JP2006145635A - Cleaning blade for image forming apparatus, and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress variations in cleaning performance due to temperature and to suppress the occurrence of chatter in a low-temperature environment of about 0 to 20°C, in particular. <P>SOLUTION: The cleaning blade for the image forming apparatus comprises a thermoplastic resin composition wherein loss tangent tanδ (0) at 0°C, loss tangent tanδ (24) at 24°C, and loss tangent tanδ (32) at 32°C satisfy all the relations: 0.5≤tanδ(24)/tanδ(0)≤1.0, 0.7≤tanδ(32)/tanδ(24)≤1.0, 0.4≤tanδ(32)/tanδ(0)≤1.0, in the temperature dispersion curves of the loss tangent tanδ by viscoelasticity measurement. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus cleaning blade and a method of manufacturing the same.

  In an electrostatic photographic copying machine using plain paper as recording paper, generally, an electrostatic charge is applied to the surface of the photoreceptor by electric discharge, and an image is exposed thereon to form an electrostatic latent image. Copy the toner by attaching the toner to the electrostatic latent image, developing it, transferring the toner image onto the recording paper, and finally heating and pressing the recording paper onto which the toner image has been transferred, and fixing the toner onto the recording paper. It is carried out. Therefore, in order to sequentially copy on a plurality of recording papers, it is necessary to remove the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive member after transferring the toner image from the photosensitive member to the recording paper in the above-described process. As one of the removal methods, there is known a blade cleaning method in which a cleaning blade is pressed against the surface of the photosensitive member and the photosensitive member is slid in contact with the cleaning member.

In the cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus used in this blade cleaning method, the edge portion of the cleaning blade that is in contact with the surface of the photosensitive member at the time of use always rubs against the rotating surface of the photosensitive member, and thus has high wear resistance. It becomes necessary. Therefore, as a conventional cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus, a blade made of polyurethane having excellent wear resistance is often used.
However, since polyurethane is highly dependent on the environment (particularly temperature), there is a problem that the cleaning performance varies depending on the temperature.
Furthermore, in the blade cleaning method, there is a problem that the cleaning blade vibrates on the surface of the rotating photosensitive member due to the frictional resistance between the cleaning blade and the photosensitive member, so-called “chatter” occurs. Polyurethane has poor low-temperature properties, so “chatter” tends to occur when used in a low-temperature environment. The occurrence of “chatter” deteriorates the cleaning performance of the cleaning blade, that is, the toner removal performance on the surface of the photoreceptor.

For example, the following technology has been developed as an improvement example of “chatter” in a room temperature environment.
(1) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-280255 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-280260 (Patent Document 2) include a number of mother particles and a number of external additives attached to these mother particles, respectively. By setting the external additive liberation rate of the free external additive released from the mother particles in the toner composed of particles to 1% or more, the free external additive acts as a lubricant, and the cleaning blade and the image carrier It is described that the frictional resistance is reduced and the occurrence of chattering of the cleaning blade can be effectively suppressed.
(2) JP-A-8-202173 (Patent Document 3) describes that the chattering of the cleaning blade can be improved by applying a lubricant imparting agent to an image carrier such as a photoconductor.

Further, as an example of improving “chatter” in a low temperature environment of about 15 to 18 ° C., for example, the following technique has been developed.
(3) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-333522 (Patent Document 4) describes that the defective cleaning due to chatter of the cleaning blade can be improved by limiting the tip pressure density index of the elastic cleaning member to a certain range. .

  However, none of the improvements are due to improvements of the cleaning blade itself. In addition, there is no example of improving the chatter by improving the cleaning blade itself. Furthermore, the above-described known technology still cannot completely suppress the occurrence of “chatter” in a low-temperature environment, and neither describes nor suggests improvement in variation in cleaning performance due to temperature.

JP 2003-280255 A JP 2003-280260 A JP-A-8-202173 JP 10-333522 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and reduces the temperature dependence of tan δ and suppresses variations in cleaning performance due to temperature. In particular, in a low temperature environment of about 0 ° C. to 15 ° C. An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus that can improve the cleaning performance by suppressing the occurrence of chatter.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a loss tangent tan δ (0) at 0 ° C., a loss tangent tan δ (24) at 24 ° C., and a temperature dispersion curve at 32 ° C. The loss tangent tan δ (32) of the image forming apparatus is formed from a thermoplastic resin composition that satisfies all of the following relationships.
0.5 ≦ tan δ (24) / tan δ (0) ≦ 1.0
0.7 ≦ tan δ (32) / tan δ (24) ≦ 1.0
0.4 ≦ tan δ (32) / tan δ (0) ≦ 1.0

The inventors of the present invention first examined the cause of the above-mentioned problems with a conventionally used cleaning blade made of polyurethane. As a result, since polyurethane has a large temperature dependence of loss tangent tan δ in the viscoelastic spectrum, it has been found that the cleaning performance varies depending on the temperature, and chatter frequently occurs when used in a low temperature environment.
That is, as can be seen from the viscoelastic spectrum of the polyurethane illustrated in FIG. 3, when the peak of the tan δ value is in the range of about −15 to 30 ° C., the low temperature (0 ° C.), the room temperature (24 ° C.), the high temperature The tan δ values at (32 ° C.) are greatly different. At this time, since the tan δ value is inversely proportional to the rebound resilience, the rebound resilience at a low temperature (0 ° C.), a room temperature (24 ° C.), and a high temperature (32 ° C.) is also greatly different. Here, in the above-described blade cleaning method, the rebound resilience of the cleaning blade is greatly related to the performance of the cleaning blade. Therefore, if the loss tangent tan δ value in the viscoelastic spectrum varies greatly depending on the temperature, the resilience modulus also varies greatly depending on the temperature, and the cleaning performance of the cleaning blade varies depending on the temperature.
Moreover, when the tan δ value in the low temperature (0 ° C.) environment is extremely larger than the tan δ value in the room temperature (24 ° C.) environment as in the viscoelastic spectrum of Comparative Example 1 shown in FIG. The rebound resilience in a low temperature (0 ° C) environment is smaller than the rebound resilience in a room temperature (24 ° C) environment, resulting in a stick-slip phenomenon (when an object is slid, Phenomenon), and more chattering.

  As a result of further examination of the above findings, the present inventors have found that the loss tangent tan δ (0) at 0 ° C., the loss tangent tan δ (24) at 24 ° C., and the loss tangent tan δ (32) at 32 ° C. Has found that the use of a thermoplastic resin composition satisfying the above specific relationship can suppress variations in cleaning performance due to temperature and suppress the occurrence of chatter in a low-temperature environment, leading to the present invention.

