Toner Surface Control for Attachment Force Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current toner technologies face challenges in maintaining low attachment force to photosensitive drums over long-term use, especially under high temperature and high humidity conditions, which affects transferability and durability.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating organosilicon polymer particles with controlled volume resistivity and specific surface structures into the toner, along with other fine particles, to reduce both electrostatic and nonelectrostatic attachment forces, thereby maintaining optimal charge and transferability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If material design efforts are made to reduce attachment force through adding lubricating particles to the toner surface layer, then transferability is improved, but the low attachment force cannot be maintained during long-term use
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical and chemical parameters of the toner surface by incorporating fine particles with specifically controlled volume resistivity (10^-6 to 10^6 Ωm) and surface potential (-50 to +50 mV). This parameter control maintains stable attachment force characteristics during long-term use, preventing the degradation that occurs with conventional lubricating particle additions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite material structure by combining fine particles with controlled electrical properties along with lubricating particles on the toner surface. This composite approach creates a multi-functional surface layer that simultaneously provides lubrication for transferability and electrical property control for long-term stability, resolving the contradiction between immediate performance and durability.
2Productivity
If the attachment force between toner and photosensitive drum is reduced to improve transferability, then toner can be transferred more effectively, but charge up occurs during long-term use under high temperature and high humidity conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention precisely controls the volume resistivity parameter of fine particles within 10^-6 to 10^6 Ωm and surface potential within -50 to +50 mV. These controlled parameters regulate electrostatic interactions between toner and drum, enabling effective transfer while preventing excessive charge accumulation during long-term operation, especially under high temperature and humidity conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The fine particles with controlled electrical properties act as an intermediary layer between the toner core and the photosensitive drum. This intermediary controls the electrostatic field distribution, facilitating toner transfer while dissipating excess charge, thereby preventing charge up during long-term use without compromising transfer efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If lubricating particles are added to improve slipperiness and transferability, then initial transfer performance is enhanced, but attachment force increases over time reducing transferability
Solution Approach 1:
The invention controls the surface potential of fine particles within -50 to +50 mV to modulate electrostatic attachment force. This controlled potential, combined with lubricating particles, maintains optimal slipperiness while preventing excessive attachment force development over time, ensuring stable transferability throughout the toner's operational life.
Solution Approach 2:
The toner surface forms a composite structure combining lubricating particles for slipperiness with fine particles of controlled electrical properties for stable attachment force. This composite surface layer synergistically provides both ease of transfer and long-term composition stability, preventing the attachment force increase that occurs with lubricating particles alone.
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 effectively maintains transferability and durability by reducing attachment forces and preventing charge up, even under severe conditions, ensuring long-term performance.
Implementation Method 1
fine particles with controlled volume resistivity present at its surface layer
Implementation Method 2
addition of organosilicon polymer particles... having an excellent releasability and/or lubricity
Implementation Method 3
maintain this low attachment force during the course of long-term use... resistant to reductions in the transferability even when used in a long-term durability test
Data Source
AI summary
Toner comprising a toner particle containing binder resin and colorant, wherein fine particles A (organosilicon polymer particles containing an organosilicon polymer) and fine particles B are present at the toner particle surface, the organosilicon polymer has structure in which Si and O are alternately bonded to each other, portion of Si in the organosilicon polymer has R1-SiO3/2 structure, and content of the fine particles A, proportion for area of peak originating with silicon having the T3 unit structure, volume resistivity of the fine particles B, total coverage ratio of the toner particle surface by the fine particles A embedded in the toner particle (Al) and the fine particles A not embedded in the toner particle (A2), percentage for area occupied by the fine particles A2, content of the fine particles B in the toner, and percentage for area occupied by the fine particles B embedded in the toner particle are prescribed range.