POLYIMIDE BELT AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a polyimide belt used in an electrophotographic apparatus such as a laser beam printer, a facsimile or the like and usable over a long period of time without generating a crack in the belt in the direction parallel to the axis of the belt, and to provide a method for manufacturing the same. SOLUTION: The tear propagation strength of the polyimide belt in the axial direction of the belt is larger than that in the peripheral direction thereof. The method for manufacturing the polyimide belt includes a process for mounting a polyimide precursor in a mold and heating the same to perform the imidation of the polyimide precursor, and the shrinkage factor in the axial direction of the belt after the imidation of the polyimide precursor is larger than that in the peripheral direction of the belt. Further, the inner diameter of the polyimide precursor is 100.5-120.0% of the outer diameter of the mold for imidation.