In the present invention, the viscoelasticity measurement of the thermoplastic resin composition constituting the cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus was performed using a viscoelasticity analyzer (manufactured by Ueshima Seisakusho) under the following measurement conditions.
10Hz frequency
Tension mode: Continuous vibration Chuck interval 20mm
Waveform: Sine wave, continuous excitation Displacement amplitude: 0.25%

The thermoplastic resin resuscitation used in the present invention has a loss tangent value tan δ (0) at 0 ° C. and a loss tangent value tan δ (24) at 24 ° C. obtained by the viscoelasticity measurement under the above conditions of 0. 5 ≦ tan δ (24) / tan δ (0) ≦ 1.0 (Expression 1) is satisfied.
When the value of tan δ (24) / tan δ (0) is smaller than 0.5, the temperature dispersion curve of the loss tangent tan δ becomes an extremely upward graph. That is, the tan δ value in a low temperature (0 ° C.) environment is extremely larger than the tan δ value in a room temperature (24 ° C.) environment. Since the tan δ value is inversely proportional to the rebound resilience, the rebound resilience in a low temperature (0 ° C.) environment is smaller than the rebound resilience in a room temperature (24 ° C.) environment, chattering occurs frequently, and the cleaning performance of the cleaning blade is reduced. Deteriorate.
On the other hand, when the value is greater than 1, the temperature dispersion curve of the loss tangent tan δ becomes a graph rising upward. As a result, the tan δ peak value in the temperature dispersion curve of the loss tangent tan δ falls within or approaches the range of the use environment of about 0 to 32 ° C., and the cleaning performance of the cleaning blade may vary depending on the temperature.
The relationship is preferably 0.6 ≦ tan δ (24) / tan δ (0) ≦ 1.0.

The loss tangent value tan δ (24) at 24 ° C. and the loss tangent value tan δ (32) at 32 ° C. obtained by viscoelasticity measurement under the above conditions are 0.7 ≦ tan δ (32) / tan δ ( 24) The relation of ≦ 1.0 is satisfied.
When the value of tan δ (32) / tan δ (24) is smaller than 0.7, the temperature dispersion curve of the loss tangent tan δ becomes an extreme leftward graph. That is, the tan δ value in a high temperature (32 ° C.) environment is extremely smaller than the tan δ value in a room temperature (24 ° C.) environment. Since the tan δ value is inversely proportional to the rebound resilience, the rebound resilience in a high temperature (32 ° C.) environment is larger than the rebound resilience in a room temperature (24 ° C.) environment, and there is a risk that the cleaning performance of the cleaning blade may vary. is there.
On the other hand, when the value is greater than 1, the temperature dispersion curve of the loss tangent tan δ becomes a graph rising upward. As a result, the tan δ peak value in the temperature dispersion curve of the loss tangent tan δ falls within or approaches the range of the use environment of about 0 to 32 ° C., and the cleaning performance of the cleaning blade may vary depending on the temperature.
Preferably, 0.8 ≦ tan δ (32) / tan δ (24) ≦ 1.0.

Further, the loss tangent value tan δ (0) at 0 ° C. obtained by the viscoelasticity measurement under the above conditions and the loss tangent value tan δ (32) at 32 ° C. are 0.4 ≦ tan δ (32) / tan δ ( 0) ≦ 1.0.
When the value of tan δ (32) / tan δ (0) is smaller than 0.4, the temperature dispersion curve of the loss tangent tan δ becomes an extremely increasing graph. That is, the tan δ value in a low temperature (0 ° C.) environment is extremely larger than the tan δ value in a high temperature (32 ° C.) environment. Since the tan δ value is inversely proportional to the rebound resilience, the rebound resilience in a low temperature (0 ° C.) environment becomes extremely smaller than the rebound resilience at a high temperature (32 ° C.), resulting in variations in the cleaning performance of the cleaning blade. In the low temperature (0 ° C.) environment, chatter frequently occurs and the cleaning performance of the cleaning blade deteriorates.
On the other hand, when the value is greater than 1, the temperature dispersion curve of the loss tangent tan δ becomes a graph rising upward. As a result, the tan δ peak value in the temperature dispersion curve of the loss tangent tan δ falls within or approaches the range of the use environment of about 0 to 32 ° C., and the cleaning performance of the cleaning blade may vary depending on the temperature.
Preferably, 0.5 ≦ tan δ (32) / tan δ (0) ≦ 1.0.

The thermoplastic resin composition used in the present invention preferably exhibits a tan δ peak value of −34 ° C. or lower in a temperature dispersion curve of loss tangent tan δ measured by viscoelasticity under the measurement conditions described above. Among these, it is more preferable that the tan δ peak value is −40 ° C. or lower.
When the tan δ peak value exceeds −34 ° C. and enters or approaches the range of the use environment of about 0 to 32 ° C., low temperature (0 ° C.), room temperature (24 ° C.), high temperature (32 ° C.) Since the tan δ values differ greatly, the cleaning performance of the cleaning blade may vary depending on the temperature.

  In the thermoplastic resin composition used in the present invention, the loss tangent value tan δ (0) at 0 ° C., the loss tangent value tan δ (24) at 24 ° C. obtained by viscoelasticity measurement under the above conditions, at 32 ° C. It is more preferable that all of the loss tangent values tan δ (32) are 0.09 or more and 0.30 or less.

  The thermoplastic resin composition used in the present invention may have any structure as long as the above conditions are satisfied, but is preferably a thermoplastic resin composition having a hard segment and a soft segment. In such a thermoplastic resin composition, a hard segment resin element is expressed in a high temperature environment (32 ° C.), and a soft segment rubber elastic element is expressed in a low temperature environment (0 ° C.). It is because it can satisfy | fill easily.

  Among them, the thermoplastic resin composition used in the present invention includes a component A composed of an ester-based thermoplastic resin and / or a urethane-based thermoplastic resin, a component B composed of an ionomer resin, and a component composed of a styrene-based thermoplastic resin. Among components D consisting of C and an epoxidized thermoplastic resin, it is preferable to use a thermoplastic resin composition containing any one to four components. In particular, it is more preferable to use a thermoplastic resin composition containing a urethane-based thermoplastic resin. It is also more preferable to use a thermoplastic resin composition containing the component C and the component D as essential components, the component A and / or the component B, and at least three components.

The cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus of the present invention can be obtained by molding the above-described thermoplastic resin composition by extrusion molding or injection molding. In the present invention, since a thermoplastic resin composition having flowability by remelting is used, unlike thermosetting elastomers such as urethane rubber that have been used as conventional cleaning blades, injection molding and extrusion molding are possible. . As a result, there are advantages such as easier industrial mass production.
However, the present invention is not limited to extrusion molding or injection molding, and various molding methods can be employed.

  The thus obtained cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus of the present invention preferably has a hardness of JIS-A 65-85. Moreover, it is preferable that a resilience elastic modulus (%) is 55-64.

In the thermoplastic resin composition constituting the cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus of the present invention, the change in loss tangent tan δ of the viscoelastic spectrum is small in the use environment of about 0 to 32 ° C. This leads to a small change in the rebound resilience in the use environment, and as a result, a stable cleaning performance with little variation due to temperature during use can be obtained.
Furthermore, the cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus of the present invention can suppress the occurrence of “chatter” when used in a low temperature environment, which has been a problem with conventional polyurethane blades, and improves the cleaning performance in a low temperature environment. To do.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
The cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is molded from a thermoplastic resin composition containing a urethane-based thermoplastic resin.
In the thermoplastic resin composition containing the urethane-based thermoplastic resin, the loss tangent value at 0 ° C. obtained by viscoelasticity measurement under the above-described conditions is tan δ (0), and the loss tangent value at 24 ° C. tan δ (24), where the loss tangent value at 32 ° C. is tan δ (32), tan δ (24) / tan δ (0) is about 0.5 and tan δ (32) / tan δ (24) is about 0.8. Tan δ (32) / tan δ (0) is about 0.4.
Further, the tan δ peak value in the temperature dispersion curve of the loss tangent tan δ measured by viscoelasticity under the above conditions is −34 ° C. Further, tan δ (0), tan δ (24) and tan δ (32) are all 0.12 or more and 0.30 or less.

  The urethane-based thermoplastic resin generally contains a polyurethane structure as a hard segment, and contains a polyester compound or a polyol compound having a polyether structure as a soft segment. The polyurethane structure generally comprises diisocyanate and polyhydric alcohols or amines as chain extenders. In the present invention, the polyol compound and chain extender are not particularly limited, and those generally used for urethane-based thermoplastic resins can be appropriately used.

  Here, the polyol compound is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include polyester polyols, polyether polyols, copolyester polyols, and polycarbonate polyols. More specifically, polycaprolactone glycol, poly (ethylene-1,4-adipate) glycol, poly (butylene-1,4-adipate) glycol and the like as the polyester-based polyol; polyoxytetramethylene glycol and the like as the polyether-based polyol; Examples of the copolyester polyol include poly (diethylene glycol adipate) glycol; and examples of the polycarbonate polyol include (hexanediol-1,6-carbonate) glycol. These number average molecular weights are preferably about 600 to 5,000, particularly 1,000 to 3,000.

Examples of the diisocyanate include aromatic diisocyanates such as tolylene diisocyanate (TDI), diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), tolidine diisocyanate (TODI), and naphthalene diisocyanate (NDI); for example, hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), 2, 2, 4 ( 2,4,4) -aliphatic diisocyanates such as trimethylhexamethylene diisocyanate (TMDI) or lysine diisocyanate (LDI); for example, 4,4'-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate (H12MDI), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), 1,3-bis (Isocyanate methyl) cyclohexane (H6XDI) or trans-1,4-cyclohexane diisocyanate (CHDI)
Alicyclic diisocyanates such as HDI, H12MDI, H6XDI or CHDI are particularly preferred from the viewpoint of discoloration resistance (yellowing resistance).

  As the chain extender, usually polyhydric alcohols or amines can be used. For example, 1,4-butylene glycol, 1,2-ethylene glycol, 1,3-propylene glycol, 1,6-hexyl glycol, Examples include 1,3-butylene glycol, dicyclohexylmethylmethanediamine (hydrogenated MDA), and isophoronediamine (IPDA).

  Specific examples of the urethane-based thermoplastic resin include “Elastollan” series commercially available from BASF Japan Ltd., more specifically, Elastollan ET880, Elastollan ET385, Elastollan ET685, and the like. Further, “Clamiron” commercially available from Kuraray Co., Ltd., “Pandex” commercially available from DIC Bayern Polymer Co., Ltd., and the like are also included.

The cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus of the present embodiment is an antioxidant, an ultraviolet absorber, a lubricant, a pigment, an antistatic agent, a flame retardant, a neutralizing agent, foaming unless the urethane type thermoplastic resin is contrary to the object of the present invention. An additive such as an agent, a plasticizer, a nucleating agent, an anti-bubble agent, or a crosslinking agent is appropriately blended, and the obtained resin composition is obtained by molding into a cleaning blade shape by injection molding or extrusion molding.
The cleaning blade is preferably formed and processed into a strip shape having a thickness of 1 to 3 mm, a width of 10 to 40 mm, and a length of 200 to 500 mm.

  The cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a component A composed of an ester-based thermoplastic resin and / or a urethane-based thermoplastic resin, a component B composed of an ionomer resin, and a styrene-based thermoplastic resin. Of the component C and the component D made of the epoxidized thermoplastic resin, the component C and the component D are indispensable components, include the component A and / or the component B, and are molded from a thermoplastic resin composition containing at least three components. ing.

In the thermoplastic resin composition used in the second embodiment, the loss tangent tan δ (0) at 0 ° C. obtained by viscoelasticity measurement under the above conditions, the loss tangent tan δ (24) at 24 ° C., and 32 ° C. And the loss tangent tan δ (32) at the following relationship.
0.84 ≦ tan δ (24) / tan δ (0) ≦ 0.96
0.87 ≦ tan δ (32) / tan δ (24) ≦ 0.93
0.73 ≦ tan δ (32) / tan δ (0) ≦ 0.88
Further, the tan δ peak value in the temperature dispersion curve of the loss tangent tan δ measured by viscoelasticity under the above conditions is −55 ° C. or higher and −40 ° C. or lower. Further, tan δ (0), tan δ (24) and tan δ (32) are all 0.09 or more and 0.17 or less.

