PET-Structured Toner Binder for Release Agent Bleed-Out Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Toner containing a polyethylene terephthalate structure experiences bleed-out of release agent in high-speed electrophotographic apparatuses, leading to defective images due to low affinity and accumulation at the cleaning blade, which is not adequately addressed by existing solutions.
Innovation Solution
A toner with a glass transition temperature of 70°C or less, comprising a binder resin with a polyethylene terephthalate structural portion and specific units, and a release agent with controlled SP values, ensuring sufficient seepage of the release agent during fixing to prevent accumulation and improve hot offset resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If amorphous polyester incorporating polyethylene terephthalate structure is used as binder resin, then hot offset resistance is improved, but release agent accumulates at cleaning blade causing defective images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the binder resin by introducing specific units (formulae 1-4) with controlled molecular structures. These units have specific functional groups that modify the resin's affinity for the release agent, allowing the resin to maintain low affinity (for hot offset resistance) while preventing excessive accumulation (for cleaning blade performance).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite binder resin system combining polyethylene terephthalate structure with specific functional units (formulae 1-4). This composite structure integrates the high polarity and low affinity characteristics of PET with the specific interaction properties of the functional units, achieving both hot offset resistance and reduced release agent accumulation.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If amount of polyethylene terephthalate structure is reduced to enhance affinity for release agent, then release agent accumulation is reduced, but hot offset resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by introducing specific functional units (formulae 1-4) at particular locations within the polymer chain structure. These units are strategically positioned to create localized regions with specific affinity characteristics, allowing different parts of the resin structure to have different relationships with the release agent - some regions providing low affinity for hot offset resistance, others providing controlled interaction to prevent accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent precisely controls the molecular parameters of the binder resin by defining specific functional groups (formulae 1-4) with particular chemical structures. These parameter changes in molecular structure allow fine-tuning of the resin's overall affinity for the release agent, achieving the optimal balance between hot offset resistance and accumulation prevention without reducing the overall PET content.
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 effectively reduces defective images by maintaining release agent dispersibility and seepage, enhancing hot offset resistance in high-speed apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
the amorphous polyester incorporating a polyethylene terephthalate structure, which has high polarity, is less miscible with the release agent. Accordingly, the amorphous polyester incorporating a polyethylene terephthalate structure has lower affinity for the release agent than that using only bisphenol A alkylene oxide adduct, promoting the seepage of the release agents
Implementation Method 2
The toner that reaches the cleaning section is stuck at the cleaning blade and heats up due to the friction with the photosensitive member. In the case of high-speed apparatuses compatible with the POD field, the amount of heat generated is large
Implementation Method 3
the release agent seeps out (what is called bleed-out phenomenon) with heating up of the toner
Data Source
AI summary
A toner includes toner particles containing a binder resin and a release agent W. The toner has a glass transition temperature Tg of 70° C. or less. The binder resin contains an amorphous resin A that is polyester with a polyester skeleton formed of: (i) a polyethylene terephthalate structural portion; and (ii) at least one unit having a specific structure. The release agent W is an ester wax. The SP value SPA of the amorphous resin A, the SP value SPW of the release agent W, WEG of ethylene glycol-derived structures in the amorphous resin A, and WCH of the specific structures of (ii) in the amorphous resin A satisfy specific relationships.