Toner Particles with Release Agent for Low-Temperature Fixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toners face challenges in achieving low-temperature fixability and separability while maintaining excellent charging properties, leading to issues such as image defects and contamination due to high dielectric loss tangent and insufficient charge retention.
Innovation Solution
A toner comprising particles with a polymer having a specific structural unit and a release agent, such as fatty acid esters with 16 to 24 carbon atoms, which balances low-temperature fixability and separability, and enhances charge retention by adjusting the glass transition temperature and dielectric properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the ratio of soft segment (n-butyl acrylate) is increased to lower glass transition temperature and achieve low-temperature fixability, then low-temperature fixability is improved, but adhesion between toner and roller increases causing separability deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
A release agent is introduced as an intermediary substance between the toner and the roller. This release agent has low melt viscosity and forms a film that prevents direct adhesion between the toner binder and the roller surface, allowing the toner to be easily separated after fixing even when the binder has high soft segment content
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the release agent by specifying fatty acid ester wax with 16-24 carbon atoms and controlled melt viscosity (50-500 cP at 100°C). This parameter optimization ensures the release agent provides sufficient separation capability while maintaining compatibility with the low-temperature fixing process
2Temperature
If the ratio of soft segment (n-butyl acrylate) is increased to achieve low-temperature fixability, then low-temperature fixability is improved, but dielectric loss tangent increases causing charge retention property deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The release agent acts as an intermediary that allows the use of soft segment-rich binders while mitigating their poor charge retention properties. The release agent film prevents charge leakage pathways, enabling the toner to maintain sufficient charge even when using n-butyl acrylate-based binders with high dielectric loss
3Ease of operation
If release agent with low melt viscosity is added to suppress adhesion, then separability is improved, but releasability cannot be ensured when soft segment ratio is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the parameters of the release agent by specifying fatty acid ester wax with 16-24 carbon atoms and controlled melt viscosity (50-500 cP at 100°C). This parameter optimization ensures the release agent provides sufficient separation capability while maintaining compatibility with the low-temperature fixing process and high soft segment binder compositions
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, improved separability, and enhanced charging properties, reducing contamination and image defects, thereby supporting high print output speeds with sufficient charge retention.
Implementation Method 1
Lowering the glass transition temperature of the toner binder, which is a main toner component, and lowering the melt viscosity by controlling the molecular weight distribution can be exemplified
Implementation Method 2
a release agent such as a fatty acid ester wax having a low melt viscosity has been added for the purpose of suppressing adhesion between the fixing member and the toner
Implementation Method 3
Such a release agent such as a fatty acid ester wax bleeds out at the interface between the fixing member and the fixed image at the time of fixing, and the adhesion can be suppressed
Implementation Method 4
the dielectric loss tangent (tan δ), which is an index of the charge leakage property, is higher in the charging property required for a toner
Implementation Method 5
Lowering the glass transition temperature of the toner binder can be adjusted, for example, as follows. In the styrene-acrylic resin, the ratio of a hard segment such as styrene, which is a monomer, to a soft segment such as n-butyl acrylate, which is a monomer, can be adjusted
Data Source
AI summary
A toner for electrostatic charge image development includes toner particles. The toner particles contain a polymer having a structural unit represented by the general expression (1):and a release agent. In the general expression (1), R1 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms. R2 and R3 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or an alkoxy group.