The thermoplastic resin composition used in the second embodiment will be described in detail.
The thermoplastic resin composition comprises an ester thermoplastic resin and / or a urethane thermoplastic resin (component A), an ionomer resin (component B), a styrene thermoplastic resin (component C), and an epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component). D) comprising four components;
One of ester-based thermoplastic resin and / or urethane-based thermoplastic resin (component A) or ionomer resin (component B), styrene-based thermoplastic resin (component C), and epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D) The three components are roughly divided into:

More specifically, the following embodiments are exemplified.
(1) A thermoplastic resin composition comprising an ester-based thermoplastic resin (component A), an ionomer resin (component B), a styrene-based thermoplastic resin (component C), and an epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D).
(2) A thermoplastic resin composition comprising a urethane-based thermoplastic resin (component A), an ionomer resin (component B), a styrene-based thermoplastic resin (component C), and an epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D).
(3) Thermoplastic resin including ester-based thermoplastic resin and urethane-based thermoplastic resin (component A), ionomer resin (component B), styrene-based thermoplastic resin (component C), and epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D) Composition.
(4) A thermoplastic resin composition comprising an ester-based thermoplastic resin (component A), a styrene-based thermoplastic resin (component C), and an epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D).
(5) A thermoplastic resin composition comprising a urethane-based thermoplastic resin (component A), a styrene-based thermoplastic resin (component C), and an epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D).
(6) A thermoplastic resin composition comprising an ester-based thermoplastic resin and a urethane-based thermoplastic resin (component A), a styrene-based thermoplastic resin (component C), and an epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D).
(7) A thermoplastic resin composition comprising an ionomer resin (component B), a styrenic thermoplastic resin (component C), and an epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D).
Especially, the thermoplastic resin composition of the aspect shown to (1), (2), (4), (5), (7) is especially preferable.

When four components of component A, B, C, and D are included, component A, component B, and component C are each 10-90 mass parts, component D is with respect to a total of 100 mass parts of component A, component B, and component C. It is preferable to mix | blend in the ratio of 3-20 mass parts.
The blending amount of the ester-based thermoplastic resin and / or urethane-based thermoplastic resin (component A) is 10 parts by mass or more and 90 parts by mass or less because if the blending amount of component A is less than 10 parts by mass, resilience and durability On the other hand, if the amount exceeds 90 parts by mass, the hardness of the cleaning blade becomes higher than a desired value, which may damage the photoconductor. The blending amount of Component A is more preferably 10 parts by weight or more and 80 parts by weight or less, and further preferably 10 parts by weight or more and 70 parts by weight or less.

  The blending amount of the ionomer resin (component B) is 10 parts by mass or more and 90 parts by mass or less. When the amount is less than 10 parts by mass, the number of free carboxyl groups in the ionomer resin decreases, and the epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component Since the reaction with the epoxy group of D) is reduced, the content of the soft block copolymer or graft copolymer produced by the reaction is reduced, the copolymer cannot be dispersed properly, and durability is improved. It is because there is a risk of lowering. On the other hand, when the amount is more than 90 parts by mass, the number of free carboxyl groups in the ionomer resin increases and reacts excessively with the epoxy group of the epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D). This is because there is a risk of damaging the other member such as the body. The blending amount of Component B is more preferably 10 parts by mass or more and 80 parts by mass or less, and further preferably 10 parts by mass or more and 70 parts by mass or less.

  The blending amount of the styrene-based thermoplastic resin (component C) is 10 parts by mass or more and 90 parts by mass or less. When the amount is less than 10 parts by mass, for example, when a styrenic thermoplastic resin modified with a terminal hydroxyl group is used, epoxy is used. On the other hand, if the amount exceeds 90 parts by weight, the hardness will be lower than desired, and the contact with the photoreceptor will be in sliding contact or rotational contact. This is because the edge of the cleaning blade may be turned over when the cleaning is performed. The blending amount of Component C is more preferably 10 parts by mass or more and 80 parts by mass or less, and further preferably 10 parts by mass or more and 70 parts by mass or less.

  The amount of the epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D) is 3 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less based on 3 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass in total of the components A, B and C. If the amount is small, the number of epoxy groups in the epoxidized thermoplastic resin is reduced, and the reaction with free carboxyl groups in the ionomer resin (component B) is reduced. Therefore, the soft block copolymer or graft produced by the reaction is reduced. This is because the content of the copolymer is reduced, the copolymer cannot be appropriately dispersed, and as a result, the proper dispersion of the entire resin composition cannot be obtained, so that the durability may be lowered. On the other hand, when the blending amount of Component D is more than 20 parts by mass, the number of epoxy groups in the epoxidized thermoplastic resin increases and reacts excessively with free carboxyl groups in the ionomer resin (Component B). This is because it becomes higher than the desired value and may damage the photoconductor. The blending amount of Component D is more preferably 5 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less.

When three components A, C, and D are included, 30 to 70 parts by mass of component A and component C, respectively, and a ratio of 3 to 20 parts by mass of component D with respect to 100 parts by mass in total of component A and component C It is preferable to mix with.
The blending amount of the ester-based thermoplastic resin and / or urethane-based thermoplastic resin (component A) is 30 parts by mass or more and 70 parts by mass or less. If the amount is less than 30 parts by mass, the resilience and durability may be lowered. On the other hand, if the amount is more than 70 parts by mass, the hardness becomes higher than a desired value, which may damage the photoreceptor. As for the compounding quantity of the component A, 30 to 60 mass parts is more preferable.
The blending amount of the styrenic thermoplastic resin (component C) is 30 parts by mass or more and 70 parts by mass or less. When the amount is less than 30 parts by mass, moderate dispersion cannot be obtained and durability is inferior, whereas from 70 parts by mass. If the amount is too large, the hardness will be lower than desired, and the edge portion of the cleaning blade may be turned over when the photosensitive member is brought into sliding contact or rotational contact, which may cause a reversal phenomenon. The blending amount of Component C is more preferably 30 parts by mass or more and 60 parts by mass or less.
The blending amount of the epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D) is 3 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass in total of the blending amounts of component A and component C. However, if the amount exceeds 20 parts by mass, the hardness becomes higher than desired and the photoreceptor may be damaged. As for the compounding quantity of the component D, 5 to 20 mass parts is more preferable.

