JPH04500414A - Image formation method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Method of fusing the developed image Technical field TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates generally to toner imaging, and more particularly to toner imaging. .

Background technology In known electrostatic imaging methods, a light image of the original to be reproduced is photoconductively formed in the form of an electrostatic latent image. The primary toner particles recorded on the member are in the form of a finely powdered solid or liquid. By applying this, a developed image can be obtained from the latent image.

In dry electrostatic imaging using powdered solid toner, the developed image is formed on It is known to pass a substrate between (for example) a pair of opposing rollers. one one or both rollers are heated, resulting in heating of the image on the substrate and its to the extent that the image particles flow, at least to some extent, into the fibers or pores of the substrate. is fixed onto the substrate. Prior art patents and patents in the field of fusing and fixing developed images and U.S. Patent Nos. 3,249,738, 3,637,976, and 3,66 No. 7.742, No. 3.718,116, and No. 4,689,471 ( Their description is included here for reference).

In dry electrostatic imaging methods such as those described above, the developed image is inadvertently transferred to one of the rollers. The occurrence of metastasis may occur when polytetrafluoroethylene or silica Use a roller coated with cone rubber and apply a release agent such as silicone oil to it. The release agent creates a clear interface between the roller surface and the toner image on the substrate. It is known that this can be reduced by forming

Electrostatic imaging methods based on liquid toner are known, as indicated by -L. liquid The basic steps of the toner method are as follows: 1. A photoconductive surface F, such as a sensitized plate or cylinder, is charged with a electrical discharge. static electricity by dissipating the charge in the exposed area by exposing it to light in the form of an image of the object. Generates an electric latent image.

2. In the positive method, it is attracted to the charged area, and in the reverse method, it is attracted to the uncharged area. By contacting the liquid dispersion of fine particles (toner) that are attracted to the Develop the image.

3. Remove excess liquid toner and particles from background areas.

4. Transferring the image to a substrate, such as paper, under the influence of an electric field.

5. Fixing the image on the substrate by melting the particles together with the substrate.

6. Clean the plate or cylinder for reuse.

In this regard, the following US patents in the field of electrophotography may be helpful: No. 3.990,696, No. 4.233,381, No. 4,253,656, No. 4,256,820, No. 4,269,504, No. 4,278,884, No. 4,286,039, No. 4,302,093, No. 4,326,844, No. 4,326,792, No. 4,334,762, No. 4,350,333, No. 4,355,883, No. 4,362,297, No. 4,364,460, No. 4, 364, 657, No. 4,364,661, No. 4,368,881 No. 4,378,422, No. 4,392,742, No. 4,396,187 No. 4,400,079, No. 4,411.976, No. 4,412,383 No. 4,413,048, No. 4,418,903, No. 4,420,244 No. 4,435,068, No. 4.439,035, No. 4,454,215 No. 4,460,667, No. 4,473,865, No. 4,480,825 No. 4,501.486, No. 4,522,484, No. 4,531.824 No. 4,538,899, No. 4,582,774, No. 4,585,329 No. 4,586,810, No. 4,589,761, No. 4,598,992 No. 4,603,766, No. 4,620,699, No. 4,627,705 No. 4,678,317 (all of which are incorporated herein for reference). be).

Following development, excess liquid toner and particles are often metered. removed from the image by a process called ng). This process is electrically biased. This is done by using a counter-rotating roller with You can also scrape off the floating parts, squeeze or squeeze the gAfII area, and transfer it. Do it like this. During the transfer stage, some degree of smudging, stickiness, or smearing of the image may occur. They reduce quality. If the solid toner set method is used in the fusing and fusing process, As mentioned above, when heat and pressure are applied to a liquid toner image, the liquid image becomes Sea urchins may be found to be more susceptible to the negative effects of soiling, stickiness or crushing. .

U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,651 (Landi et al.) (The description is included here for reference) In the following, fibrous toner granules were manufactured as follows. A certain degree of crush resistance can be imparted to the developed image by using thermoplastic polymers and pigments) with a non-polar liquid, preferably at elevated temperature. It plasticizes at a certain temperature, forms a spongy material, breaks the spongy material, and becomes non-polar. A liquid is added, the broken spongy pieces are wet-pulverized into particles, and the crushing is continued. Pull the particles apart and form an elongated fiber from it (particles smaller than 5μ diameter), and finally the charge direct side (the charge direct side). or) to impart a predetermined polar charge to the toner particles. Good too.

