Resin Particle Silica Surface Modification for Toner Fluidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Resin particles used in toners, powder coating materials, and slush molding lack effective methods to enhance strength and fluidity while preventing silica particle embedding and detachment, due to limitations in silica particle shape and distribution.
Innovation Solution
The development of resin particles with silica particles externally added to the surface, having a specific size distribution and circularity, which maintains heterogeneous shape and fluidity under mechanical load, achieved by controlling the volume average particle diameter, particle size distribution index, and average circularity of the silica particles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If silica particles are added to enhance strength and fluidity, then the resin particle strength and fluidity are improved, but the silica particles may embed into or detach from the resin particle surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the volume average particle diameter (100-500 nm), particle size distribution index (1.40-1.80), and average circularity (0.5-0.85) of silica particles. These parameter optimizations ensure that silica particles maintain stable attachment to the resin particle surface while enhancing strength and fluidity, preventing both embedding and detachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining resin particles with specifically designed silica particles. The silica particles with controlled heterogeneous shapes and size distributions form a stable composite system where the silica particles are externally added onto the resin mother particle surface, achieving both strength enhancement and attachment stability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If silica particles with various shapes are used to functionalize resin particles, then the resin particle functionality is enhanced, but the manufacturing precision and control of silica particle distribution become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes precise parameter ranges including volume average particle diameter (100-500 nm), particle size distribution index (1.40-1.80), and average circularity (0.5-0.85). These parameter specifications enable controlled manufacturing of silica particles with heterogeneous shapes while maintaining precise distribution and attachment characteristics on the resin particle surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating silica particles with heterogeneous shapes (circularity 0.5-0.85) that are specifically designed for their local function of enhancing resin particle fluidity and strength. The non-spherical shapes provide localized surface area variations that improve attachment stability without compromising manufacturing precision.
3Ease of operation
If silica particles with small size are used to prevent packing, then the resin particle fluidity is improved, but the silica particles may embed into the resin particle more easily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the volume average particle diameter of silica particles to the specific range of 100-500 nm. This parameter control ensures that silica particles are small enough to maintain resin particle fluidity and prevent packing, while simultaneously large enough to resist embedding into the resin particle surface when properly attached.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a stable composite structure where silica particles with controlled dimensions (100-500 nm) are externally added onto the resin mother particle. This composite approach ensures that the silica particles maintain sufficient size to prevent embedding while being small enough to enhance fluidity, achieving both goals simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
A resin particle having: a resin mother particle; and silica particles external added onto the surface of the resin mother particle, wherein a primary particles of the silica particles which have a volume average particle diameter of from 100 nm to 500 nm, a particle size distribution index of from 1.40 to 1.80 and an average circularity of from 0.5 to 0.85 has a regression line expressed by the following expression (1) with respect to the circularity and the volume average particle diameter (nm):Circularity=α×(Volume average particle diameter)/1000+β (1)wherein α is from −2.5 to −0.9, and β is from 0.8 to 1.2.