Conductive urethane roller

Abstract

An electrically conductive or semi-conductive polymeric material including a metal salt dissolved in a polymer. The metal salt is complexed with the polymer, which is what provides the material with its conductive properties. The materials have a resistivity of between 10 5 and 10 12 ohms-cm.

1 . An electrically conductive or semi-conductive polymeric material, comprising a solid solution of metal salt in polymer, said metal salt being completed with said polymer to provide said material with a resistivity of between about 10 12  ohms-cm and 10 5  ohms-cm.  
     
     
         2 . The polymeric material of  claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material comprises less than 5% of said metal salt by weight.  
     
     
         3 . The polymeric material of  claim 2 , wherein said polymeric material comprises less than 0.2% of said metal salt by weight.  
     
     
         4 . The polymeric material of  claim 1 , wherein the molecular size of said metal salt is of between about 1Å and 10 Å.  
     
     
         5 . The polymeric material of  claim 1 , wherein said polymer is an elastomeric polymer.  
     
     
         6 . The polymeric material of  claim 1 , wherein said polymer is a polyurethane foam.  
     
     
         7 . The polymeric material of  claim 5 , wherein said elastomeric polymer is a polyurethane.  
     
     
         8 . The polymeric material of  claim 5 , wherein said elastomeric polymer is a rubber.  
     
     
         9 . The polymeric material of  claim 8 , wherein said rubber is selected from the group consisting of nitriles, natural rubbers, neoprenes, fluorocarbons, and silicones.  
     
     
         10 . The polymeric material of  claim 8 , said material further comprising a plasticizer.  
     
     
         11 . The polymeric material of  claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material comprises less than 1% of said metal salt by weight.  
     
     
         12 . The polymeric material of  claim 1 , wherein said polymer is an adhesive polymer.  
     
     
         13 . The polymeric material of  claim 1 , wherein said polymer is a plastic, containing electron donating substituents.  
     
     
         14 . The polymeric material of  claim 1 , wherein said material has a resistivity of between about 10 7  ohms-cm and 10 9  ohms-cm.  
     
     
         15 . The polymeric material of  claim 1 , wherein said metal salt is a transition metal halide.  
     
     
         16 . The polymeric material of  claim 1 , wherein said metal salt is selected from the group consisting of CuCl 2 , CuBr 2 , CoCl 2 , ZnCl 2 , NiCl 2 , FeCl 2 , Cu(NO 3 ) 2 , FeBr 2 , LiBF 4 , and H 4 Fe(CN) 6 , CuI 2 , FeI 3 , FeCl 3 , FeBr 3 , copper lactate, copper tartrate iron phosphate, and iron oxalate.  
     
     
         17 . A roller comprising a cylinder having a surface comprising a conductive or semi-conductive polymeric material comprising a solid solution of a metal salt in a polymer, wherein said metal salt is complexed with said polymer to provide said polymeric material with a resistivity of between about 10 12  ohms-cm and  10   5  ohms-cm.  
     
     
         18 . The roller of  claim 17  wherein said polymeric material comprises a polyurethane polymer.  
     
     
         19 . A method of making an electrically conductive or semi-conductive polymeric material having a resistivity of between 10 12  ohms-cm and 10 5  ohms-cm, said method comprising mixing a metal salt with a polymer or polymer precursor to provide a solution that includes said metal salt and said polymer or polymer precursor; 
 curing said solution to provide a polymeric material in which said metal salt is complexed to said polymer or a polymer produced from said polymer precursor;    wherein a sufficient quantity of said metal salt is mixed with said polymer of polymer precursor so that the resistivity of said polymeric material is between 10 10  ohms-cm and 10 5  ohms-cm.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said polymeric material comprises less than 1% of said metal salt by weight.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said polymer precursor is an isocyanate-functional prepolymer.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein an extender is also mixed with said polymer precursor and said metal salt to provide said curable mixture.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said extender is a polyol or a polyamine.