Strontium Titanate Toner Additive for Fixing Offset
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrostatic charge image developing toners experience fixing offset issues due to the migration of titania particles, which cover the releasing agent exposed portions, leading to reduced releasability and image defects, especially in low temperature and low humidity environments or after repeated mechanical loads.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a strontium titanate particle doped with a metal element other than titanium and strontium, with an average primary particle diameter of 10 nm to 100 nm, which has weaker negative chargeability and a rounded shape, to replace titania particles, thereby suppressing the occurrence of fixing offset.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If titania particles are used in the toner, then the toner exhibits good chargeability, but the titania particles migrate and cover the releasing agent exposed portions causing fixing offset
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from titania (TiO2) to strontium titanate (SrTiO3) with specific doping elements. This material substitution fundamentally alters the chargeability characteristics while maintaining particle size parameters (10-100 nm), thereby resolving the contradiction between good chargeability and prevention of fixing offset
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite strontium titanate particles doped with multiple metal elements (Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn, Al, Ca, Mg, Ba, Pb, or rare earth elements). This composite structure combines the base strontium titanate material with dopant elements to achieve optimal chargeability while suppressing particle migration and fixing offset
2Ease of operation
If the releasing agent exposed portion proportion is increased to improve releasability, then more releasing agent is available for seepage, but the toner particle surface becomes overly exposed leading to instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the proportion parameter of releasing agent exposed portion to within 1-20 atom% on the toner particle surface. This quantitative control balances releasability (enough exposed releasing agent for seepage) with surface stability (preventing excessive exposure), resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and composition stability
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 use of specific strontium titanate particles effectively reduces the fixing offset by minimizing electrostatic repulsion and local existence in the releasing agent exposed portions, ensuring efficient seepage of the releasing agent during image fixation and maintaining image quality.
Implementation Method 1
the strontium titanate particle that is externally added to the toner particle, that is doped with a metal element other than titanium and strontium... having weaker negative chargeability... minimizing electrostatic repulsion
Implementation Method 2
ensuring efficient seepage of the releasing agent during image fixation... a releasing agent in a case where an image is fixed effectively seeps from the image surface
Data Source
AI summary
An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes: a toner particle that contains a releasing agent, that has an exposed portion in which the releasing agent is exposed on a surface, and in which a proportion of the exposed portion occupying a surface, which is obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis is 1 atom % or more and 20 atom % or less; and a strontium titanate particle that is externally added to the toner particle, that is doped with a metal element other than titanium and strontium, and in which an average primary particle diameter is 10 nm or more and 100 nm or less.