Polymerized Toner Production via Preliminary Shear Dispersion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing polymerized toners in electrophotographic systems face inefficiencies in dispersing large particle size colorants, leading to uneven dispersion, clogging issues, and reduced production speed, which affect printing density and color tone quality.
Innovation Solution
A process involving a preliminary dispersion step using mechanical shearing force to reduce colorant particle size followed by a media dispersing machine with a media-separating screen, and varying residence time in the dispersing machine to achieve uniform and fine dispersion of colorants, ensuring efficient production of polymerized toners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a media dispersing machine is used to disperse colorant in polymerizable monomer, then dispersion uniformity is improved, but production speed decreases due to clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-dispersing the colorant in the polymerizable monomer before the main polymerization process. This preliminary dispersion step prevents clogging in the media dispersing machine during the main process, thereby maintaining both dispersion uniformity and production speed. The pre-dispersed colorant is already distributed throughout the monomer, so no additional dispersion effort is needed during polymerization, avoiding machine clogging and reducing production time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by adjusting the particle size of the colorant and controlling the dispersion conditions. By optimizing parameters such as colorant particle diameter, dispersant concentration, and mixing intensity, the system achieves uniform dispersion without causing clogging in the media dispersing machine, thus resolving the contradiction between dispersion quality and production speed.
2Manufacturing precision
If large particle size colorant is used, then printing density is improved, but dispersion uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-dispersing large particle size colorants in the polymerizable monomer before polymerization. This preliminary dispersion step ensures that even large colorant particles are uniformly distributed throughout the monomer matrix, preventing aggregation and ensuring uniform dispersion. The pre-dispersed state maintains printing density while achieving the required dispersion uniformity that would otherwise be difficult to attain with large particles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing a dispersant or carrier medium that facilitates the dispersion of large colorant particles. This intermediary substance acts as a bridge between the large colorant particles and the polymerizable monomer, enabling uniform dispersion without direct contact between the large particles and the monomer matrix, thus maintaining both printing density and dispersion uniformity.
3Productivity
If colorant is dispersed without preliminary treatment, then production time is reduced, but dispersion quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating a preliminary dispersion step into the production process. This step pre-disperses the colorant in the polymerizable monomer before polymerization, ensuring high dispersion quality. By performing this preliminary action, the system avoids the need for extensive post-polymerization dispersion treatment, thereby reducing overall production time while maintaining superior dispersion quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs continuity of useful action by integrating the dispersion process continuously into the polymerization process. The colorant is dispersed continuously throughout the polymerization reaction rather than as a separate step, ensuring consistent dispersion quality while minimizing total processing time. This continuous approach eliminates idle time between steps and maintains high dispersion quality throughout the entire production process.
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 enables stable and efficient production of polymerized toners with improved printing density and color tone quality by effectively dispersing colorants, preventing clogging, and optimizing treatment speed.
Implementation Method 1
a process involving a preliminary dispersion step using mechanical shearing force to reduce colorant particle size
Implementation Method 2
followed by a media dispersing machine with a media-separating screen, and varying residence time in the dispersing machine to achieve uniform and fine dispersion of colorants
Implementation Method 3
the polymerized toner means colored resin particles obtained by a polymerization process such as suspension polymerization or emulsion polymerization
Data Source
AI summary
In a process for producing a polymerized toner, comprising Step 1 of preparing a polymerizable monomer composition and Step 2 of polymerizing the polymerizable monomer composition with a polymerization initiator to form colored polymer particles, Step 1 comprises Step A of finely dispersing the colorant in a liquid mixture containing the polymerizable monomer and the colorant, and further Step A comprises Step A1 of feeding a liquid mixture containing a polymerizable monomer and a colorant, which has a volume average particle diameter of 20 μm or larger and/or contains particles having a particle diameter of 51 μm or larger in a volume percentage of 20% or higher, to a dispersing machine of the type that mechanical shearing force is applied by rotation of an agitating blade to preliminarily disperse the colorant, and Step A2 of feeding the liquid mixture containing the colorant preliminarily dispersed in Step A1 to a media type dispersing machine equipped with a media-separating screen to more finely disperse the colorant in the liquid mixture.