Toner Formulation for High Image Gloss and Loadability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toners struggle to achieve both high image gloss and image loadability, particularly in high-speed photographic printing, due to limitations in melting properties and affinity between binder resins and wax components.
Innovation Solution
A toner formulation incorporating a styrene-acrylic resin with a specific long-chain acrylate moiety and an ester compound A, where the ester compound A has 4 to 6 straight-chain alkyl groups, and the absolute difference between the SP values of the styrene-acrylic resin and the ester compound A is between 1.00 and 2.00, enhancing the affinity and interaction between the resin and the ester compound.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a styrene-acrylic resin with long-chain alkyl acrylate is used as binder resin to achieve high image gloss, then the melting properties are improved and viscosity is lowered during fixing, but the images stick to each other and image loadability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the binder resin by introducing a specific crosslinking structure through alkyl diol acrylate monomer (6-26 carbon atoms in alkylene group) to modify the molecular chain motility and intermolecular forces, thereby controlling the balance between image gloss and loadability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite binder resin system combining styrene-acrylic resin with long-chain alkyl acrylate and crosslinking agent (alkyl diol acrylate) to achieve both high image gloss through melting properties and improved loadability through crosslinked structure that prevents image sticking
2Reliability
If a cross-linked structure is formed by alkyl diol acrylate monomer to suppress image sticking, then image loadability is improved, but sufficient image gloss cannot be obtained in high-speed process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the parameter of alkylene group carbon atom number (6-26 atoms) in alkyl diol acrylate monomer to control the crosslinking density and molecular chain length, achieving a balance where sufficient gloss is maintained while loadability is improved
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces crosslinking structure locally through specific alkyl diol acrylate monomer units within the styrene-acrylic resin chain, creating localized crosslinked regions that suppress image sticking without excessively restricting the overall melting and flow properties needed for gloss
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 high image gloss by lowering viscosity during fixing and suppresses image sticking by reducing molecular chain motility after fixing, thereby enhancing image loadability.
Implementation Method 1
an absolute value of a difference between SPb (J/cm3)1/2 and SPw1 (J/cm3)1/2 is 1.00 or larger and 2.00 or smaller, the SPb (J/cm3)1/2 being an SP value of the styrene-acrylic resin, the SPw1 (J/cm3)1/2 being an SP value of the ester compound A
Implementation Method 2
suppresses image sticking by reducing molecular chain motility after fixing
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a toner that achieves both high image gloss and high image loadability. The toner includes a toner particle that includes: a styrene-acrylic resin having a unit represented by the formula (1); and an ester compound A, wherein the ester compound A is an ester compound represented by the formula (2) or the formula (3): and an absolute value of a difference between SPb (J/cm3)1/2 that is an SP value of the styrene-acrylic resin and SPw1 (J/cm3)1/2 that is an SP value of the ester compound A is 1.00 or larger and 2.00 or smaller.