Toner Surface Coating for Fogging and Transfer Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current toners for electrophotographic applications face challenges with fogging and transfer residual toner issues, particularly in high-temperature and high-humidity environments, where fogging suppression and transfer efficiency are compromised due to changes in charge quantity and surface irregularities.
Innovation Solution
A toner with a surface layer containing an organosilicon polymer with a specific partial structure (R0—SiO3/2) is developed, which enhances durability and charge stability, maintaining a wide fogging latitude and transfer efficiency across varying environmental conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external additives such as silica fine particles are added to the surface of toner particles to ensure flowability and uniformize charging, then fogging suppression is improved, but the additives become embedded or detached during printing, reducing long-term fogging suppression effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining silica fine particles with an organosilicon polymer coating on the toner particle surface. The silica particles provide flowability and charging uniformity, while the organosilicon polymer matrix ensures durable adhesion to the toner surface, preventing embedding and detachment during printing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The organosilicon polymer forms a thin film coating on the toner particle surface that encapsulates the silica fine particles. This flexible thin film structure maintains the functional benefits of the additives while providing a protective layer that prevents their detachment or embedding during the printing process.
2Productivity
If the transfer current is increased to improve transfer efficiency, then transfer residual toner is reduced, but discharge occurs in the toner layer which increases transfer residual toner
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the electrical and surface properties of the toner particles through the organosilicon polymer coating, which changes the charge distribution and surface potential characteristics. This allows for optimized transfer efficiency at lower transfer currents by preventing discharge phenomena in the toner layer, thus reducing transfer residual toner.
3Ease of operation
If the surface of toner particles is made highly irregular to improve cleaning property in cleaner-less systems, then transferability is improved, but the surface shape control becomes more difficult and requires remarkable precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating controlled surface irregularities through the organosilicon polymer coating process. The coating forms localized protrusions and irregularities on the toner particle surface that provide sufficient cleaning property in cleaner-less systems while maintaining manufacturable surface shape characteristics.
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 effectively suppresses fogging and ensures high transfer efficiency by maintaining a stable charge distribution and surface properties, even under severe environmental conditions, thereby simplifying control mechanisms and reducing the need for cleaning devices.
Implementation Method 1
The main cause for the development of a toner in the non-image portion is that particles of the toner contain a particle having an insufficient charge quantity and a particle charged to opposite polarity. The toner having an insufficient charge quantity is slow to react to a back contrast...
Implementation Method 2
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H03-089361, as the method involving covering the surface of a toner particle with a silicon compound, there is a disclosure of a method of producing a polymerized toner involving adding a silane coupling agent to a reaction system.
Implementation Method 3
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H03-089361, as the method involving covering the surface of a toner particle with a silicon compound, there is a disclosure of a method of producing a polymerized toner involving adding a silane coupling agent to a reaction system.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a toner, including toner particle having surface layer, in which: the surface layer includes organosilicon polymer which has a partial structure represented by formula (1); in 29Si-NMR measurement of tetrahydrofuran-insoluble matter of toner particle, a ratio of a peak area for the partial structure represented by formula (1) to a total peak area for the organosilicon polymer is 5.0% or more; in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis of a surface of toner particle, a ratio of a density of a silicon atom dSi in the surface of toner particle is 1.0 to 28.6 atom %; and in a roughness curve of toner particle measured by using a scanning probe microscope: an arithmetic average roughness Ra is 10 to 300 nm; σRa/Ra is 0.60 or less; an average length RSm of a roughness curve element is 20 to 500 nm; and σRSm/RSm is 0.60 or less.