Toner Surface Crystallization for Transfer and Charge Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toners for electrophotography face challenges in achieving high transferability, charge maintaining properties, and storability, with previous solutions either compromising on charge retention or storability due to the addition of low resistance materials or additives that affect the glass transition temperature.
Innovation Solution
A toner comprising a binder resin and a styrene-acrylic resin with an aliphatic hydrocarbon compound segment and a styrene-acrylic segment, where the styrene-acrylic segment is crystallized and localized near the toner particle surface, enhancing transferability, charge maintenance, and storability by controlling the melting point and using specific monomer units and molecular weights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a low resistance material is added to the toner particle surface layer to increase transferability, then transferability is improved, but charge maintaining properties deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a surface layer with specific local properties by incorporating a styrene-acrylic resin with crystalline segments that have specific melting point characteristics (30-80°C). This surface layer provides the right balance of electrostatic properties for charge retention while maintaining sufficient surface conductivity for transferability, thus resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical and chemical parameters of the toner surface by controlling the melting point of the styrene-acrylic segment within a specific range (30-80°C) and adjusting the FT-IR ATR measurement value Z to be between 1.5-9.0. These parameter changes optimize both charge maintaining properties and transferability simultaneously.
2Ease of operation
If an additive is used to lower reflection forces to improve transferability, then transferability is improved, but glass transition temperature decreases and storability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the approach by not using traditional additives that lower Tg, but instead incorporates a styrene-acrylic resin with carefully controlled melting point (30-80°C) and compositional parameters (Z value of 1.5-9.0). This maintains the Tg and storability while achieving improved transferability through the unique crystalline segment structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite resin system combining a binder resin with a styrene-acrylic resin that has specific crystalline segments. This composite structure provides the desired transferability through the surface properties of the styrene-acrylic segment while the binder resin maintains the overall Tg and storability of the toner particle.
3Manufacturing precision
If the charge quantity of the toner is increased to improve image reproducibility, then image quality is improved, but fixing temperature increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the surface electrical properties by controlling the FT-IR ATR value Z (1.5-9.0) and the melting point of the styrene-acrylic segment (30-80°C), which optimizes charge quantity and distribution. This allows achieving high image reproducibility through improved charge characteristics without requiring increased fixing temperature.
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 provides a toner with improved transferability, charge maintaining properties, and storability, maintaining low-temperature fixability and blocking resistance, while preventing the increase in fixing temperature.
Implementation Method 1
crystallizing the styrene-acrylic segment
Implementation Method 2
when the toner is measured using a FT-IR ATR method
Data Source
AI summary
A toner having a toner particle containing a binder resin and a styrene-acrylic resin, the toner being characterized in that the styrene-acrylic resin is a graft polymer having an aliphatic hydrocarbon compound segment and a styrene-acrylic segment, the styrene-acrylic segment has a specific monomer unit, the melting point of the styrene-acrylic segment is from 30° C. to 80° C., and when the toner is measured using a FT-IR ATR method, the intensity assigned to the styrene-acrylic resin and the intensity assigned to the binder resin satisfy a specific relationship.