Toner Silica Composition for Stable Fluidity Under Stress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrostatic charge image developing toners face issues with fluidity, particularly under mechanical stress and in high-temperature and high-humidity environments, due to uneven distribution and burial of silica particles with low circularity used as external additives.
Innovation Solution
A combination of silica particles with high circularity and an appropriate amount of nitrogen element-containing compound is used as external additives, ensuring uniform distribution and anchoring effect on negatively charged toner particles, preventing shearing and aggregation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If silica particles with low circularity are used as external additives, then the toner can be manufactured with simple particle shape requirements, but the fluidity deteriorates under mechanical stress and in high-temperature high-humidity environments due to uneven distribution and burial of silica particles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the key parameter of silica particle circularity from low (conventional) to high (0.91 or more), which fundamentally alters the flow and distribution characteristics. This parameter change ensures uniform distribution and prevents burial during mechanical stress, resolving the fluidity stability issue while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining high-circularity silica particles with nitrogen element-containing compounds on the toner particle surface. This composite approach enhances both the distribution uniformity and anchoring effect, preventing silica particle burial and maintaining fluidity under adverse conditions
2Quantity of substance
If silica particles are used as external additives, then the toner can achieve basic external additive functionality, but uneven distribution and burial occur under mechanical stress leading to poor fluidity
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the circularity parameter to 0.91 or more, the silica particles maintain their positional stability and uniform distribution even under mechanical stress. This parameter change prevents the burial phenomenon that occurs with conventional low-circularity particles, ensuring composition stability
Solution Approach 2:
The nitrogen element-containing compound acts as an intermediary between the silica particles and the toner particles. It provides anchoring effects that prevent silica particle burial and maintain uniform distribution, resolving the stability issue
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 the fluidity of the toner by suppressing uneven distribution and burial of silica particles, maintaining toner stability under mechanical stress and in adverse environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
silica particles added to an exterior of the toner particles... a mass ratio N/Si of a nitrogen element to a silicon element in a group of the silica particles (S1) is 0.005 or more and 0.50 or less
Data Source
AI summary
An electrostatic charge image developing toner contains negatively charged toner particles and silica particles added to an exterior of the toner particles, in which in a case where the silica particles are sorted into silica particles (S1) having a circularity of 0.91 or more and silica particles (S2) having a circularity less than 0.91, a mass ratio N/Si of a nitrogen element to a silicon element in a group of the silica particles (S1) is 0.005 or more and 0.50 or less, a mass ratio N/Si of a nitrogen element to a silicon element in a group of the silica particles (S2) is less than 0.005, and an average circularity of the silica particles (S2) is 0.84 or more and less than 0.91.