When three components B, C, and D are included, 30 to 70 parts by mass of component B and component C, respectively, and 3 to 20 parts by mass of component D with respect to 100 parts by mass in total of component B and component C It is preferable to do.
The blending amount of the ionomer resin (component B) is 30 parts by mass or more and 70 parts by mass or less. When the amount is less than 30 parts by mass, the number of free carboxyl groups in the ionomer resin decreases, and the epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component) Since the reaction with the epoxy group of D) is reduced, as described above, an appropriate dispersion cannot be obtained and the durability may be lowered. On the other hand, when the amount is more than 70 parts by mass, the number of free carboxyl groups in the ionomer resin increases and reacts excessively with the epoxy group of the epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D). This is because there is a risk of damaging the other member such as the body. As for the compounding quantity of the component B, 30 to 60 mass parts is more preferable.
The blending amount of the styrenic thermoplastic resin (component C) is 30 parts by mass or more and 70 parts by mass or less. When the amount is less than 30 parts by mass, moderate dispersion cannot be obtained and durability is inferior, whereas from 70 parts by mass. If the amount is too large, the hardness will be lower than desired, and the edge portion of the cleaning blade may be turned over when the photosensitive member is brought into sliding contact or rotational contact, which may cause a reversal phenomenon. The blending amount of Component C is more preferably 30 parts by mass or more and 60 parts by mass or less.
The blending amount of the epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D) is 3 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass in total of the blending amounts of component A and component C. Since the number of epoxy groups in the thermoplastic resin is reduced and the reaction with the free carboxyl groups in the ionomer resin (component B) is reduced, the appropriate dispersion of the entire resin composition cannot be obtained as described above. Therefore, the durability may be reduced. On the other hand, when the blending amount of Component D is more than 20 parts by mass, the number of epoxy groups in the epoxidized thermoplastic resin increases and reacts excessively with free carboxyl groups in the ionomer resin (Component B). This is because it may be higher than a desired value and may damage the photoconductor. As for the compounding quantity of the component D, 5 to 20 mass parts is more preferable.

  The thermoplastic resin composition used in the present embodiment includes, in addition to the components A to D, an antioxidant, an ultraviolet absorber, a lubricant, a pigment, an antistatic agent, a flame retardant, a medium, unless the object of the invention is contrary to the purpose. You may mix | blend additives, such as a summing agent, a foaming agent, a plasticizer, a nucleating agent, an anti-bubble agent, or a crosslinking agent, suitably.

The image forming apparatus cleaning blade of the present embodiment can be manufactured as follows.
When the raw material thermoplastic resin composition contains the four components A, B, C, and D, an ester thermoplastic resin or / and a urethane thermoplastic resin (component A) and a styrene thermoplastic resin (component C) is kneaded, while the ionomer resin (component B) and the epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D) are kneaded, and then the two kinds of mixtures obtained are kneaded, and the component A , B, C and D are provided, and the kneaded product is molded by extrusion molding or injection molding to produce a cleaning blade. Although the compatibility between the component A ester-based thermoplastic resin and / or the urethane-based thermoplastic resin and the component B ionomer resin is poor, it contains the four components A, B, C, and D through the above steps. A cleaning blade made of a thermoplastic resin composition can be obtained. The cleaning blade is preferably formed and processed into a strip shape having a thickness of 1 to 3 mm, a width of 10 to 40 mm, and a length of 200 to 500 mm.
In kneading the resin, for example, a kneader such as a single screw extruder, a 1.5 screw extruder, a twin screw extruder, a Banbury mixer, or a hot roll can be used. The kneading temperature of the component A and the component C is 180 to 200 ° C., and the kneading time is 0.5 to 3 minutes. The kneading temperature of the component B and the component D is 190 to 210 ° C., and the kneading time is 0.5 to 3 minutes. The kneading temperature when kneading the two kneaded materials kneaded is 200 to 210 ° C., and the kneading time is 0.5 to 3 minutes.

  When the raw material thermoplastic resin composition includes the three components A, C, and D, as in the case of the above four components, the ester-based thermoplastic resin and / or the urethane-based thermoplastic resin (component A) Kneading a styrene-based thermoplastic resin (component C), adding an epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D) to the obtained kneaded material, heating and kneading to provide a kneaded material containing the components A, C, D, The kneaded product is molded by extrusion molding or injection molding to produce a cleaning blade.

  When the raw material thermoplastic resin composition contains the three components B, C and D, the ionomer resin (component B) and the epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D) are kneaded as in the case of the above four components. In addition, a styrene-based thermoplastic resin (component C) is blended in the obtained kneaded material, a kneaded material containing the components B, C, and D is provided, and the kneaded material is molded by extrusion molding or injection molding. Manufacturing a cleaning blade.

The respective components will be described in detail below.
The ester-based thermoplastic resin of component A includes an aromatic polyester as a hard segment, a copolymer containing an aliphatic polyether as a polymer segment as a polymer unit, an aromatic polyester as a hard segment, and an aliphatic polyester as a soft segment. Examples thereof include copolymers contained as polymerized units.
In the hard segment, an aromatic dicarboxylic acid such as terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, diphenyldicarboxylic acid or 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid or an ester thereof and a glycol having 1 to 25 carbon atoms or an ester-forming derivative thereof is used. Can do. Examples of the glycol having 1 to 25 carbon atoms include ethylene glycol and 1,4-butanediol.
As the aliphatic polyether constituting the soft segment, for example, polyalkylene ether glycol such as poly (ethylene oxide) glycol and poly (tetramethylene oxide) glycol can be used. Moreover, as aliphatic polyester which comprises a soft segment, lactones, such as caprolactone, enane lactone, or caprylolactone, can be used, for example.

  Specific examples of the ester-based thermoplastic resin include “Pelprene” series commercially available from Toyobo Co., Ltd., more specifically Perprene P30B, Perprene P40B, Perprene P40H, Perprene P47D or Perprene P90B; “Hytrel” series commercially available from DuPont Co., Ltd., more specifically, Hytrel 3046, Hytrel 3078, Hytrel G3548L, Hytrel 4047, Hytrel 4767, Hytrel 4777, Hytrel 5077, and the like.

  As the ionomer resin of component B, known resins can be used as long as they are partially neutralized with metal salts and crosslinked with metal ions. Among them, a binary copolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing and crosslinking at least a part of carboxyl groups in a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid or methacrylic acid with a metal ion, or ethylene and acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and α A terpolymer ionomer resin in which at least a part of carboxyl groups in the terpolymer of β-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester is neutralized with a metal ion is preferable. Examples of the metal ions include alkali metal ions such as Na ions, K ions, and Li ions; divalent metal ions such as Zn ions, Ca ions, and Mg ions; trivalent metal ions such as Al ions and Nd ions; And a mixture thereof, Na ion, Zn ion, Li ion or the like is preferably used from the viewpoint of resilience and durability.

