Liquid Toner Wax Particle Adhesion and Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid toners lack durability and adhesion properties, leading to issues such as flaking, peeling, and abrasion in printed images, which affect the quality and longevity of the images produced.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating wax particles treated with a charge adjuvant into a liquid toner formulation, along with optionally pigmented polymer particles and activated silica, to enhance chargeability and adhesion, and using a method that involves grinding the wax with the charge adjuvant in a hydrocarbon carrier liquid to improve the toner's durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If liquid toner is used without wax particles, then the toner formulation is simple and easy to manufacture, but the durability of printed images is poor leading to flaking and peeling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines polymer particles, wax particles, and silica particles to create a composite toner formulation. The wax particles (3-7% by weight) are integrated with polymer particles to form a composite structure that improves image durability and adhesion while maintaining manageable formulation complexity through standardized particle size ranges and composition ratios.
2Strength
If wax particles are added to liquid toner, then adhesion and durability are improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex requiring separate grinding and mixing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into distinct stages: (1) preparing polymer particles with desired properties, (2) preparing wax particles separately through grinding with charge adjuvant in hydrocarbon liquid, (3) combining the particles in a dispersing medium, and (4) drying to form the final toner. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall process manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The wax particles are pre-treated by grinding with charge adjuvant in hydrocarbon liquid before being added to the polymer particles. This preliminary action ensures the wax particles are properly prepared and charged, improving their adhesion properties and eliminating the need for complex post-processing steps.
3Reliability
If charge adjuvant is applied to wax particles, then chargeability is improved, but an additional processing step is required
Solution Approach 1:
The charge adjuvant application step is merged with the wax particle preparation step. The charge adjuvant is applied to wax particles during the grinding process in hydrocarbon liquid, combining two functions (particle size reduction and charge adjuvant application) into a single integrated step, thereby eliminating additional processing complexity.
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 solution significantly improves the durability of printed images by reducing flaking, peeling, and abrasion, as demonstrated by improved test results in flake, peel, and rub tests, indicating better adhesion and resistance to mechanical damage.
Implementation Method 1
the charge adjuvant comprises aluminum-tri-stearate... the wax particles are treated by adhering the charge adjuvant to them
Implementation Method 2
charge directors which attach to the toner particles and cause them to be charged... the charge director is effective to charge the toner particles and the wax particles
Implementation Method 3
Liquid toner with added silica particles is well known in the art. The object of these particles is to improve the durability of the toner particles after they are fused and fixed to a final substrate
Implementation Method 4
wax particles... to enhance chargeability and adhesion... reducing flaking, peeling, and abrasion... indicating better adhesion and resistance to mechanical damage
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid toner comprising a hydrocarbon carrier liquid; toner particles; wax particles; and a charge director. Methods of producing embodiments of the toner and components of the toner are disclosed.