Toner Particles with Plate-like Colorant for Fixability and Luster
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Solution Overview
Problem
Toner particles with large bright pigments face issues with insufficient resin coverage, leading to poor image fixability and alignment, causing errors in developing and transfer processes, while excessive resin coverage results in toner irregularity and offset issues.
Innovation Solution
A toner composition comprising first toner particles with plate-like colorant particles covered by binder resin particles and second toner particles containing a binder resin and releasing agent, with specific size and content ratios to ensure proper fixability and glittering properties, is developed. The first toner has a volume average particle size of 6 μm or greater and an aspect ratio of 3 or higher, while the second toner has a content ratio of 4 wt% to 24 wt% releasing agent and a volume average particle size of 3 μm to 12 μm, ensuring effective image formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the particle size of the bright pigment is increased to enhance metallic luster or pearl luster, then the glittering properties are improved, but the resin coverage becomes insufficient leading to poor image fixability
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the toner into two distinct particle types: first toner particles containing large bright pigment particles (≥6 μm) for glittering effects, and second toner particles without colorant that act as resin carriers. This segmentation allows each particle type to specialize - the first particles provide visual effect while the second particles ensure adequate resin content for fixability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter distribution of toner particles by specifying that large bright pigment particles (≥6 μm) be contained within first toner particles, while second toner particles contain no colorant. This parameter differentiation ensures that glittering particles are properly contained and transferred, resolving the contradiction between particle size for visual effect and resin coverage for fixability.
2Reliability
If a thicker resin layer is formed to completely cover the bright pigment, then the image fixability is improved, but the toner particle size becomes excessively large causing errors in developing and transfer processes
Solution Approach 1:
The toner is segmented into first particles (with colorant and bright pigment) and second particles (without colorant). This allows the resin content to be distributed across both particle types, achieving adequate overall resin coverage for fixability while keeping individual first particle sizes manageable for proper developing and transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter distribution by creating two particle populations with different characteristics. The first particles contain the bright pigment with controlled size, while the second particles provide additional resin content. This parameter differentiation allows adequate resin coverage without excessive individual particle size.
3Illumination intensity
If the particle size of the bright pigment is large, then the metallic luster or pearl luster is strongly expressed, but the bright pigment cannot be properly aligned on the sheet
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the toner into first particles (containing large bright pigment ≥6 μm) and second particles (without colorant), the invention ensures that large glittering particles are properly contained within a manageable toner structure. The second particles act as carriers that facilitate proper alignment and transfer of the first particles containing the large bright pigment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies parameter changes by specifying that bright pigment particles have a volume average size of ≥6 μm within first toner particles, while second toner particles contain no colorant. This parameter differentiation enables large bright pigment particles to be properly aligned and transferred while maintaining their glittering properties.
4Reliability
If excessive resin is used to cover large bright pigment particles, then the image fixability is improved, but offset issues occur and toner irregularity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the toner into two particle types with different functions: first particles contain the large bright pigment for glittering effects, while second particles provide resin content without adding colorant. This segmentation achieves adequate resin coverage for fixability while preventing offset and toner irregularity by distributing resin across both particle types rather than using excessive resin on single particles.
Data Source
AI summary
A toner includes first toner particles and second toner particles. Each of the first toner particles includes a plate-like colorant particle covered with binder resin particles, and a volume average size of the plate-like colorant particle is equal to or greater than 6 μm. Each of the second toner particles includes at least one of a binder resin and a releasing agent and not including a colorant, an aspect ratio of the second toner particles is equal to or smaller than 3, and a content ratio of the releasing agents with respect to the second toner particles is equal to or greater than 4 wt % and equal to or smaller than 24 wt %. A content ratio of the second toner particles with respect to the first toner particles is greater than 1 wt % and equal to or smaller than 75 wt %.