The method of the '851 patent includes providing crush resistance to the image. However, it is nevertheless possible to use dry 1ic (II shadow forming method) by applying heat and pressure. It would be desirable to fix the liquid image on the substrate in the same way as As mentioned, liquid toner-based images are particularly susceptible to smudging, smudging, or smearing. I have not been able to do this until now.

Actual skin ■l power The object of the present invention is to melt and fix images developed by electrostatic imaging when heated. The objective is to provide a molded article that can be used for

Another object of the invention is to provide a composition for use in the manufacture of shaped articles.

Yet another object of the invention is to reduce the adhesion of the surface of a molded article at elevated temperatures. The goal is to provide a way to do so.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for fusing and fixing images developed by dry electrostatic imaging. The purpose of this invention is to provide improvements in processes in which heat and pressure are applied.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electrostatic image forming method using liquid toner. Developed liquid toner with minimal chance of smudging, sticking, or crushing The process of fusing and fixing involves applying heat and pressure to the image.

Yet another object of the invention is to maintain the developed image on the substrate while minimizing image transfer. heating in an electrostatic imaging process in which heat and pressure are applied to fuse and fix The objective is to provide a molded article that can

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description progresses.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the image is developed with a liquid toner comprising a liquid carrier. , an imaging method comprising applying energy thereto to fuse and fix the image. at least the energy and liquid carrier applied in fusing and fusing. conditions regarding the properties of the liquid carrier, such that the liquid carrier is not substantially removed by fixing and melting. An improved method of imaging is provided that includes preselecting the image.

Furthermore, according to the preferred l1ff1 aspect of the present invention, at least colored heat DJ plastic tA sweetened developing an electrostatic image with a liquid toner containing particles and a liquid carrier; the developed image on the substrate is then transferred to the surface of an elastomer-coated first roller. melting and fixing by applying heat to the image from The substrate is placed between a portion of the surface of the first roller and a back surface of the substrate. a portion of the surface of the second elastomer-coated roller; In electrostatic imaging methods, at least the following conditions are met: melting and The temperature at which fusing occurs, the speed of movement of the substrate, and the nature of the liquid carrier The rear is preselected so that substantially all of the rear is not removed from the substrate-supported image. An improved method of forming GL is provided.

Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the method includes the step of transferring the image to a substrate.

Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the transfer step includes first transferring the image to an intermediate surface; It consists of a dependent step of transferring from the intermediate surface to the substrate.

Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the improvement provides that the majority of the liquid carrier is fixed and This includes preselecting at least the conditions such that they are not removed by melting.

Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least about 50% by weight of the liquid carrier , or a substantial portion thereof, does not evaporate during fixing and fusing.

Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the application of energy is applied to the heated surface P image. or by applying a flash of radiation to the image.

Furthermore, according to preferred aspect g of the present invention, the heated surface is coated with an elastomer coated roller. surface of a roller or a continuous belt.

Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the substrate is provided with an error defined as a first roller. a second elastomer coating located on the surface of the elastomer-coated roller and on the backside of the substrate; through a nip defined by a portion of the surface of the roller; The coating on the second roller has a Shore A hardness that is lower than the coating on the first roller. Ru.

Further, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coating on the second roller is the same as the coating on the first roller. has a greater thickness than

Preferably the ratio of the coating thickness of the first roller to the coating thickness of the second roller is 1:1. Less than 0.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, (A) a release agent-coated silicone polymer; ) containing a soft silicone rubber compound having a Shore A hardness of about 50 r or more; The weight ratio of A) to (B) is about 1:1. ．． 5 to about 1:20, preferably about 1=3 to about Compositions in the range 1:6 are given.

Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, component (B) comprises (i) about 1 to about 4 parts by weight of curing; (11) about 10 parts by weight of hard rubber-forming room temperature curable silicone oil; (iii) a silicone polymer capable of curing component (ii); Contains a silicone polymer curing agent.

Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the component ratio (i > + (ii > + (iii > is about 1 to 4; about 10: about 0.8 to 1.2 parts by weight.

Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, after being formed by liquid toner electrostatic imaging , an apparatus for fusing and fixing the developed image transferred onto the substrate. a first movable member that moves the developed image in contact with the first contact surface thereof; a first movable member having a material operative to substantially prevent transfer, defining a second contact surface; a second movable member, wherein a portion of the second contact surface portion is co-located with a portion of the first contact surface portion; a second contacting movable member defining a nip at the second movable member, which controls the temperature of the developed image so that it at least a portion of said developed image raised as it passes into contact with a contact surface; A mechanism for causing target fusing and fixing, and a mechanism for applying force through the nip and developing said first movable surface and said second movable surface. It has a mechanism to cause the transfer when passing between the surface and A device is provided in which said material that acts to prevent is formed from the composition described above.

Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device wets the first contact surface with a wetting liquid. It also has a mechanism for

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a molded article formed from the composition and defining a surface. a molded article, wherein at least the surface is formed from the composition. Ru.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a first substrate, and a toner is applied to the latent image. developing the image, transferring the developed image to a second substrate, and transferring the second substrate-supported image to a composition. Heat is applied to the curved surface of a thermoformed article by contacting it under pressure with the curved surface of the thermoformed article. an electrostatic image forming process comprising the steps of melting and fixing the image on the substrate by applying pressure and pressure; A law is given.

Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the method includes wetting the curved surface with a wetting liquid. Includes additional steps.

Further according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the heated molded article is heated during the melting and fixing step. and a further curve defined by a molded article formed from a soft rubber compound. A second substrate is passed between the two surfaces.

Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thickness versus softness of a molded article formed from the composition is The thickness ratio of the molded article formed from the rubber compound ranges from about 1:30 to 80. be.

Furthermore, the preferred wa of the present invention! According to Consisting of

11 years ill 50% The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings. As will be appreciated, FIG. 1 shows the preferred I! of the present invention. E! configured according to 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electrostatic image forming apparatus in operation.

Figure 2 shows the process of melting the developed image onto the carrier sheet used in the apparatus of Figure 1. and FIG. 3 is a more detailed schematic structural diagram of the device for fixing.

l 曵■M-and-a-ni A Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an electrostatic imaging device using liquid toner. There is. The device has a metal cylinder (2) 1, which has a photoconductor (4) and a disk The 9 disc attached to the shaft (8) by (6〉) is the key (10) to that shaft (8). fixed in and thus provided in a light-tight enclosure (not shown)! It was The illustrated cylinder assembly operates to rotate with the shaft (8).

The shaft (8) is driven in a suitable manner (not shown) in the direction of the arrow (9); Passes through a corona discharge device (12) that serves to cause *t the surface of the photoconductor (4) . The image to be reproduced is projected onto the charged photoconductor by means of a T-system (14).

The shaft (8) is grounded at (I5) and the disc (6) is electrically conductive; ) area conducts the charge, or a portion of it, to ground, thereby reducing the photoconductor's forms an electrostatic latent image.

The 8-layer toner is passed from a suitable source (not shown) through a tube (16) to a developer plate (16). 8) and from there withdrawn through tube (20) and recirculated. skilled in the art As is well known to those skilled in the art, the development electrode (22) to which a suitable bias is applied is When the latent image comes into contact with toner, it promotes toner adhesion.

The amount of substrate on the photoconductor surface is usually too high for sufficient subsequent transfer of the developed image. Therefore, the roller (24) whose surface moves in the opposite direction to the direction of the photoconductor surface , which is spaced apart from the photoconductor surface by a spacer (25) and is It serves to scrape off excess liquid from the image without disturbing it. roller example is written in U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,423, the description of which is incorporated herein for reference. ).

The roller (24) is typically driven by a drive belt (26), which is in turn driven by a suitable known speed control motor mechanism (not shown). It will be done. The rollers are kept clean by a wiping blade (28).

A pair of registration rollers (32) and (34) are arranged on a carrier that receives the developed image. It serves to feed the sheet (100) to a transfer location generally designated (44).

At the transfer location (44), a corona discharge device (46) is activated to form a developed image. Place a charge of opposite polarity to that of the toner particles behind the carrier sheet. Apply. This draws the developed image towards the carrier sheet.

rollers <32) and (34 J), mounted on shafts (38 and (38), respectively; It is fixed so that it rotates with it. The shafts are rollers (32) and (34) They are driven in sync so that there is no relative deviation between the points that are close to each other.

