Fixing member, method for manufacturing fixing member, and image forming apparatus

1. A method for manufacturing a fixing member, the fixing member having:

a substrate,

an elastic layer on the substrate, and

a release layer on the elastic layer, the release layer having a thickness of 15 μm or more and 25 μm or less, and containing a fluororesin,

the method comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a coating solution containing:

the fluororesin, wherein the fluororesin has a melt flow rate (MFR) of 1 g/10 min or more and 3 g/10 min or less, and

an acrylic resin;

(2) forming a coating film of the coating solution on the elastic layer; and

(3) baking the coating film to melt the fluororesin therein, covering a surface of the elastic layer with the melted fluororesin, and forming the release layer, wherein

the step (3) includes: heating the coating film from T1° C. to T2° C. at a temperature increase rate of 3° C./second or more and 7° C./second or less, and then heating the coating film at T2° C. or higher than T2° C., where, T1° C. is a decomposition temperature of the acrylic resin, and T2° C. is the melting point of the fluororesin.

2. The method for manufacturing the fixing member according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic layer contains silicone rubber.

3. The method for manufacturing the fixing member according to claim 1 , wherein the fluororesin is a PFA resin.

4. The method for manufacturing the fixing member according to claim 1 , wherein the melting point (T2° C.) of the fluororesin is 280° C. or more and 320° C. or less.

5. The method for manufacturing the fixing member according to claim 1 , wherein the decomposition temperature (T1° C.) of the acrylic resin is 200° C. or more and 280° C. or less.

6. The method for manufacturing the fixing member according to claim 1 , wherein the fluororesin contained in the coating solution has a particle shape of which a volume average particle diameter is 0.1 μm or more and 0.5 μm or less.

7. The method for manufacturing the fixing member according to claim 1 , wherein the coating solution further comprises an additional fluororesin whose MFR is outside the range of 1 g/10 min or more and 3 g/10 min or less, and an entire MFR of all the fluororesins in the coating solution for forming a release layer is 1 g/10 min or more and 3 g/10 min or less.

8. A fixing member comprising:

a substrate;

an elastic layer on the substrate; and

a release layer on the elastic layer, wherein the release layer:

has a thickness of 15 μm or more and 25 μm or less, and contains a fluororesin,

contains a fluororesin having a melt flow rate (MFR) of 1 g/10 min or more and 3 g/10 min or less,

results from baking a coating film of a coating solution for forming a release layer, provided on the elastic layer, the coating solution containing the fluororesin, and

has a surface having arithmetic average roughness (Sa) of 0.1 μm or more and 0.5 μm or less, and

having maximum cross sectional height (St) of 10.0 μm or less.

9. The fixing member according to claim 8 , wherein the elastic layer contains silicone rubber.

10. The fixing member according to claim 8 , wherein the fluororesin is a PFA resin.

11. The fixing member according to claim 8 , an entire MFR of fluororesins contained in the release layer is 1 g/10 min or more and 3 g/10 min or less.

12. An image forming apparatus having a fixing device having a fixing member and a heating unit, wherein the fixing member has:

a substrate,

an elastic layer on the substrate, and

a release layer on the elastic layer, wherein the release layer:

has a thickness of 15 μm or more and 25 μm or less,

contains a fluororesin having a melt flow rate (MFR) of 1 g/10 min or more and 3 g/10 min or less,

results from baking a coating film of a coating solution for forming a release layer, on the elastic layer, the coating solution containing the fluororesin, and

has a surface having arithmetic average roughness (Sa) of 0.1 μm or more and 0.5 μm or less, and

having maximum cross sectional height (St) of 10.0 μm or less.