IP Library Granted Patent US 7,344,778
Granted Patent B2
US 7,344,778 · App. 10/661,566 · Granted Mar 18, 2008

Powder-coated support and production method thereof

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,344,778
App. No.
10/661,566
Granted
Mar 18, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

An object is to provide a method for efficiently producing a powder-coated support, which does not require a drying process and can use, without limitation, even a resin that hardly forms a latex or an aqueous solution, and to provide a powder-coated support obtained by the production method, which exhibits less swelling of its base paper and has excellent smoothness and glossiness. A method produces a powder-coated support by applying a powdery resin composition containing at least a thermoplastic resin to at least one side of a base paper, and hot-pressing the resulting article. The hot pressing is preferably performed by heating the article at a temperature equal to or higher than the melt-starting temperature of the thermoplastic resin and cooling the same to a temperature of 80° C. or lower using a powder coating machine of cooling-removing system.

Claims (38)

1. A method for producing a powder-coated support, comprising the steps of:

applying a powdery resin composition to at least one side of a base paper, the powdery resin composition containing at least a thermoplastic resin; and

hot-pressing the powdery resin composition on the base paper,

wherein the step of hot-pressing comprises

subjecting the coated layer of the powdery resin composition on the base paper to hot-pressing and then cooling with a belt member and a roller of a powder coating machine that can cool and thereby remove an article; and

removing the coated layer on the base paper from the belt member.

2. A method for producing a powder-coated support according to claim 1 , further comprising electrostatically applying the powdery resin composition to the at least one side of the base paper.

3. A method for producing a powder-coated support according to claim 1 , further comprising:

hot-pressing the coated layer to a melt-starting temperature of the thermoplastic resin in the powdery resin composition or higher; and

cooling the heated and pressurized coated layer to a temperature of 80° C. or lower.

4. A method for producing a powder-coated support according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic resin in the powdery resin composition is at least one selected from polyester resins, acrylic resins, styrene-acrylic resins, polyethylene resins, ionomer resins, and polyurethane resins.

5. A method for producing a powder-coated support according to claim 1 , wherein the powdery resin composition further contains a white pigment.

6. A method for producing a powder-coated support according to claim 1 , wherein the powdery resin composition further contains at least one of fine inorganic particles and fine organic particles.

7. A method for producing a powder-coated support according to claim 1 , wherein the powdery resin composition is one of a transparent powdery resin composition and a white powdery resin composition.

8. A method for producing a powder-coated support according to claim 1 , wherein the belt member has a surface roughness in terms of an arithmetic average roughness Ra of 20 μm or less.

9. A method for producing a powder-coated support according to claim 1 , wherein the belt member is an endless belt.

10. A method for producing a powder-coated support according to claim 1 , wherein the belt member has a layer on its surface, the layer containing at least one selected from silicone rubbers, fluorocarbon rubbers, silicone resins, fluorocarbon resins, and mixtures thereof.

11. A powder-coated support comprising:

a base paper; and

a resin layer disposed on at least one side of the base,

wherein the powder-coated support is produced by:

applying the powdery resin composition to at least one side of the base paper, the powdery resin composition containing at least a thermoplastic resin; and

hot-pressing the powdery resin composition on the base paper to thereby fuse and solidify the powdery resin composition to form the resin layers,

wherein the step of hot-pressing comprises

subjecting the coated layer of the powdery resin composition on the base paper to hot-pressing and then cooling with a belt member and a roller of a powder coating machine that can cool and thereby remove an article; and

removing the coated layer on the base paper from the belt member.

12. A powder-coated support according to claim 11 , wherein the powdery resin composition is electrostatically applied to the at least one side of the base paper.

13. A powder-coated support according to claim 11 , wherein the powder-coated support has a Cobb sizing water absorbency of 10 g/m 2 or less.

14. A powder-coated support according to claim 11 , wherein the powder-coated support has a surface glossiness in terms of 20-degrees glossiness of 45 or more.

15. An electrophotographic material comprising:

a powder-coated support; and

a toner-image-receiving layer on the powder-coated support,

wherein the powder-coated support comprises:

a base paper; and

a resin layer disposed on at least one side of the base, and

wherein the powder-coated support is produced by:

applying the powdery resin composition to at least one side of the base paper, the powdery resin composition containing at least a thermoplastic resin; and

hot-pressing the powdery resin composition on the base paper to thereby fuse and solidify the powdery resin composition to form the resin layer.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 15, 2007
From: FUJIFILM HOLDINGS CORPORATION (FORMERLY FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.)
To: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018904/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 15, 2003
From: NAKAMURA, YOSHISADA
To: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 014505/0285 →