Alternatively, only one of the registration rollers may be driven, if desired.

A stripping member (48) separates the carrier sheet with the developed image from the photoconductor. a plurality of flexible bands (54) mounted on a plurality of rollers (54) to help A roller (50) working in cooperation with the carrier sheet (64) ) to the fusing and fixing device shown. The device (64) is shown below in more detail in connection with FIG. Describe it as

The cleaning roller (56) is formed from any suitable synthetic resin known in the art. The photoconductor may be rotated in the opposite direction to the photoconductor, and its surface may be rubbed to clean it. do. To aid in this action, an insulating non-polar liquid is passed through the tube (58) to the cleaning chamber. It may also be supplied to the surface of the roller (56). The wiping blade (60) is a photoconductor Complete surface cleaning.

Any residual charge left on the photoconductive cylinder is exposed to light from the lamp (62) on the photoconductor surface. It is dissipated by applying a full amount of water.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a system constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. A fusing and fusing device is shown. Career sea? -(100) is an arrow (66 ) and heated roller (68) with the help of the guiding member (99). and a pressure roller (70) (see also FIG. 1).

In Figure 2i and W3, the roller (68) can be moved by suitable means (not shown). ) and while it rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow (72), it grinds The friction also serves to cause the roller (70) to rotate. The roller (68) It typically has a hollow metal cylindrical core within which a heating source (69) is provided; It occurs when the carrier sheet is drawn between the rollers (68) and 70). assists in fusing the developed image held by the sheet.

The metal core of the roller (68) is coated with a thin layer (7) of synthetic material having the composition described below. 1) The composition of the synthetic material forming the layer 0 (71) coated with According to the present invention, the composition is such that the occurrence of dislocation in the developed image can be ignored. It has become a feature of

The roller (70) has a hardness of about 50 or less on the Shore A hardness on the metal core (74). It consists of a sleeve (76) of synthetic material having a temperature value. Typical combination According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the constituent material of the layer (71) is silicone rubber. The ratio of thickness to cannula (76) typically ranges from 1:30 to 80. For example, if layer (7I) is 0.4zz thick and sleeve (76) is 20mm thick. You can leave it there.

Due to the difference in thickness between the layer (71) and the cannula (76), the roller (68) - (70), therefore, the roller (70) is When pressed against the roller (68), the surface of the roller (70) becomes indented. , a long continuous contact area or nip is formed between the rollers at arrows A and B. It is formed between the two points shown.

When the carrier sheet is pulled into the nip, effective melting and stabilization of the sheet north image is achieved. Ensure that the dressing is done without staining, stickiness or soaking of the statue. It will be appreciated that rollers (68) and (70) are important. A device is provided for regulating the pressure between.

Roller (68) preferably rotates about a fixed axis; 0) for rotation on an adjustable shaft (78) supported by a support arm (80). It is attached to the sea urchin.

The support arm (80) can rotate around a fixed axis (82) at one end (81) thereof. The spring (84) is attached at the other end (83). ) is supported by If the spring is strengthened, the roller (70) will It will be seen that the pressure applied to the roller (68) will be greater.

When the carrier sheet is drawn between rollers (68) and (70), their Together with the pressure applied to the sheet by the rollers, the developed material on the sheet Figure 1 where heat is applied from a source (69) to the sheet effective to fuse and fix the image According to the embodiment shown, the developed image, generally designated (101), is transferred to the roller ( The sheet is fed between the rollers so that it contacts the surface of 68). known static In the electrophotographic method, some transfer of the developed image to the roller (68) occurs. It is believed that

According to the invention, layer (71) provides a layer (71) which is suitable for the immersion of the developed image when used in liquid toner methods. , a material assembly that virtually eliminates transfer while preventing staining or sticking. has a structure.

It is expected that the transfer of the image to the roller (68) will be negligible, but it may also occur. A stripping strip is used to remove slight transfer deposits and to ensure proper removal of the paper. Par (85) is given.

