Toner Composition with Core-Shell Structure for Low-Temperature Fixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current toner production methods, such as the kneading-pulverizing method, fail to achieve small particle diameters and satisfactory image quality due to irregular shapes and high wax surface distribution, leading to issues like high fixing energy and filming problems, while existing polymerization methods do not adequately address low-temperature fixing ability and heat-resistant storage stability.
Innovation Solution
A toner composition including a crystalline polyester resin derived from sebacic acid, an amorphous hybrid resin, and a release agent, with specific SP value relationships to ensure homogeneous dispersion and improved low-temperature fixing ability, hot offset resistance, and heat-resistant storage stability without filming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the kneading-pulverizing method is used to produce toner, then the production process is simple, but the particle diameters cannot be made small and the particle shapes are irregular
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the production method from mechanical kneading-pulverizing to polymerization process, controlling particle formation through chemical reaction parameters (monomer composition, polymerization conditions) rather than mechanical forces, enabling precise control of particle diameter and shape
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical kneading-pulverizing system with a chemical polymerization system, where particles are formed through controlled chemical reactions rather than mechanical breaking, resulting in uniform particle sizes and shapes
2Temperature
If a large amount of wax is added to improve fixing ability, then low-temperature fixing ability is improved, but depositions (filming) occur on carrier, photoconductor, and blade
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a core-shell structure where the release agent is localized in the core and the resin forms the shell, concentrating the low-temperature fixing function in the core while the shell prevents excessive wax migration and filming on surrounding components
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining release agent (wax) and resin in a core-shell configuration, where the resin shell controls the release of wax during fixing, providing low-temperature fixing ability while preventing harmful depositions
3Manufacturing precision
If small particle diameters are achieved through polymerization method, then image quality is improved, but low-temperature fixing ability and heat-resistant storage stability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite toner particle with core-shell structure combining release agent and resin, where the resin shell provides structural integrity for storage stability while the core provides low-temperature fixing ability, and the overall small particle size ensures high image quality
Solution Approach 2:
The invention assigns different functional properties to different regions of the toner particle: the core contains release agent for low-temperature fixing, the shell provides structural stability for heat-resistant storage, and the small overall size enables high image quality
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a toner including a crystalline polyester resin including a constitutional unit derived from saturated aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and a constitutional unit derived from saturated aliphatic diol, an amorphous hybrid resin, an amorphous polyester resin, a release agent, and a colorant, wherein the crystalline polyester resin includes a constitutional unit derived from sebacic acid as the constitutional unit derived from the saturated aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, and the amorphous hybrid resin is a composite resin including a polyester-based resin unit and a styrene-based resin unit.