Specific examples of the above-mentioned binary copolymer-based ionomer resin resin are exemplified by trade names: Hi-milan 1605 (Na), Himilan 1706 (Zn), Himilan 1707 commercially available from Mitsui DuPont Polychemical Co., Ltd. (Na), High Milan AM7318 (Na), High Milan AM7315 (Zn), High Milan AM7317 (Zn), High Milan AM7311 (Mg), or High Milan MK7320 (K). Further, ionomer resins commercially available from DuPont include Surlyn 8920 (Na), Surlyn 8940 (Na), Surlyn AD8512 (Na), Surlyn 9910 (Zn), Surlyn AD8511 (Zn), Surlyn 7930 (Li ) Or Surlyn 7940 (Li). Examples of the ionomer resin commercially available from Exxon Chemical include Iotek 7010 (Zn) and Iotech 8000 (Na).
Specific examples of the ternary copolymer-based ionomer resin resin are exemplified by trade names: Himilan 1856 (Na), Himilan 1855 (Zn), Himilan AM7316 (Zn), and the like commercially available from Mitsui DuPont Polychemical Co., Ltd. There are Surlyn AD8265 (Na), Surlyn AD8269 (Na) and the like commercially available from DuPont.

Note that Na, Zn, K, Li, Mg, etc. described in parentheses after the trade name of the ionomer resin indicate the metal species of these neutralized metal ions.
Further, two or more of the above-described examples may be mixed, or two or more of the ionomer resins neutralized with the monovalent metal ions and the ionomer resins neutralized with the divalent metal ions may be mixed. It may be used. A binary copolymer ionomer resin resin and a ternary copolymer ionomer resin resin may be used in combination.

As the component C styrene thermoplastic resin, styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS), hydrogenated styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer, styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer (SIS), hydrogen Examples thereof include an added styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer, a styrene-isoprene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SIBS), and a hydrogenated styrene-isoprene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer.
Examples of the hydrogenated product of SBS include a copolymer obtained by using a styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS) and hydrogenating the butadiene double bond portion. As a hydrogenated product of SIS, for example, a copolymer obtained by using a styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene block copolymer (SEPS) and hydrogenating its isoprene double bond portion can be exemplified. Examples of the hydrogenated product of SIBS include a copolymer obtained by using a styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene block copolymer (SEEPS) and hydrogenating the double bond portion of butadiene or isoprene. .

  The styrenic thermoplastic resin may be a modified product of the copolymer. Among these, it is preferable to use a modified product of hydrogenated styrene-isoprene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer. Examples of the modified product include a copolymer having a hydroxyl group added to the terminal.

  Specific examples of the styrenic thermoplastic resin include, for example, “SEPTON” series commercially available from Kuraray Co., Ltd., more specifically, Septon 2002, Septon 2063, Septon 4077, Septon 8007 or Septon HG- 252 or the like.

The epoxidized thermoplastic resin of component D may be a polymer having an epoxy group in any of the molecular chains, but is preferably a thermoplastic resin obtained by epoxidizing a double bond in the molecular chain, for example, terminal two A thermoplastic resin obtained by epoxidizing a heavy bond is mentioned.
The thermoplastic resin to be epoxidized is only required to have a double bond in the molecular chain or at the molecular end, and in particular, a hard material whose molecular motion is restricted by a polymer block showing a frozen phase or a crystalline phase below the melting point. A block copolymer obtained by bonding a polymer block of a segment and a polymer block of a soft segment whose molecular motion is not restricted is preferable.
The coupling mode of the polymer block constituting the hard segment (hereinafter referred to as PH block) and the polymer block constituting the soft segment (hereinafter referred to as PS block) is PH block-PS block type, PH block-PS block-PH block. There is no particular limitation such as a multi-block type represented by a type, (PH block-PS block) n (where n is an integer), a star type, and the like. However, the epoxidized thermoplastic resin used in the present invention is preferably a PH block-PS block-PH block type in which the double bond of the soft segment polymer block is epoxidized.

  Specifically, the thermoplastic resin to be epoxidized is a block copolymer in which the hard segment is polystyrene and the soft segment is polybutadiene, polyisoprene or a random copolymer block of butadiene and isoprene, or a styrene type that is a hydrogenated product thereof. A thermoplastic resin is a preferred example.

As the epoxidized thermoplastic resin, for example,
(1) A thermoplastic resin having a polybutadiene block or a polyisoprene block, and at least one double bond of the polybutadiene block or polyisoprene block is epoxidized;
For example, a thermoplastic resin having a block copolymer structure of polystyrene block-polybutadiene block-polystyrene block, and at least one double bond of the polybutadiene block is epoxidized, or polystyrene block-polyisoprene block-polystyrene A thermoplastic resin having a block copolymer structure, wherein at least one double bond of the polyisoprene block is epoxidized;
(2) a thermoplastic resin having a random copolymer block of isoprene and butadiene, wherein at least one double bond of the random copolymer block is epoxidized;
For example, a thermoplastic resin having a block copolymer structure of a random copolymer block of polystyrene block, isoprene and butadiene, and at least one double bond of the random copolymer block is epoxidized,
(3) It has a block copolymer structure (SEBS structure) with a polymer block having ethylene-butylene as a structural unit by hydrogenating a double bond portion of a polystyrene block and a polybutadiene block, and at least one of the two polymer blocks A thermoplastic resin in which the double bond is epoxidized,
(4) It has a block copolymer structure (SEPS structure) with a polymer block having ethylene-propylene as a structural unit by hydrogenating double bond portions of a polystyrene block and a polyisoprene block, and at least one of the polymer blocks And a thermoplastic resin in which two double bonds are epoxidized.

Among them, as the epoxidized thermoplastic resin used in the present invention,
A styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer having a polybutadiene block containing epoxy groups;
A styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer having a polyisoprene block containing epoxy groups;
A copolymer in which at least part of the double bond of the butadiene moiety in the styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer having a polybutadiene block containing an epoxy group is hydrogenated;
A copolymer in which at least part of the double bond of the isoprene moiety in the styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer having a polyisoprene block containing an epoxy group is hydrogenated is preferable.