As a composition according to the invention, soft silicone for the layer (71) of the roller (68): A 1-ton rubber compound is used, which consists of a mixture of (i) about 1- Curable silicone oil containing about 4 parts by weight of curing agent, (ii> about 10 parts by weight of hard Rubber-forming room temperature curable silicone polymer and (iii) curing of component (11) Component ratio (i): (ii) with sufficient silicone polymer curing agent to effect : (iii) is preferably about ~4. About 10 to about 08 - 1.2 parts by weight .

Examples of components (i>, (ii) and (iii) are as follows.

(i) RTV910 1 General Elect (ii) RTV615A, RT V630Al　’) Made by Tsuku (USA) (iii) RTV8158. RTV630 B) Such components can be used, for example, in a weight ratio of about 2:10.1 .

An example of a release agent coated silicone polymer provided on the roller (68) is Syl-Off (Syl-0 "f) 7600 (Syl-0" made by Corning Corporation (USA) Off 7601 again? i can be crosslinked with SIL-OFF 7048) and , particularly a Sill Off 7600tf Sill Off 7601 ratio of about 200:1, or about It has a ratio of 7600 sill-off to 7048 sill-off of 500:1. this These ratios are substantially higher than those recommended by the manufacturer.

in general! 11 Release agent-coated silicone> Approximately 1 of the polymer to soft silicone rubber blend: Although weight ratios ranging from 1.5 to about 1.20 are generally considered effective, A ratio of 1:3 to 16 has given good results, with a ratio of 6 using a weight ratio of approximately 1:4. is currently preferred.

In accordance with the present invention, when the composition of the present invention as defined herein is formed into a shaped article, the article The surface of the product is exposed at elevated temperature to such Adhesion is reduced compared to the surface of the article. Such articles are especially suitable for curved surfaces. Having a surface is useful for forming rollers such as roller (68). , or to form annular bands used in various electrostatic imaging methods.

As already indicated above, the melting and fixing process of electrostatic imaging using solid powdered toner Applying heat and pressure at (among other things) Because the developed image partially adheres to the 0) onto heated rollers (68) which together provide the necessary nip. This has the disadvantage that copying becomes undesirable.

However, according to the invention, the coating on the roller (68) is made from the composition of the invention. and its surface which is heated and comes into contact with the toner image is heated using a composition known for this purpose. It is much more difficult to metastasize than if it were.

In addition, heat and pressure may not be applied during the melting and fixing process of electrostatic image formation using liquid toner. has hitherto been impractical due to the susceptibility of liquid toner images to smearing, stickiness or soaking. However, the composition of the present invention now allows for the first time to achieve such a liquid phase. In the toner method, heat and pressure are applied in the same way as the corresponding process in the powder solid toner method. According to six aspects of the present invention, it is now possible to introduce a step comprising: 1 and 2, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoconductor (4), and the latent image is developed. Develop with liquid toner from image plate 18) and transfer the developed image to carrier sheet <1 00) and the transferred image on the substrate preferably from the novel composition of the present invention. Heat and pressure are applied to the formed roller (68) and the roller (70). Provides an electrostatic imaging process that includes steps of fusing and fixing by applying force. .

According to another nine aspects of the invention, the latent image may be developed with a powdered solid toner.

Further referring to Figure 2, moisten the heating roller (68) with silicone oil such as 350F. A device is also provided to do so. Wetting of the roller (68) is carried out from the rubber composition. The non-crosslinked silicone oil used in It will be appreciated that this is important to prevent drying of the top coating (71) due to .

The illustrated wetting device comprises a wetting roller (88) mounted on an adjustable shaft (88). At 86), a roller (8) is operated to rotate together with the heating roller (68). 6). A spring-supported arm (90) is also provided, which The contact between the roller (86) and the roller (68) is ) direction (, axis < 88), , maintained by applying pressure to h.

The wetting row →-(16) communicates with the tank (94) 117 and contacts the roller (86). The liquid-absorbing material (92) that is maintained in a wet state can be maintained in a wet state. Ru. The material (92) is, for example, a fake piece of velvet attached to the support -1. The 6 tanks (94) that may contain enough water to moisten the moisturizer (86) The silicone oil is supplied to a depth sufficient to preserve the material (92). It is typical that Press the doctor button (<110) on the roller (86). The thickness of the Basting C1 liquid is preferably reduced to about 7 times. The liquid is pumped ( 98) and inlet pipe <102) from the external storage tank (96) to the tank (94). and from there it is sent out at a very slow speed.

