Aluminized Silica Coagulant Toner with Aluminum Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current styrene acrylate emulsion aggregation toners face challenges in achieving excellent gloss and print quality while maintaining low aluminum content to prevent metal-induced crosslinking and quality hindrance.
Innovation Solution
The development of toner particles comprising a non-crosslinked styrene acrylate polymer binder, colorants, waxes, and aluminized silica, with a controlled aluminum concentration of 50-600 ppm, utilizing a core-shell structure and a sequestering agent to extract aluminum ions, ensuring high gloss and print quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If aluminized silica is used as a coagulating agent during emulsion aggregation, then toner formation and aggregation are improved, but aluminum content increases causing metal-induced crosslinking and quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes aluminum ions from the toner particles using a sequestering agent (such as EDTA) after the emulsion aggregation process. This extraction step eliminates the harmful aluminum content while preserving the benefits of using aluminized silica as a coagulating agent during toner formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a sequestering agent as an intermediary substance that binds to and removes aluminum ions from the toner particles. This mediator enables the separation of the coagulation function (performed by aluminized silica) from the harmful metal content (removed by sequestering agent).
2Manufacturing precision
If aluminum content is reduced to prevent crosslinking, then print quality is improved, but coagulation efficiency during emulsion aggregation may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the coagulation action preliminarily using aluminized silica during the emulsion aggregation step to form toner particles with desired properties, then subsequently removes the aluminum content through sequestering agent treatment. This preliminary coagulation ensures efficient particle formation while the subsequent removal step guarantees high print quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves high gloss and improved print quality by controlling aluminum content and preventing crosslinking, resulting in toners with a gloss of at least 30 GGU on plain paper and 40 GGU on coated papers, while maintaining low aluminum levels.
Implementation Method 1
an aggregating agent or complexing agent is then added to form aggregated toner particles
Implementation Method 2
subjecting the toner to an extraction step after formation of the toner
Implementation Method 3
The aggregated toner particles are optionally heated to enable coalescence/fusing, thereby achieving aggregated, fused toner particles
Data Source
AI summary
The toner includes emulsion aggregation toner particles of a binder including a non-crosslinked styrene acrylate polymer, at least one colorant, at least one wax, and aluminized silica, wherein an amount of aluminum metal in the toner particles is from about 50 ppm to about 600 ppm. Such toner is able to provide a high level of gloss while maintaining a low minimum fixing temperature. The aluminized silica acts as a coagulant during the emulsion aggregation formation process of the toner.