Multi-component sponge-forming liquid silicone rubber composition and silicone rubber sponge manufacturing method

1. A method of producing a silicone rubber sponge, the method comprising:

(1a) providing the following components (A)-(F):

(A) 100 mass parts of an alkenyl-containing polydiorganosiloxane comprising

(A1) 0 to 90 mass parts of a polydiorganosiloxane that has alkenyl groups on both molecular chain terminals and that does not contain alkenyl groups in the side chains on the molecular chain, and

(A2) 10 to 100 mass parts of a polydiorganosiloxane that has at least two alkenyl groups in the side chains on the molecular chain;

(B) an organopolysiloxane that has at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms in each molecule, in an amount that provides 0.4 to 20 moles silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms in component (B) per 1 mole of the alkenyl groups in component (A);

(C) 10 to 250 mass parts of a mixture comprising water and an inorganic thickener;

(D) 0.1 to 15 mass parts of an emulsifying agent;

(E) a hydrosilylation reaction catalyst in an amount sufficient to bring about crosslinking of this composition; and

(F) 0.001 to 5 mass parts of a cure retarder;

(1b) mixing at least two of the components (A)-(F) to form a first separately stored composition, wherein:

the first separately stored composition does not include both of components (A) and (C),

the first separately stored composition does not include both of components (B) and (C), and

the first separately stored composition does not include both of components (B) and (E);

(1c) subsequently mixing the remainder of components (A)-(F) not included in step (1b) with the first separately stored composition of step (1b) to produce a sponge-forming liquid silicone rubber composition;

(2) crosslinking and curing the sponge-forming liquid silicone rubber composition obtained in step (1c) to obtain a water-containing silicone rubber molding; and

(3) removing the water from the water-containing silicone rubber molding obtained in step (2) to obtain the silicone rubber sponge.

2. The method according to claim 1 of producing a silicone rubber sponge, wherein step (1a) further comprises:

providing component (G):

(G) a finely divided silica powder at from 0.01 to 20 mass parts per 100 mass parts component (A);

wherein step (1c) comprises subsequently mixing the remainder of components (A)-(F) not included in step (1b) with the first separately stored composition of step (1b) and with component (G) to produce a sponge-forming liquid silicone rubber composition.

3. A silicone rubber sponge obtained by a production method according to claim 1 .

4. The silicone rubber sponge according to claim 3 as an elastic material in a fixing member of an image-forming apparatus.

5. The silicone rubber sponge according to claim 4 , characterized in that the fixing member of the image-forming apparatus is a roller or belt.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the components (A)-(F) in step (1c) are mixed to homogeneity to produce a sponge-forming liquid silicone rubber composition.

7. A method of producing a silicone rubber sponge, the method comprising:

(1) providing the following components (A) to (G):

(A) 100 mass parts of an alkenyl-containing polydiorganosiloxane comprising:

(A1) 0 to 90 mass parts of a polydiorganosiloxane that has alkenyl groups on both molecular chain terminals and that does not contain alkenyl groups in the side chains on the molecular chain, and

(A2) 10 to 100 mass parts of a polydiorganosiloxane that has at least two alkenyl groups in the side chains on the molecular chain;

(B) an organopolysiloxane that has at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms in each molecule, in an amount that provides 0.4 to 20 moles silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms in component (B) per 1 mole of the alkenyl groups in component (A);

(C) 10 to 250 mass parts of a mixture comprising water and an inorganic thickener;

(D) 0.1 to 15 mass parts of an emulsifying agent;

(E) a hydrosilylation reaction catalyst in an amount sufficient to bring about crosslinking of this composition; and

(F) 0.001 to 5 mass parts of a cure retarder; and

(G) a finely dispersed silica powder at from 0.01 to 20 mass parts per 100 mass parts component (A);

(2) mixing components (A), (E), and (G) to form a first composition;

(3) mixing components (A), (B), (D), (F), and (G) to form a second composition;

(4) subsequently mixing component (C) with the formed first composition and the formed second composition to produce a sponge-forming liquid silicone rubber composition comprising the components (A) to (G);

(5) crosslinking and curing the sponge-forming liquid silicone rubber composition obtained in step (4) to obtain a water-containing silicone rubber molding; and

(6) removing the water from the water-containing silicone rubber molding obtained in step (5) to obtain the silicone rubber sponge.

8. A method of producing a silicone rubber sponge, the method comprising:

(1) providing the following components (A) to (G):

(A) 100 mass parts of an alkenyl-containing polydiorganosiloxane comprising:

(A1) 0 to 90 mass parts of a polydiorganosiloxane that has alkenyl groups on both molecular chain terminals and that does not contain alkenyl groups in the side chains on the molecular chain, and

(A2) 10 to 100 mass parts of a polydiorganosiloxane that has at least two alkenyl groups in the side chains on the molecular chain;

(B) an organopolysiloxane that has at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms in each molecule, in an amount that provides 0.4 to 20 moles silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms in component (B) per 1 mole of the alkenyl groups in component (A);

(C) 10 to 250 mass parts of a mixture comprising water and an inorganic thickener;

(D) 0.1 to 15 mass parts of an emulsifying agent;

(E) a hydrosilylation reaction catalyst in an amount sufficient to bring about crosslinking of this composition; and

(F) 0.001 to 5 mass parts of a cure retarder; and

(G) a finely dispersed silica powder at from 0.01 to 20 mass parts per 100 mass parts component (A);

(2) mixing components (A), (E), and (G) to form a first composition;

(3) mixing components (A), (B), (F), and (G) to form a second composition;

(4) mixing components (C) and (D) to form a third composition;

(5) subsequently mixing the formed third composition with the formed first composition and the formed second composition to produce a sponge-forming liquid silicone rubber composition comprising the components (A) to (G);

(6) crosslinking and curing the sponge-forming liquid silicone rubber composition obtained in step (5) to obtain a water-containing silicone rubber molding; and

(7) removing the water from the water-containing silicone rubber molding obtained in step (6) to obtain the silicone rubber sponge.

9. A method of producing a silicone rubber sponge, the method comprising:

(1) providing the following components (A) to (G):

(A) 100 mass parts of an alkenyl-containing polydiorganosiloxane comprising:

(A1) 0 to 90 mass parts of a polydiorganosiloxane that has alkenyl groups on both molecular chain terminals and that does not contain alkenyl groups in the side chains on the molecular chain, and

(A2) 10 to 100 mass parts of a polydiorganosiloxane that has at least two alkenyl groups in the side chains on the molecular chain;

(B) an organopolysiloxane that has at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms in each molecule, in an amount that provides 0.4 to 20 moles silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms in component (B) per 1 mole of the alkenyl groups in component (A);

(C) 10 to 250 mass parts of a mixture comprising water and an inorganic thickener;

(D) 0.1 to 15 mass parts of an emulsifying agent;

(E) a hydrosilylation reaction catalyst in an amount sufficient to bring about crosslinking of this composition; and

(F) 0.001 to 5 mass parts of a cure retarder; and

(G) a finely dispersed silica powder at from 0.01 to 20 mass parts per 100 mass parts component (A);

(2) mixing components (A), (D), (E), and (G) to form a first composition;

(3) mixing components (A), (B), (D), (F), and (G) to form a second composition;

(4) subsequently mixing component (C) with the formed first composition and the formed second composition to produce a sponge-forming liquid silicone rubber composition comprising the components (A) to (G);

(5) crosslinking and curing the sponge-forming liquid silicone rubber composition obtained in step (4) to obtain a water-containing silicone rubber molding; and

(6) removing the water from the water-containing silicone rubber molding obtained in step (5) to obtain the silicone rubber sponge.