  Specific examples of the epoxidized thermoplastic resin are exemplified by trade names. As a styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer having a polybutadiene block containing an epoxy group, “Epofriend A1005” and “Epofriend” manufactured by Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd. Friend A1010 "," Epofriend A1020 "," Epofriend AT501 "," Epofriend CT310 ", and a double bond of a butadiene moiety in a styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer having a polybutadiene block containing an epoxy group As a copolymer in which at least a part of the copolymer is hydrogenated, there are “Epofriend AT018” and “Epofriend AT019” manufactured by Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd.

In the epoxidized thermoplastic resin, the epoxy group content is preferably 0.05 to 10% by mass, and more preferably 0.2 to 5% by mass.
Moreover, it is preferable that oxirane oxygen concentration is 0.5-2.0 mass% as one of the indexes | indexes which look at the content rate of an epoxy group. The oxirane oxygen concentration can be determined by titration with hydrogen bromide. Specifically, according to ASTM D1652, a predetermined amount of polymer is dissolved in chloroform / chlorobenzene (1/1 mixed solution), crystal violet indicator is added, and titration with hydrobromic acetic acid solution is performed to measure the oxirane oxygen concentration. be able to.
When using the styrene-type thermoplastic resin mentioned above as a thermoplastic resin to be epoxidized, the styrene content is preferably 10 to 60% by mass.

Furthermore, the epoxidized thermoplastic resin used in the present invention preferably has a JIS-A hardness of 70 to 90 at 23 ° C. The JIS-A hardness can be measured according to JIS K 6253.
Further, the epoxidized thermoplastic resin preferably has a melt float rate (MFR) value of 196 ° C. and 2.16 kgf of 2 to 10 g / 10 min. The MFR value can be measured according to JIS K 7210.

The molded cleaning blade is shown in FIG.
The cleaning blade 20 is usually joined to the support member 21 with an adhesive. The support member 21 is made of a rigid metal, an elastic metal, plastic or ceramic, but is preferably made of metal.
Examples of the adhesive used for joining the cleaning blade 20 and the support member 21 include a polyamide-based or polyurethane-based hot melt adhesive, an epoxy-based or phenol-based adhesive, and the like. Among these, it is preferable to use a hot melt adhesive.

  In FIG. 1, 11 is a charging roller, 12 is a photoconductor, 13 is an intermediate transfer belt, 14 is a fixing roller, 15a to 15d are toners, 16 is a mirror, 17 is a laser, 18 is a transfer object, and 19a is a primary transfer. A roller, 19b is a secondary transfer roller, and 22 is a toner collection box.

In the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, an image is formed by the following steps.
First, after the photosensitive member 12 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the drawing and the photosensitive member 12 is charged by the charging roller 11, the laser 17 exposes the non-image portion of the photosensitive member 12 through the mirror 16 to remove static electricity. The portion corresponding to the image line portion is charged. Next, the toner 15a is supplied onto the photoreceptor 12, and the toner 15a adheres to the charged image line portion to form a first color image. This toner image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 13 via the primary transfer roller 19a. Similarly, each color image of the toners 15b to 15d formed on the photoconductor 12 is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 13, and a full color image composed of the four color toners 15 (15a to 15d) is formed on the transfer belt 13. Once formed. The full-color image is transferred onto a transfer target (usually paper) 18 via a secondary transfer roller 19b, and fixed on the surface of the transfer target 18 by passing through a fixing roller 14 heated to a predetermined temperature. Is done.
In this process, the toner remaining on the photosensitive member 12 without being transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 13 is exposed to the cleaning blade 20 pressed against the surface of the photosensitive member 12 in order to sequentially copy on a plurality of recording sheets. It is removed by rubbing the body and collected in the toner collection box 22.

  Examples of the present invention and comparative examples will be described below.

  The temperature dispersion curve of the loss tangent tan δ in Examples 1 to 7 is shown in FIG. 2, and the temperature dispersion curve of the loss tangent tan δ in Comparative Examples 1 to 2 is shown in FIG.

The physical properties (hardness, rebound resilience, viscoelasticity) described in Table 1 were measured by the following methods.
(1) Hardness: Measured according to JIS K 6253, using a type A durometer.
(2) Rebound resilience: Measured according to the JIS K 6255 Lupke method, the rebound resilience at a temperature of 23 ° C. was measured using a test piece φ27.5, t = 12.
(3) Viscoelasticity: Viscoelasticity was measured using a viscoelasticity analyzer (manufactured by Ueshima Seisakusho Co., Ltd.) while changing the temperature from −60 ° C. to 90 ° C. at a heating rate of 20 ° C./second.

The evaluations of “chatter” and “toner scraping” shown in Table 1 were performed by the following methods.
As shown in FIG. 4, a polymerized toner having a particle size of 10 μm (commercially available toner extracted from a commercial printer of Canon, Fuji Xerox) on a glass 23 coated with OPC (Organic Photo Conductor manufactured in-house) placed horizontally. ) Was attached.
The cleaning blade 20 produced in the example and the comparative example was held at an angle of 10 to 30 degrees with respect to the OPC coated glass 23 and slid horizontally while maintaining the angle. At that time, the presence or absence of chattering and the degree of toner scraping were observed.
This test was conducted at a temperature of 10 ° C. in a low temperature environment.
In Table 1, when the chatter did not occur, “O”, when the chatter occurred “X”; when the toner was scraped practically, “O”, and the toner was not scraped sufficiently. The case was set as “x”.

Example 1
A cleaning blade was prepared using “Elastolan ET880” manufactured by BASF Japan, which is a urethane-based thermoplastic resin. Specifically, using an injection molding machine (160 manufactured by NISSEI), injection molding was performed at a molding temperature of 2100 ° C., a mold cooling temperature of 80 ° C., an injection time of 16 seconds, and a cooling time of 30 seconds, with a width of 27 mm and a thickness of 2 mm. A cleaning blade having a length of 320 mm was obtained.
The physical properties of the obtained cleaning blade were measured. Further, the cleaning blade obtained on the chromium-free SECC support member was attached using hot melt (diabond material), and then the central portion of the sheet was cut to produce a cleaning member, which was subjected to the above test.

(Example 2)
Table 1 shows blending amounts of “Perprene P47D” manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd., which is an ester-based thermoplastic resin, and “Septon 2063” and “Septon HG-252” manufactured by Kuraray, which are styrene-based thermoplastic resins. Weighed and uniformly premixed using a Henschel mixer or tumbler.
On the other hand, “Himira 1855” manufactured by Mitsui Dupont Polychemical Co., Ltd., which is an ionomer resin, and “Epofriend CT310” manufactured by Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd., which is an epoxidized thermoplastic resin, are weighed in amounts shown in Table 1. And premixed uniformly using a Henschel mixer or tumbler.
The obtained two types of mixtures were kneaded and extruded at a screw rotation speed of 200 rpm under the condition of a temperature of 200 ° C. using a 1.5-axis kneading extruder (Ipec HTM38) to produce a thermoplastic resin composition.
A cleaning blade was produced in exactly the same manner as in Example 1 using the obtained thermoplastic resin composition.