Excess liquid in the reservoir (94) drips out therefrom and is transferred to the reservoir via the outlet conduit (104). Returns to (96).

Toner solutions suitable for the method of the invention may be prepared as follows. Elpac ELVAX n 5720 (DuPont) (1000g) and Isovar ( Is Kano^R) 1. (Exon>(500g) Ross, -, -axis planet <90) at 110°C using a double planetary mixer. Mix together at room temperature for 1 hour. Carbon black [Nogul L, Ki] Add Cabot, 250g’1 and Imphal (50h) and mix. Continue the process for 1 hour.

Add Isopar L (2000g) pre-heated to 110°C and continue for 1 hour. Continue mixing for a while. Remove the heat source and continue mixing until the temperature drops below 40°C. G-) 3050g of the resulting mixture was placed in a cylindrical 0.5″ alumina tube. S*eco M 28 vibration mill with ξ' Isovar L (4000g) Grind for about 22 hours at a temperature of 40 ± 2-3°C to 1.7'::. The product is 1285% C with solids concentration. Isovar L, 1.5% solids content △, diluted 4: A practical dispersion was obtained. In the following example, Savin 87 0 photocopying machine requires 2 to 1.5 parts of this working solution, plus Isovar L in Even though 10% solution 7-8I□I containing lecithin was added as a charge specifying agent. In contrast, the Sabin V45 photocopier requires 0.8 of this working solution and Use 3.5 to 4 zl of a 10% solution of lecithin in Isovar L as a charge specifying agent. and added.

The following examples (which illustrate the invention, but are not limited thereto) It's not.

Implementation f’M1 As mentioned above, the heated roller was kept at an optimal temperature of 120±10°C to minimize transitions. - A Sabin V45 photocopying machine modified to incorporate a system in the fusing/fixing process was installed at approximately 314xw/sec substrate speed, 6kg pressure applied to each one of the pair of rollers , was operated using liquid toner prepared as described above. Nip length is approximately 4-6z It was z. Under these conditions, most of the isovar I- in the toner image is retained within it. Melting and fixing were achieved while holding.

Example 2 Using a Sabin 870 photocopier with the internal fuser disabled, the previously described Copies were made on paper using the droplet toner produced as described above. Flash illumination of approximately 0.75 joules/cw' was applied for a 400 μsec pulse time.

Under these conditions, the amount of isovar ■5 in the toner image is Parts were kept in it.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described above. 0 This invention is limited only by the scope of the claims. .

Submission of translation of written amendment (Tokusakumi Article 84, 17) 8) Shame

Claims (29)

