Crystalline Polyester Toner for Heat-Stable Low-Temp Fixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Toner formulations that balance heat-resistant storability and low-temperature fixability face challenges with crystalline resin-containing binder resins, where crystallinity decline leads to deterioration in both properties, and existing solutions do not adequately ensure temporal stability of low-temperature fixability.
Innovation Solution
A toner with a binder resin containing a crystalline polyester resin, produced through condensation polymerization of specific monomers, which promotes thorough crystallization and miscibility with other resins, enhancing both heat-resistant storability and low-temperature fixability while maintaining temporal stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a crystalline resin-containing binder resin is used to achieve low-temperature fixability, then the low-temperature fixability is improved, but the heat-resistant storability deteriorates due to crystallinity decline
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the crystalline polyester resin by controlling the ratio of specific monomers (monomer (a) from Group A and monomer (b) from Group B) to achieve a melting point of 50-85°C. This parameter optimization allows the resin to maintain crystallinity at storage temperatures while melting at fixing temperatures, resolving the contradiction between heat-resistant storability and low-temperature fixability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite binder resin system combining crystalline polyester resin with specific structural characteristics (containing both monomer (a) and monomer (b) units) to achieve synergistic effects. The composite structure provides both the crystallinity needed for heat-resistant storability and the controlled melting behavior needed for low-temperature fixability
2Reliability
If a crystal nucleating agent is added to inhibit crystallinity decline, then the heat-resistant storability is improved, but the temporal stability of low-temperature fixability deteriorates due to recrystallization
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the need for external crystal nucleating agents by incorporating inherent nucleating capabilities into the crystalline polyester resin's molecular structure. The specific combination of monomer (a) and monomer (b) units creates a self-nucleating system that maintains crystallinity without requiring additional additives, thereby avoiding the recrystallization issues that plague conventional approaches
Solution Approach 2:
The crystalline polyester resin serves itself by containing structural elements (the specific monomer units from Groups A and B) that automatically maintain crystallinity and prevent both crystallinity decline and unwanted recrystallization. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for external crystal nucleating agents and ensures temporal stability of low-temperature fixability
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 improved coexistence of heat-resistant storability and low-temperature fixability, with the crystalline polyester resin's controlled melting point and miscibility with other binder resins supporting these properties, leading to enhanced performance and stability.
Implementation Method 1
the crystalline polyester resin is obtained by condensation polymerization of a monomer (a) selected from the monomer group A described below and a monomer (b) selected from the monomer group B described below
Implementation Method 2
the crystalline resin undergoes a decline in its crystallinity and a portion of the uncrystallized crystalline resin then plasticizes the binder resin
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a toner for which the heat-resistant storability and the low-temperature fixability are able to co-exist at higher levels and for which the temporal stability of the low-temperature fixability is also excellent. The toner has a toner particle that contains a binder resin and a pigment, and this binder resin contains a polyester resin that has a specific structure and specific properties.