Electrostatic Charge Image-Developing Toner for Low-Temperature Fixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrostatic charge image developing toners face issues with end part stains on recording media due to non-visual offset, which occurs when isolated toner adheres to the fixing member during low-temperature fixing, compromising image quality and recording medium transport.
Innovation Solution
The toner particles incorporate an amorphous polyester resin and a crystalline resin as a binder, with specific constitutional units derived from aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and aliphatic diol, maintaining a molar ratio of 0.5% to 10.0% and controlling the minimal loss tangent value between 0.50 and 1.00 to enhance low-temperature fixability and reduce non-visual offset.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If toner uses conventional binder resin for low-temperature fixing, then fixability is improved, but end part stains occur due to non-visual offset
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the binder resin by incorporating specific constitutional units (aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and aliphatic diol) at controlled molar ratios (0.5-10.0%), which modifies the resin's thermal and mechanical properties to achieve low-temperature fixability without causing end part stains
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite binder resin system combining amorphous polyester resin with crystalline resin in specific proportions, creating a material that exhibits both low-temperature meltability and controlled adhesion to prevent non-visual offset while maintaining fixability
2Reliability
If toner adheres to fixing member during fixing, then image formation is improved, but non-visual offset occurs causing quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the loss tangent (tan δ) parameter within the range of 0.50-1.00 at 50-80°C, which controls the viscoelastic behavior of the binder resin during fixing, ensuring adequate adhesion for image formation while preventing excessive adhesion that causes non-visual offset
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates different functional zones within the binder resin structure by incorporating specific constitutional units that provide localized adhesion promotion in certain regions while maintaining overall controlled adhesion characteristics to prevent non-visual offset
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 configuration ensures low-temperature fixability while effectively suppressing end part stains on recording media by balancing viscoelasticity and adhesion forces, thereby improving image quality and reducing contamination.
Implementation Method 1
in a dynamic viscoelasticity measurement of the toner particles in a case where a temperature is raised from 30° C. to 120° C., a minimal value tan δ(min) of a loss tangent, present at 50° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower, is 0.50 or more and 1.00 or less
Data Source
AI summary
An electrostatic charge image developing toner contains toner particles that contain an amorphous polyester resin and a crystalline resin as a binder resin, in which the toner particles contain, as the amorphous polyester resin, an amorphous polyester resin (S) that has at least one of a constitutional unit derived from an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid represented by Structural formula (A) or a constitutional unit derived from an aliphatic diol represented by Structural formula (B), a proportion of a total of the constitutional unit derived from the aliphatic dicarboxylic acid represented by Structural formula (A) and the constitutional unit derived from the aliphatic diol represented by Structural formula (B) with respect to all constitutional units constituting the amorphous polyester resin is 0.5% or more and 10.0% or less in terms of molar ratio, and in a dynamic viscoelasticity measurement of the toner particles in a case where a temperature is raised from 30° C. to 120° C., a minimal value tan δ(min) of a loss tangent is present at 50° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower and is 0.50 or more and 1.00 or less.In Structural formulae (A) and (B), nA and nB each independently represent an integer of 2 or more and 12 or less.