Thermal Behavior of Paper in Contact Fusing Technology

Abstract

In dry toner electrophotography, image fixing by roller fusing technology is affected by the process parameters, and by toner and paper properties. In this type of contact fusing, the fusing energy is applied in the form of pressure and conductive heat as a function of the dwell time determined by the process speed and fusing nip width. The present study was designed to provide a deeper understanding of the behavior of paper in a modified fusing nip with controlled speed and temperature. The effects of moisture content and coating color were examined as well, and some quality factors of toner images were correlated to the thermal behavior and bulk properties of the paper samples used in the experiment. In relation to electrophotography, the objective was to explore the role of paper in the fusing stage, and to show how different paper grades contribute to image quality at different fusing speeds and temperatures, which were the main fusing parameters controlled in the experimental setting. The results show that the thermal behavior of paper is strongly related to the paper mass expressed by grammage, and the thermal behavior is less sensitive to speed with increased paper density. Gloss and toner adhesion are affected by the thermal properties of paper. The experimental design, involving a wide range of fusing variables, confirmed the need to understand on the mechanism of toner fusing and the role of toner-paper thermal interactions more deeply. The thermally controlled fusing system used in this work was found to be useful in characterizing the influence of moisture content and coating color on the thermal behavior of paper and the quality of image fixing.