[Claims] 1. developing an image with a liquid toner containing a liquid carrier and applying energy to the image; In an image forming method including a step of melting and fixing by applying a Conditions regarding the energy applied in fixing and the nature of the liquid carrier are The carrier should be preselected so that it is not substantially removed by fixing and melting. improved imaging methods including; 2. a liquid toner comprising at least colored thermoplastic polymer particles and a liquid carrier; Develop the electrostatic image, transfer the developed image to a substrate, and then transfer the developed image to a substrate supported by the developed image. an elastomer-coated first roller by applying heat to said image from the surface of an elastomer-coated first roller. fused and fixed, but the surface is lubricated and the substrate is melted and fixed by a first roller. and the surface of a second elastomer-coated roller located on the back side of the substrate. an electrostatic imageform that includes steps conveyed through a nib defined by a portion of a surface; In the process, at least the following conditions are met: the temperature at which melting and fixing occur, the substrate The speed of movement of the liquid carrier and the properties of the liquid carrier are determined by Improved electrostatic imaging including pre-selection so that qualitatively not all is removed Enacted law. 3. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transferring the image to a substrate. 4. The transfer process first transfers the image to an intermediate surface, and then transfers that intermediate surface to the substrate. 4. A method according to claim 2 or 3, comprising the dependent steps of: 5. The improvement is to reduce the amount of liquid carrier so that most of it is not removed by settling and melting. According to any one of claims 1 to 3, the method includes preselecting at least the various conditions. Method. 6. Ensure that at least about 50% by weight of the liquid carrier does not evaporate upon fixing and melting. The method described in claim 5. 7. 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein a substantial portion of the liquid carrier does not evaporate upon fixing and melting. The method described in any one of the above. 8. The application of energy is accomplished by applying a heated surface to the image. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 9. 9. The heated surface is the surface of an elastomer coated roller. the method of. 10. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the heated surface is the surface of a continuous belt. 11. Application of energy is done by applying a flash of beams to the image. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 12. The substrate is the surface of an elastomer-coated roller defined as the first roller. a portion of the surface of the second elastomer-coated roller located on the back surface of the substrate; the coating of the second roller is moved through the nib defined by the , having a Shore A hardness lower than that of the first roller coating. Method. 13. A claim in which the coating on the second roller has a greater thickness than the coating on the first roller. The method according to item 12. 14. The ratio of the coating thickness of the first roller to the coating thickness of the second roller is 1:10. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein: 15. (A) a release agent-coated silicone polymer; and (B) a Shore A of about 50 or less. Soft silicone rubber compound with hardness, wherein the weight ratio of (A) to (B) is from about 1:1.5 to about 1:20. 16. Claim 15, wherein the weight ratio of (A) to (B) ranges from about 1:3 to about 1:6. Compositions as described. 17. Component (B) is (i) a curable silicone oil containing about 1 to about 4 parts by weight of a curing agent; (ii) about 10 parts by weight of a hard rubber-forming room temperature curable silicone polymer; (iii) sufficient silicone polymer curing agent to effect curing of component (ii); 16. The composition of claim 15. 18. Component (B) is (i) a curable silicone oil containing about 1 to about 4 parts by weight of a curing agent; (ii) about 10 parts by weight of a hard rubber-forming room temperature curable silicone polymer; (iii) sufficient silicone polymer curing agent to effect curing of component (ii); 17. The composition according to claim 16, comprising: 19. The component ratio (i):(ii):(iii) is about 1 to 4: about 10: about 0.8 to 1 ．． 18. The composition of claim 17, wherein the composition is 2 parts by weight. 20. The component ratio (i):(ii):(iii) is about 1 to 4: about 10: about 0.8 to 1 ．． 19. The composition of claim 18, wherein the composition is 2 parts by weight. 21. A developed image formed by liquid toner electrostatic imaging and then transferred onto a substrate. In an apparatus for fusing and fixing an image thereon, A first movable member for effecting the transfer of a moving developed image in contact with a first contact surface thereof. a first movable member having a material that acts qualitatively to prevent; a second movable member defining a second contact surface, wherein a portion of the second contact surface contacts the first contact surface; a second movable member defining a nib with a portion of the surface; increasing the temperature of the developed image as it contacts the first contact surface; a mechanism for causing at least partial fixing and fusing of the developed image; and applying force through the nib to at least partially fuse and fix the developed image. , to cause when it passes between said first movable surface and said second movable surface Claims 15 to 16 are characterized in that the material has a mechanism of: 21. A fusing device formed from the composition according to any one of 20. 22. Claim 19, further comprising a mechanism for wetting the first contact surface with a warming liquid. The device described in. 23. A shaped article formed from a composition and defining a surface, the shaped article having at least said surface. A molded article whose surface is formed from the composition according to any one of claims 15 to 20. Goods. 24. forming an electrostatic latent image on a first substrate; developing the latent image with toner; The image is transferred to a second substrate, and the second substrate supported image is transferred to a second substrate according to any one of claims 15 to 20. contacting under pressure with the curved surface of a thermoformed article formed from the composition described in An electrostatic image consisting of various steps of melting and fixing on the substrate by applying heat and pressure. Formation method. 25. 25. The electrostatic method of claim 24, comprising the additional step of wetting the curved surface with a wetting liquid. Image formation method. 26. During the melting and fixing process, the curved surface of the heated molded article and the soft rubber compound Claim for passing a second substrate between a further curved surface defined by the formed molded article The electrostatic image forming method according to item 24. 27. Thickness of molded articles formed from compositions versus molded articles formed from soft rubber formulations 27. The electrostatic image of claim 26, wherein the thickness ratio of the shaped article is in the range of about 1:30 to 80. Formation method. 28. 25. The electrostatic imaging method of claim 24, wherein the toner comprises a powdered solid toner. 29. 25. The electrostatic imaging method according to claim 24, wherein the toner comprises a liquid toner.