 to about 20 carbons, 
 b. thermally annealing the thin metal layer to form an electrically conductive metallized layer with a thickness of from about 10 nanometers to about 3 micrometers on the substrate and to remove the stabilizer through thermal dissociation of the stabilizer from the metal nanoparticles, and 
 c. electroplating the substrate to form a thick metal layer on the metallized layer; 
   depositing an outmost releasing layer comprising a fluoropolymer material to avoid toner stain over one or more layers on top of the metal heating layer;   thereby forming a fuser member, wherein the annealing at a temperature ranging from about 100 to about 250° C. for about 1 to about 30 minutes to form the electrically conductive metalized layer on the substrate, and wherein the electrically conductive metalized layer formed on the substrate has an electrical conductivity of at least about 5000 S/cm.   
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the substrate comprises polyimide. 
     
     
         13 . A process for forming a fuser member, comprising:
 providing a substrate;   treating the substrate to form a metal heating layer for induction heating on the substrate, comprising the steps of:
 a. coating the substrate in one pass with a dispersion comprising silver nanoparticles to form a thin metal layer on the substrate, wherein the dispersion further comprises an organic stabilizer, 
 b. thermally annealing the thin metal layer to form an electrically conductive metallized layer with a thickness of from about 10 nanometers to about 3 micrometers on the substrate, and 
 c. electroplating the substrate to form a thick metal layer on the metallized layer; 
   depositing an outmost releasing layer comprising a fluoropolymer material to avoid toner stain over one or more layers on top of the metal heating layer;   thereby forming a fuser member, wherein the annealing at a temperature ranging from about 100 to about 250° C. for about 1 to about 30 minutes to form the electrically conductive metalized layer on the substrate, and wherein the electrically conductive metalized layer formed on the substrate has an electrical conductivity of at least about 5000 S/cm.   
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the silver nanoparticles is prepared by a method comprising the step of contacting silver acetate with phenylhydrazine in the presence of a stabilizer. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the organic stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of thiol and its derivatives, amine and its derivatives, carboxylic acid and its carboxylate derivatives, polyethylene glycols, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the organic stabilizer is an organothiol selected from the group consisting of butanethiol, pentanethiol, hexanethiol, heptanethiol, octanethiol, decanethiol, dodecanethiol; and mixtures thereof; an amine selected from the group consisting of ethylamine, propylamine, butylamine, penylamine, hexylamine, heptylamine, octylamine, nonylamine, decylamine, dodecylamine, and mixtures thereof; a dithiol selected from the group consisting of 1,2-ethanedithiol, 1,3-propanedithiol, 1,4-butanedithiol, and mixtures thereof; a diamine selected from the group consisting of ethylenediamine, 1,3-diaminopropane, 1,4-diaminobutane, and mixtures thereof; a mixture of a thiol and a dithiol; or a mixture of an amine and a diamine. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein more than one organic stabilizer is included in the dispersion comprising silver nanoparticles. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein a first and second organic stabilizer are included in the dispersion comprising silver nanoparticles in a weight ratio of from about 99 (first stabilizer):1 (second stabilizer) to about 1 (first stabilizer):99 (second stabilizer). 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the amount of stabilizer included in the dispersion comprising silver nanoparticles is from about 1 or more molar equivalents per mole of silver compound. 
     
     
         20 . An induction heating fuser member made by the process of  claim 13 .