Organic-Inorganic Composite Toner Additive for Fixability and Offset
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrophotographic toners face challenges in achieving high developability, low-temperature fixability, and high temperature-resistant offset properties, especially under high-speed conditions, with existing solutions often compromising on one or more of these performance metrics.
Innovation Solution
The use of organic-inorganic composite fine particles with a resin fine particle and an embedded inorganic fine particle, where part of the inorganic particle is exposed, characterized by specific viscoelasticity measurements to ensure optimal melting and bonding properties, is introduced as an external additive to enhance toner performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a crystalline resin fine particle is externally added to improve low-temperature fixability, then low-temperature fixability is improved, but developability and high temperature-resistant offset property are still susceptible to improvement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining organic resin fine particles with inorganic fine particles to create a hybrid external additive. This composite structure allows the additive to simultaneously provide low-temperature fixability (through the organic resin component that melts at low temperature) and maintain high temperature-resistant offset property (through the inorganic component that provides thermal stability), thereby resolving the technical contradiction between low-temperature fixability and overall toner performance reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the apparatus is used in hot areas to expand market, then market expansion is achieved, but maintain excellent developability under high temperature becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully controlling the glass transition temperature and melting point of the organic resin, as well as the particle size and surface properties of the inorganic fine particles. These parameter adjustments enable the external additive to maintain optimal viscoelastic properties across a wide temperature range, ensuring excellent developability under high temperature conditions while allowing market expansion to hot areas.
3Productivity
If high-speed condition is implemented to increase productivity, then speed is improved, but maintain excellent developability and fixability simultaneously becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by designing an external additive with temperature-dependent viscoelastic properties that adapt to different operating conditions. The organic-inorganic composite structure provides dynamic response to temperature changes, allowing the toner to maintain excellent developability during high-speed operation while ensuring proper fixability when temperature increases, thereby resolving the contradiction between productivity and performance reliability.
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
This approach improves developability, low-temperature fixability, and high temperature-resistant offset properties simultaneously by controlling the viscoelastic properties of the toner, allowing for effective bonding and releasability even under high-speed and high-temperature conditions.
Implementation Method 1
an inorganic fine particle which is embedded in the resin fine particle, and part of which is exposed to a surface of the organic-inorganic composite fine particle
Implementation Method 2
in viscoelasticity measurement of the organic-inorganic composite fine particle, when a loss elastic modulus thereof at a temperature T (° C.) is represented by G′′T [dN/m2] and a change ratio of a common logarithm of the loss elastic modulus is represented by d(Log(G′′T))/dT, the d(Log(G′′T))/dT has a minimum in a temperature range of from 60° C. to 150° C.
Implementation Method 3
allowing for effective bonding and releasability even under high-speed and high-temperature conditions
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a toner, including: a toner particle; and an organic-inorganic composite fine particle on a surface of the toner particle, in which the organic-inorganic composite fine particle includes: a resin fine particle; and an inorganic fine particle embedded in the resin fine particle, and part of which is exposed to a surface of the composite fine particle, and in which the composite fine particle satisfies the following relationships: (i) in viscoelasticity measurement of the composite fine particle, when the loss elastic modulus thereof at a temperature T (° C.) is represented by G″T [dN/m2], a change ratio d(Log(G″T))/dT of a common logarithm of the loss elastic modulus has a minimum in a temperature range of from 60° C. to 150° C., and the minimum is less than −0.10; and (ii) the loss elastic modulus (G″180) thereof at a temperature of 180° C. is 1.0×104 dN/m2 or more and 1.0×107 dN/m2 or less.