Polyimide tube, process for producing the same and fixing belt

摘要

Provided are a polyimide tube including a polyimide resin composition, wherein the polyimide resin composition contains a polyimide resin in which an acicular highly thermally conductive filler such as carbon nanotubes is dispersed in 15 volume percent or more relative to the total volume of the composition; the acicular highly thermally conductive filler has an orientation of 1.3 or more, the orientation being represented by the modulus of elasticity of the polyimide resin composition in the circumferential direction/the modulus of elasticity of the polyimide resin composition in the axial direction; and the polyimide tube has high thermal conductivity, is excellent in terms of mechanical strength and indentation strength, and provides a high fixing property and an excellent offsetting property; a process for producing such a tube; and a fixing belt including such a tube serving as a base member.

主权项

1. A fixing belt comprising a polyimide tube serving as a belt base member and a fluorocarbon resin layer disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the belt base member directly or with an adhesive layer therebetween,
wherein the polyimide tube comprising a polyimide resin composition, wherein the polyimide resin composition contains a polyimide resin in which an acicular thermally conductive filler is dispersed; and the acicular thermally conductive filler has an orientation in the circumferential direction of 1.3 or more, the orientation being represented by (a modulus of elasticity in a circumferential direction/a modulus of elasticity in an axial direction) of the polyimide resin composition, wherein the acicular thermally conductive filler includes at least nanotubes of 15 volume percent or more relative to a total solid content of the polyimide varnish, and wherein the nanotubes have a short-axis diameter of 300 nm or less and have a length of 30 μm or less, and the acicular thermally conductive filler is dispersed in the polyimide resin in 15 volume percent or more and 50 volume percent or less relative to the total volume of the composition.