Toner Composition for Low-Temperature Fixing and Gloss Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toners using crystalline resins for low-temperature fixability suffer from hot offset and gloss instability, especially when continuously printing on small size paper, due to insufficient bonding between crystalline and amorphous resins, leading to uneven images and decreased gloss stability.
Innovation Solution
A toner formulation comprising a binder resin with a combination of crystalline vinyl resin and amorphous vinyl resin, enhanced by the inclusion of an aliphatic alcohol, which facilitates strong interactions through van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding, stabilizing the resin structure during melting and fixing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a crystalline vinyl resin is used as binder resin to achieve low-temperature fixability, then the melting point is reduced and low-temperature fixability is improved, but the viscosity excessively decreases when the melting point is exceeded, causing hot offset and gloss decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines crystalline vinyl resin (providing low-temperature fixability through sharp melt property) with amorphous vinyl resin (maintaining viscosity after melting) to create a composite binder resin system. This composite structure allows the toner to achieve low-temperature fixation while preventing excessive viscosity decrease that causes hot offset, as the amorphous resin provides viscosity stability after the crystalline resin melts
2Temperature
If a crystalline vinyl resin is used to improve low-temperature fixability, then fixation temperature is reduced, but fine unevennesses occur in the fixed image and gloss uniformity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The composite binder resin system combines crystalline vinyl resin (for low-temperature fixability) with amorphous vinyl resin (for viscosity stability). This combination prevents excessive resin stretching during melting that would cause fine unevennesses, thereby maintaining gloss uniformity while achieving low-temperature fixation
3Stability of the object's composition
If amorphous parts with high polarity are added to crystalline resin to achieve scratch resistance and charge stability, then surface properties are improved, but rapid decrease in viscosity due to melting cannot be reduced, and hot offset and gloss decrease still remain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses amorphous vinyl resin (not just amorphous parts in crystalline resin) combined with crystalline vinyl resin. The amorphous vinyl resin provides sufficient viscosity maintenance after melting due to its molecular structure, thereby preventing hot offset while the crystalline vinyl resin provides low-temperature fixability
4Object-generated harmful factors
If crystalline resin and amorphous resin are used in combination to reduce viscosity decrease after melting, then hot offset resistance is improved, but gloss stability decreases when small size paper is continuously printed on
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes specific parameters of the vinyl resins including molecular weight, composition ratios, and structural characteristics. By carefully controlling these parameters, the binder resin achieves both hot offset resistance (through controlled viscosity behavior) and gloss stability (through balanced melt and post-melt properties) during continuous printing of small size paper
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 achieves low-temperature fixability, hot offset resistance, and improved gloss stability, along with enhanced bending resistance and heat-resistant storability, even when continuously printing on small size paper.
Implementation Method 1
enhanced by the inclusion of an aliphatic alcohol, which facilitates strong interactions through van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding
Implementation Method 2
enhanced by the inclusion of an aliphatic alcohol, which facilitates strong interactions through van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding
Implementation Method 3
when the melting point is exceeded, crystals rapidly melt, and accordingly, a rapid viscosity decrease is caused
Implementation Method 4
crystals rapidly melt, and accordingly, a rapid viscosity decrease is caused
Data Source
AI summary
A toner comprising a toner particle, wherein the toner particle comprises a binder resin and an aliphatic alcohol, the binder resin comprises a crystalline vinyl resin and an amorphous vinyl resin, the crystalline vinyl resin comprises a specific monomer unit (a), the amorphous vinyl resin comprises a specific monomer unit (b), the aliphatic alcohol is a specific compound, and the toner particle comprises 100 to 10,000 ppm of the aliphatic alcohol based on a mass of the binder resin.