Toner Surfactant Composition for High-Speed Printing Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Toner formulations face challenges in achieving both low-temperature fixability and long-term storability while maintaining high environmental stability, particularly during high-speed printing, due to issues with surfactant desorption and contamination in humid environments.
Innovation Solution
A toner composition incorporating a nonionic surfactant with an oxyethylene and oxypropylene group ratio of 0.01 to 5.00, which inhibits toner adherence to members and stabilizes charging characteristics, ensuring high durability and environmental stability by controlling surfactant distribution and binding properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the glass transition temperature of the resin is lowered to achieve low-temperature fixability, then fixing performance is improved, but toner durability and long-term storability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a core-shell structure where the core contains low-Tg resin for low-temperature fixing, while the shell contains high-Tg resin for durability. This allows different regions of the toner particle to have different thermal properties, simultaneously achieving both low-temperature fixability and long-term storability without compromising either property.
2Reliability
If nonionic surfactant is added to inhibit toner adherence, then durability is improved, but surfactant desorption and contamination occur during high-speed printing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the molecular structure of the nonionic surfactant, specifically controlling the ratio of oxyethylene groups to oxypropylene groups to be within 1:10 to 1:1. This structural parameter modification reduces the surfactant's tendency to desorb during high-speed printing while maintaining its adherence-inhibiting function, thereby preventing contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining the modified nonionic surfactant with a specific binder resin system. This composite approach enhances the surfactant's binding stability to the toner particle surface, preventing desorption during high-speed printing operations while maintaining effective adherence inhibition.
3Reliability
If nonionic surfactant is used to improve environmental stability, then charging characteristics are improved, but stability in high humidity environment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance of the nonionic surfactant through controlled ratios of oxyethylene (hydrophilic) to oxypropylene (hydrophobic) groups. This parameter optimization allows the surfactant to maintain effective charging characteristics while exhibiting improved resistance to humidity-induced degradation.
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 specified nonionic surfactant composition enhances long-term image stability and environmental stability, preventing toner adherence and maintaining charging stability even at high humidity, thus addressing the trade-offs between fixability and storability.
Implementation Method 1
a nonionic surfactant having an oxyethylene group (EO) and an oxypropylene group (PO)
Data Source
AI summary
A toner is provided that exhibits a high long-term image stability even during high-speed printing and that also exhibits an excellent environmental stability. The toner comprises a binder resin, a colorant, and a nonionic surfactant, wherein the nonionic surfactant has an oxyethylene group (EO) and an oxypropylene group (PO) and has a ratio of the number of moles of the oxypropylene group to the number of moles of the oxyethylene group (PO/EO) of at least 0.01 and not more than 5.00; and when A (μg/g) is defined as a nonionic surfactant content on the surface of the toner that can be extracted by methanol from 1 g of the toner and B (m2/g) is defined as a theoretical specific surface area determined from a toner particle diameter distribution obtained by a precision particle diameter distribution analyzer that operates based on an aperture electrical resistance method, a ratio A/B is at least 100 μg/m2 and not more than 9000 μg/m2.