Toner Shell Structure for Stable Charging and Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toners face challenges in maintaining superior charging performance and durability over prolonged use, as metal compound fine particles tend to peel off or embed into the charging member, leading to contamination and reduced charging efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A toner with a shell containing a metal compound and an organosilicon polymer, where the average distance of the exposed portions satisfies a specific ratio, enhancing the fixed state of the metal compound and improving flowability, thereby stabilizing charge quantity and preventing contamination of the charging member.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metal compound fine particles are added to the toner surface, then flowability is improved and charge rising performance is enhanced, but the metal compounds peel off and embed into the charging member over prolonged use, causing contamination and reduced charging efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining metal compound fine particles with silane coupling agent-treated particles on the toner surface. The silane coupling agent creates a chemical bond between the metal compound particles and the toner base, forming a composite structure that prevents particle detachment while maintaining electrical conductivity for charge rising. This resolves the contradiction by embedding metal compounds in a bonded composite rather than as loose surface additives.
Solution Approach 2:
The silane coupling agent acts as an intermediary substance between the metal compound fine particles and the toner base particle. It forms a chemical bridge that anchors the metal particles to the toner surface, preventing them from peeling off during use. This intermediary layer maintains the beneficial electrical properties of metal compounds while eliminating their harmful detachment and contamination effects.
2Quantity of substance
If metal compound fine particles are added to improve flowability and charging performance, then charge quantity increases, but durability decreases due to particle migration and embedding into the charging member
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite surface structure where metal compound particles are chemically bonded to the toner base via silane coupling agent. This composite structure maintains the high charge quantity provided by metal compounds while ensuring durability through strong chemical bonds that prevent particle migration during prolonged use and high-speed charging processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical state of the metal compound particles by treating them with silane coupling agent, transforming them from loose surface additives to chemically bonded composite particles. This parameter change in bonding strength ensures that particles remain fixed on the toner surface during prolonged use, maintaining both charge quantity and durability.
3Reliability
If conventional toners are used to achieve initial charging performance, then charge rising is good, but image density fluctuates and fogging occurs after prolonged use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite surface structure with silane coupling agent-bonded metal compound particles that provides consistent charge rising performance over time. The strong chemical bonds prevent particle detachment and migration, ensuring stable charge quantity and preventing image density fluctuation and fogging during prolonged use, while maintaining good initial charging performance.
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 stable charging performance and superior durability by suppressing peeling and embedding of metal compounds, maintaining high flowability and charge stability even after extended use.
Implementation Method 1
a shell on a surface of the toner base particle; the shell contains a metal compound and an organosilicon polymer
Implementation Method 2
the toner becomes charged as a result of migration of charge from the charging member such as a charging roller or carrier, when the toner comes into contact with the charging member
Data Source
AI summary
A toner including a toner particle, wherein the toner particle includes a toner base particle containing a binder resin, and a shell on the surface of the toner base particle; the shell contains a metal compound and an organosilicon polymer; the shell has at least an exposed portion of the metal compound and an exposed portion of the organosilicon polymer, on the surface of the toner particle; and in an analysis of a cross section of the toner particle by TEM-EDX, Ha (nm) and Hb (nm) which are average distances from the interface of the toner base particle and the shell up to the toner particle surface at the exposed portion of the metal compound and at the exposed portion of the organosilicon polymer, respectively, on the toner particle surface, satisfy Expression (1) below:Hb>Ha+20.0 (1).