(Example 3)
Example except that “Elastolan ET880” manufactured by BASF Japan Ltd., which is a urethane-based thermoplastic resin, was used as component A instead of “Perprene P47D” manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd., which is an ester-based thermoplastic resin. The cleaning blade of the present invention was produced in exactly the same manner as in No. 2.

Example 4
Table 1 shows blending amounts of “Perprene P47D” manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd., which is an ester-based thermoplastic resin, and “Septon 2063” and “Septon HG-252” manufactured by Kuraray, which are styrene-based thermoplastic resins. Weighed and uniformly premixed using a Henschel mixer or tumbler.
The obtained mixture was blended with an amount of “Epofriend CT310” manufactured by Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd., which is an epoxidized thermoplastic resin, as shown in Table 1, and then kneaded and extruded under the same conditions as in Example 1, to obtain a thermoplastic resin composition. Manufactured. A cleaning blade was produced in exactly the same manner as in Example 1 using the obtained thermoplastic resin composition.

(Example 5)
As component A, instead of “Perprene P47D” manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd., which is an ester-based thermoplastic resin, “Elastollan ET880” manufactured by BASF Japan Ltd., which is a urethane-based thermoplastic resin, is used. A cleaning blade of the present invention was produced in exactly the same manner as in Example 4 except that was changed as shown in Table 1.

(Example 6)
Ionomer resin Mitsui Dupont Polychemical Co., Ltd. “Himiran 1855” and epoxidized thermoplastic resin Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd. “Epofriend CT310” are weighed in the blending amounts shown in Table 1, and Henschel mixer Alternatively, it was premixed uniformly using a tumbler.
The obtained mixture was blended with the amounts of “Septon 2063” and “Septon HG-252” made by Kuraray Co., Ltd., which are styrenic thermoplastic resins, and then kneaded and extruded under the same conditions as in Example 1 to heat A plastic resin composition was produced. A cleaning blade was produced in exactly the same manner as in Example 1 using the obtained thermoplastic resin composition.

(Example 7)
The cleaning blade of the present invention was exactly the same as in Example 6 except that “Septon 2063” manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd., which is a styrenic thermoplastic resin, was not blended and the blending amount of each component was changed as shown in Table 1. Was made.

(Comparative Examples 1 and 2)
Two types of commercially available cleaning blades made of polyurethane were used as comparative examples.

As shown in Table 1 and FIG. 2, the thermoplastic resin compositions used in Examples 1 to 7 have a very small change in loss tangent tan δ in the use environment of about 0 to 32 ° C. As a result, it was confirmed that the cleaning blades of Examples 1 to 7 can suppress chatter and can practically sufficiently remove the toner adhering to the photoreceptor. As shown in Table 1, the cleaning blades produced in Examples 1 to 7 had a hardness of JIS-A 65 to 85 and a rebound resilience (%) of 55 to 64.
On the other hand, the polyurethane blades of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 have a very large change in loss tangent tan δ in the use environment of about 0 to 32 ° C. as is clear from Table 1 and FIG. As a result, chatter occurred in the cleaning blades of Comparative Examples 1 and 2, and it was confirmed that the toner removal performance, that is, the cleaning performance, was inferior to the cleaning blades of Examples 1 to 7.

1 is a schematic diagram of a color image forming apparatus equipped with a cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the temperature dispersion curve of the loss tangent tan-delta in Examples 1-7. It is a figure which shows the temperature dispersion curve of the loss tangent tan-delta in Comparative Examples 1-2. It is a figure for demonstrating the testing method of the cleaning blade produced in the Example and the comparative example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Charging roller 12 Photoconductor 13 Intermediate transfer belt 14 Fixing roller 15 Toner 19a, 19b Transfer roller 20 Cleaning blade 21 Support member 22 Toner recovery container 23 OPC coated glass

Claims (9)

In the temperature dispersion curve of loss tangent tan δ measured by viscoelasticity, loss tangent tan δ (0) at 0 ° C., loss tangent tan δ (24) at 24 ° C., and loss tangent tan δ (32) at 32 ° C. are as follows: A cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus, which is molded from a thermoplastic resin composition that satisfies the above relationship.
0.5 ≦ tan δ (24) / tan δ (0) ≦ 1.0
0.7 ≦ tan δ (32) / tan δ (24) ≦ 1.0
0.4 ≦ tan δ (32) / tan δ (0) ≦ 1.0   The cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic resin composition is a thermoplastic resin composition having a tan δ peak value in a temperature dispersion curve of loss tangent tan δ measured by viscoelasticity of −34 ° C. or lower.   3. The image forming apparatus cleaning blade according to claim 1, wherein tan δ (0), tan δ (24), and tan δ (32) are all 0.09 or more and 0.30 or less.   The cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the thermoplastic resin composition is a thermoplastic resin composition having a hard segment and a soft segment.   The cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic resin composition is a thermoplastic resin composition containing a urethane-based thermoplastic resin. The thermoplastic resin composition is
Component A comprising an ester-based thermoplastic resin and / or a urethane-based thermoplastic resin;
Component B made of ionomer resin;
Component C comprising a styrene-based thermoplastic resin;
Of component D consisting of epoxidized thermoplastic resin,
5. The image formation according to claim 1, wherein the component C and the component D are essential components, and the component A and / or the component B are thermoplastic resin compositions containing at least three components. Cleaning blade for equipment.   The image forming apparatus cleaning blade according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the hardness is JIS-A 65 to 85, and the impact resilience (%) is 55 to 64.   The cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the cleaning blade is an extrusion-molded product or an injection-molded product of the thermoplastic resin composition. An ester thermoplastic resin or / and a urethane thermoplastic resin (component A) and a styrene thermoplastic resin (component C) are kneaded, while an ionomer resin (component B) and an epoxidized thermoplastic resin (component D). )
The obtained two kinds of mixtures are kneaded to provide a thermoplastic resin composition containing the components A, B, C and D,
A method for producing a cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus, comprising molding the thermoplastic resin composition by extrusion molding or injection molding.

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