Composite Toner Resin for Low-Temperature Fixing and Offset Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Toner in electrophotography faces challenges in achieving low-temperature fixability while maintaining heat-resistant storage stability and hot offset resistance, as increasing printing speed leads to defective fixation and energy consumption issues, and simply controlling thermal properties of binder resins does not provide a good balance between these requirements.
Innovation Solution
A toner composition comprising a crystalline polyester resin, an amorphous resin, and a composite resin with specific molecular weight distribution and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic characteristics, which improves low-temperature fixability, heat-resistant storage stability, and hot offset resistance by optimizing the ratio of crystalline to amorphous components and incorporating a condensation polymerization resin unit and an addition polymerization resin unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the fixing temperature is increased to prevent defective fixation at high printing speeds, then the fixation quality is improved, but energy consumption increases and deterioration of fixing members accelerates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thermal parameters of the binder resin by selecting specific glass transition temperatures (60-90°C) and softening temperatures (90-110°C), enabling effective fixation at lower temperatures (80-100°C) while maintaining image quality and reducing energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite binder resin systems combining polyester resins with other resin types (such as polyurethane or polyacrylic resins) to achieve a balance between low-temperature fixability and heat-resistant storage stability, allowing effective fixation without excessive temperature increase
2Temperature
If the glass transition temperature of binder resins is lowered to improve low-temperature fixability, then fixation performance is improved, but heat-resistant storage stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the glass transition temperature to a specific range (60-90°C) rather than simply lowering it, and combines this with controlling the softening temperature (90-110°C) to achieve both low-temperature fixability and adequate heat-resistant storage stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite resin systems where polyester resins are combined with other resin types having complementary thermal properties, allowing the system to exhibit low-temperature fixability while maintaining heat-resistant storage stability through the synergistic effects of the composite materials
3Temperature
If the softening temperature of binder resins is lowered to improve low-temperature fixability, then fixation performance is improved, but hot offset resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully controls the softening temperature within the range of 90-110°C, which is low enough to enable effective fixation at reduced temperatures but high enough to prevent hot offset, achieving a balance between fixability and offset resistance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite binder resin systems that combine polyester resins with other resin types having different thermal characteristics, creating a multi-phase structure where different resin components contribute to different functions: low-temperature fixability from one component and hot offset resistance from another component
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 toner achieves a good combination of low-temperature fixability, heat-resistant storage stability, and hot offset resistance, preventing filming on organic photoreceptors and maintaining image quality even under physical stresses, thus addressing the limitations of existing toner technologies.
Implementation Method 1
controlling thermal properties, such as the glass transition temperature (Tg) and the softening temperature (T1/2), of its binder resins
Implementation Method 2
a non-olefin-based crystalline polymer binder which sharply melts at the glass transition temperature
Implementation Method 3
a toner image is fixed on a recording medium, such as paper, by application of heat and pressure
Implementation Method 4
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic characteristics
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A toner including a crystalline polyester resin (A), an amorphous resin (B), and a composite resin (C) having a condensation polymerization resin unit and an addition polymerization resin unit is provided. A molecular weight distribution of the toner based on THF-soluble contents thereof has a main peak within a molecular weight range from 1,000 to 10,000 and a half bandwidth of the main peak is 15,000 or less. The molecular weight distribution is determined by gel permeation chromatography. The toner includes chloroform-insoluble contents. A ratio C/R of the toner is within a range from 0.03 to 0.55. C and R represent heights of spectrum peaks specific to the crystalline polyester resin (A) and the amorphous resin (B), respectively, determined by a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic attenuation total reflection method after the toner is stored in a thermostatic chamber at 45°C for 12 hours.