Toner Production Process for Wax Leaching and Blocking Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toners for electrostatic charge images face issues with wax leaching out, leading to soiling of image-forming apparatus and degradation, while incorporating wax to prevent offset is challenging due to compatibility and blocking resistance concerns.
Innovation Solution
A toner production process involving emulsion polymerization flocculation with preliminary dispersion of wax and a specific polymerizable monomer, ensuring at least 85% of wax domains have an equiareal circle diameter of 0-500 nm, and using a binder resin with a copolymer containing a C8-100 hydrocarbon group to maintain wax dispersion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wax is incorporated in a large amount to suppress offset, then the releasing effect is improved, but wax leaches out on the toner surface and soils the image-forming apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the toner particle into distinct phases by controlling wax domain size and distribution. Wax is segmented into small domains (0.1-10 μm) dispersed within the binder resin matrix, preventing continuous wax pathways that would lead to surface leaching while maintaining sufficient wax content for offset suppression.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates local quality differences by forming discrete wax domains with specific size ranges (0.1-10 μm) distributed throughout the toner particle. This local structuring ensures wax remains confined in specific regions rather than uniformly distributing to the surface, preventing leaching while maintaining releasing effect at the fixation interface.
2Reliability
If wax is incorporated in a large amount to suppress offset, then the releasing effect is improved, but the toner undergoes blocking during storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments wax into small, discrete domains (0.1-10 μm) rather than allowing large continuous wax phases. This segmentation prevents wax molecules from forming extensive interconnected networks that would cause blocking during storage, while still providing sufficient wax for offset suppression during fixation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure where wax domains are dispersed within a binder resin matrix. This composite architecture combines the offset-suppressing properties of wax with the structural stability of the binder resin, preventing blocking during storage while maintaining releasing effect during fixation.
3Manufacturing precision
If the particle size of the toner is reduced to improve image quality, then the resolution is improved, but the low temperature fixing property deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of wax domains (size: 0.1-10 μm, distribution: dispersed throughout the particle) to optimize both small particle size performance and fixation temperature. The controlled wax domain structure maintains adequate fixation temperature even as overall particle size is reduced for high resolution.
4Temperature
If a binder resin with low softening point is used to improve low temperature fixing property, then the fixing temperature is reduced, but the temperature range for fixing is not secured and offset occurs at high temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite system combining low softening point binder resin with dispersed wax domains. The binder resin provides low-temperature fixation capability while the wax domains provide high-temperature offset resistance, extending the effective fixing temperature range without sacrificing either low- or high-temperature performance.
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 process effectively prevents wax leaching and blocking, ensuring excellent image characteristics and high temperature offset performance without compromising low temperature fixing properties.
Implementation Method 1
supplying a monomer into an aqueous dispersion containing wax and a polymerizable monomer having a C8-100 hydrocarbon group, carrying out the polymerization
Implementation Method 2
carrying out the polymerization, followed by flocculation treatment
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a process for efficiently producing a toner for developing an electrostatic charge image, which is scarcely susceptible to aggregation of the toner and free from blocking during the storage or from soiling the image forming apparatus and which is excellent in image characteristics. A process for producing a toner for developing an electrostatic charge image, characterized by supplying a monomer into a dispersion containing wax and a polymerizable monomer having a C8-100 hydrocarbon group, carrying out the polymerization, followed by flocculation treatment.