Fly Ash Nanoparticle Toner via Emulsion Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The environmental impact of fly ash from coal-fired power plants and the need for sustainable methods of toner production that address consumer demand for eco-friendly products.
Innovation Solution
A toner production method involving the preparation of a latex and a pigment using fly ash ground to nanoparticle size, combined with polyethylene wax and other additives in an emulsion aggregation process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If fly ash is disposed of in traditional methods, then environmental contamination is avoided, but environmental harm is caused to soil and water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts harmful fly ash waste into beneficial toner pigment particles. Fly ash that would otherwise contaminate soil and water is ground to nanoparticle size and incorporated into toner composition, transforming an environmental hazard into a useful product component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers value from discarded fly ash by collecting and processing it into toner pigment. Instead of disposing of fly ash in landfills or water bodies, the process retrieves it and transforms it into a functional material for printing applications.
2Productivity
If traditional ink toner production methods are used, then toner production is achieved, but environmental sustainability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces environmentally harmful traditional toner production materials with fly ash-derived pigment particles. This substitution maintains production capability while eliminating the environmental damage associated with conventional ink toner manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a self-sustaining system where industrial waste (fly ash) serves as the raw material for producing consumer goods (toner). This circular approach allows the system to utilize its own waste products, reducing dependence on virgin materials and minimizing environmental impact.
3Manufacturing precision
If fly ash is ground to nanoparticle size, then toner quality is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary size reduction of fly ash before the main grinding process. By pre-processing the fly ash to a coarser intermediate size, the subsequent nanoparticle grinding requires less energy and time to achieve the final desired particle size distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes grinding parameters such as ball mill speed, grinding time, and media size to achieve nanoparticle production with minimized energy consumption. By carefully controlling these parameters, the process achieves the required particle size uniformity while reducing the total energy input required for size reduction.
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 method effectively converts fly ash into a sustainable toner product, reducing environmental waste while meeting consumer demands for eco-friendly products.
Implementation Method 1
dispersing a mixture of the polyethylene wax, pigment including fly ash, and latex in deionized water using a mechanical stirrer to achieve a homogeneous suspension
Implementation Method 2
The latex, the fly ash pigment, and polyethylene wax are combined in an emulsion aggregation process
Implementation Method 3
the fly ash has been ground to nanoparticle size... the fly ash pigment is prepared by grinding fly ash in a ball mill
Implementation Method 4
centrifuging, washing with deionized water and drying to achieve a finished toner
Data Source
AI summary
A toner based on fly-ash rich carbon and method of producing are disclosed. The process includes preparing a latex and preparing a pigment including fly ash, where the fly ash has been ground to nanoparticle size. The latex, pigment including fly ash, and polyethylene wax are combined in an emulsion aggregation process. The latex is formed by a mixing process including combining ammonium bicarbonate, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, styrene, acrylic acid, and methyl methacrylate. The emulsion aggregation process includes steps of dispersing a mixture of the polyethylene wax, pigment including fly ash, and latex in water, adding zinc oxide, nitric acid, adding Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), elevating the temperature, neutralizing the product mixture with NaOH solution and cooling the mixture, Centrifuging, washing and drying are performed to achieve a finished toner which includes fly ash pigment, polyethylene wax, poly(styrene-methyl methacrylate-acrylic acid) latex, zinc oxide and a chelating agent.