Toner Polysiloxane Segmentation for Separability and Flowability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toners face challenges in maintaining paper separability at high speeds while preserving flowability, as increased wax content leads to deteriorated flowability and polysiloxane exposure during storage causes toner flowability issues.
Innovation Solution
A toner with polysiloxane blended in toner particles, where the polysiloxane presence is controlled, and 10 to 500 nm holes are formed to prevent bleeding, ensuring effective paper separability and flowability by maintaining the polysiloxane within the toner particles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the amount of wax contained in a toner is increased to improve paper separability, then paper separability is improved, but the amount of wax of a toner particle surface layer increases which causes deterioration of flowability
Solution Approach 1:
The toner particle is segmented into a core region containing wax and a surface layer with controlled wax content. This segmentation allows the wax to be contained within the particle interior rather than accumulating on the surface, thereby maintaining paper separability while preserving flowability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the toner particle are given different qualities: the core region has high wax content for paper separability, while the surface layer has controlled wax content to maintain flowability. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between the two requirements.
2Ease of operation
If solid wax is blended in toner particles to prevent deterioration of flowability, then flowability is maintained, but it takes time for the solid wax to melt in fixing to flow out to a toner particle surface layer which makes it difficult to cope with paper separation at high speed
Solution Approach 1:
The wax is pre-positioned in the core region of the toner particle in a state ready for rapid release. During fixing, the wax quickly melts and flows to the surface without requiring extended time, enabling high-speed paper separation while maintaining flowability.
3Reliability
If polysiloxane is blended in a toner to improve paper separability, then paper separability is improved, but the polysiloxane is exposed to a toner particle surface layer during storage which causes deterioration of the flowability of the toner
Solution Approach 1:
Polysiloxane is segregated into the core region of the toner particle, separated from the surface layer. This prevents polysiloxane exposure on the surface during storage, maintaining flowability while preserving its paper separability enhancement function within the particle.
Solution Approach 2:
Polysiloxane is concentrated in the core region with specific local quality, while the surface layer maintains different properties. This spatial differentiation allows polysiloxane to improve paper separability without causing flowability deterioration through surface exposure.
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 solution enhances paper separability at high speeds while maintaining toner flowability by controlling polysiloxane distribution within the toner particles, preventing surface exposure and maintaining interfacial tension.
Implementation Method 1
10 to 500 nm holes are formed in the toner particles, whereby the polysiloxane enters the holes, so that the bleeding of the polysiloxane from the toner particles is prevented
Implementation Method 2
in an FT-IR spectrum of the toner particles measured and obtained by an ATR method... a maximum absorption peak intensity in a range of 990 cm−1 or more and 1040 cm−1 or less derived from Si—O of the polysiloxane... a maximum absorption peak intensity in a range of 1500 cm−1 or more and 1800 cm−1 or less derived from C(═O) of an ester group
Data Source
AI summary
A toner in which the content of polysiloxane is 1% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less based on the total mass of toner particles, the polysiloxane is present in the toner as a domain of 10 nm or more and 500 nm or less, and Siloxane index (Ge)/Siloxane index (D) of the toner particles is 1.0 or less.