Toner Particle Ratio Controls Image Transfer Defects
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electrophotographic image formation, defective images occur due to excessive fatty acid metal salt particles or abrasive particles transferring from the image holding member to the intermediate transfer member, leading to defective image transfer, especially under low-temperature and low-humidity conditions, resulting in reduced image concentration in non-image areas.
Innovation Solution
An electrostatic charge image developing toner with toner particles containing a binder resin and a release agent, and external additives including fatty acid metal salt particles and abrasive particles, where the isolation ratio of abrasive particles to fatty acid metal salt particles is maintained between 0.3 and 2.0 to control lubricity and adhesion, preventing excessive particle transfer and maintaining appropriate release properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fatty acid metal salt particles are added to improve release properties, then release properties are improved, but excessive particle transfer occurs causing defective image transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the particle size parameter of fatty acid metal salt particles to a specific range (0.1 μm to 10 μm, preferably 0.3 μm to 6 μm) to optimize release properties while minimizing excessive transfer. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction by finding the optimal size that provides sufficient release without causing defective image transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite external additive system combining fatty acid metal salt particles with abrasive particles in a controlled ratio (0.05 to 5 parts by weight of abrasive particles per 100 parts by weight of fatty acid metal salt particles). This composite approach balances release properties with image transfer fidelity, preventing both excessive transfer and defective imaging.
2Reliability
If abrasive particles are added to improve cleaning properties, then cleaning properties are improved, but excessive particle transfer occurs causing defective image transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the particle size of abrasive particles to a specific range (1 μm to 10 μm, preferably 2 μm to 7 μm) to enhance cleaning properties while preventing excessive transfer to the intermediate transfer member. This parameter control resolves the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and image transfer quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite external additive system where abrasive particles are combined with fatty acid metal salt particles in a controlled weight ratio. This composite structure allows the abrasive particles to provide cleaning functionality while the fatty acid metal salt particles modulate the overall transfer characteristics, preventing defective image transfer.
3Reliability
If external additives are increased to improve transfer properties, then transfer properties are improved, but image concentration in non-image areas decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the total amount of external additives (fatty acid metal salt particles and abrasive particles) to specific weight ranges relative to toner particles. This parameter optimization ensures sufficient transfer properties while maintaining appropriate image concentration in non-image areas, resolving the contradiction between transfer quality and image density.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite external additive system where the synergistic interaction between fatty acid metal salt particles and abrasive particles provides effective transfer properties at controlled concentrations. This composite approach allows achieving good transfer while maintaining proper image concentration through the balanced composition of the two additive types.
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
This configuration reduces the occurrence of defective image transfer and maintains image concentration by controlling the ratio of abrasive to fatty acid metal salt particles, preventing excessive particle transfer and ensuring stable cleaning and transfer properties even under low-temperature and low-humidity conditions.
Implementation Method 1
an isolation amount B of the abrasive particles isolated from the toner particles after an ultrasonic isolation treatment
Data Source
AI summary
An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes toner particles containing a binder resin and a release agent and an external additive containing fatty acid metal salt particles and abrasive particles, wherein a ratio (B/A) of an isolation amount B of the abrasive particles isolated from the toner particles after an ultrasonic isolation treatment to an isolation amount A of the fatty acid metal salt particles isolated from the toner particles after the ultrasonic isolation treatment is from 0.3 to 2.0.