Epoxidized Polyester Resin Toner Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing polyester resin synthesis processes for emulsion aggregation toners face challenges in compatibility with other toner components, such as waxes, leading to issues like wax rejection during aggregation and coalescence, which affects the properties and efficiency of low-melt toners.
Innovation Solution
The process involves epoxidizing unsaturated polyester resins using agents like peroxyacids or hydrogen peroxide to form epoxidized polyester resins, which are then modified with wax-like components or those possessing carboxylic acid groups to enhance compatibility and adjust melting points, molecular weights, and acid values, thereby improving the properties of the toner particles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional polyester resins are used in emulsion aggregation toners, then the toners achieve low melting point characteristics for energy efficient printing, but the resins exhibit incompatibility with waxes leading to wax rejection during aggregation and coalescence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical structure of polyester resins through epoxidation, introducing epoxy groups that enable compatibility with waxes while maintaining low melting point characteristics. The epoxidized polyester resin contains from 1 to 50 mole percent epoxy groups, creating a new chemical parameter space that resolves the incompatibility issue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates composite materials by combining epoxidized polyester resin with wax components in the toner formulation. The epoxy groups on the polyester resin interact with wax molecules to form a compatible composite system, preventing wax rejection during aggregation and coalescence while maintaining the desired low melting point for energy efficient printing.
2Reliability
If polyester resin composition is modified to improve wax compatibility, then resin-wax compatibility improves, but batch-to-batch variability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-introducing epoxy groups onto the polyester resin molecules during resin synthesis, before the toner aggregation process. This preliminary modification ensures that all resin molecules have consistent wax-compatible functional groups, eliminating batch-to-batch variability that would otherwise occur during the aggregation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls the epoxy group content as a fixed parameter (1 to 50 mole percent) in the polyester resin structure. This parameter control ensures consistent chemical composition across batches, providing reliable wax compatibility without introducing variability. The specific epoxy content range is optimized to balance compatibility with consistent manufacturing.
3Reliability
If epoxidized polyester resin is used to improve compatibility and control melting point, then resin-wax compatibility and melting point control improve, but the synthesis process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs epoxidation as a preliminary step before toner aggregation, modifying the polyester resin to contain epoxy groups. This preliminary modification simplifies the subsequent aggregation process by ensuring compatibility is already built into the resin structure, rather than requiring complex control during aggregation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the epoxy group content parameter (1 to 50 mole percent) to achieve the desired balance between compatibility and melting point control. By controlling this single chemical parameter, the patent simplifies the overall synthesis process while achieving multiple performance goals simultaneously.
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 allows for finer control over the melting point and compatibility of polyester resins with waxes, resulting in improved toner particle formation and increased efficiency in the emulsion aggregation process, overcoming previous limitations of resin-wax incompatibilities and batch-to-batch variability.
Implementation Method 1
contacting at least one unsaturated polyester with at least one epoxidizing agent such as peroxyacids, peroxyphthalates, hydrogen peroxide and a suitable catalyst... to form an epoxidized polyester resin
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides methods for modifying polymeric resin materials after polymerization to make fine adjustments in the chemical or physical properties of the resin, or in modifying the structure of the polymer chains. The resulting resins may be useful in forming toner particles. In embodiments, a polymeric resin may have epoxy groups added to its backbone to increase its melting point. The resulting polymer, sometimes referred to herein as an epoxidized polymer, may, in turn, be reacted with wax-like components, to increase the compatibility of the polyester with waxes utilized in forming toner particles. In other embodiments, the resulting epoxidized polymer may be reacted with components possessing carboxylic acid groups to adjust the acid value and weight average molecular weight of the resin.