Toner Composition with Titanium Oxide–Silica Adhesion Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Reused toner in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses may suffer from performance changes, leading to image defects such as image fog and white streaks due to depletion of components or contamination with external additives.
Innovation Solution
A toner composition comprising toner base particles with a specific adhesive strength range for both titanium oxide and silica external additives, along with a crystalline polyester resin, ester wax, and a colorant, ensuring stable adhesion and improved fixability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If toner is collected from the photoconductor and reused, then productivity is improved through toner recycling, but image quality deteriorates due to component depletion and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes contaminants and depleted components from reused toner through filtration and purification processes. The toner collection system separates usable toner particles from contaminated material, extracting only the viable portion for reuse while discarding degraded components that would cause image defects
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies physical and chemical parameters of the toner recycling process, including particle size distribution, compositional ratios, and adhesion strength characteristics. By controlling these parameters during the recycling process, the system maintains toner performance consistent with fresh toner, preventing image quality deterioration
2Reliability
If external additives are added to toner to improve chargeability, then chargeability is improved, but adhesion stability deteriorates leading to image defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different types of external additives to different regions or aspects of the toner particles. Specifically, it uses titanium oxide for chargeability enhancement while incorporating silica for adhesion stability, creating localized functional zones on the toner surface that perform distinct functions without interfering with each other
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite external additive system combining titanium oxide and silica in specific ratios. This composite approach allows the toner to simultaneously achieve improved chargeability from titanium oxide and maintained adhesion stability from silica, resolving the trade-off between these two properties
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 composition reduces image defects like image fog and white streaks by maintaining consistent performance even when reused, enhancing chargeability and fixability.
Implementation Method 1
a toner, a toner cartridge for providing a toner, and an image forming apparatus incorporating a toner cartridge providing a toner
Implementation Method 2
transfer the toner image from the photoconductor to a sheet
Data Source
AI summary
A toner is comprised of toner particles and external additive adhering to the surface of the toner particles. The toner particles are formed from a binder resin, an ester wax, and a colorant. The external additive comprises a titanium oxide and silica. A first adhesive strength between the external additive and the toner base particles is in a range of 90 to 100% when measured as a ratio of X-ray spectroscopic intensity of titanium for toner particles before and after a washing process, and a second adhesive strength between the external additive and the toner base particles is in a range of 50 to 80% when measured as a ratio of X-ray spectroscopic intensity of silicon measured for toner before and after another washing process.