White Toner Titanium Oxide Release Agent Domain
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional white toners containing titanium oxide suffer from a choking phenomenon, characterized by decreased image intensity, cracks, peeling, and fading when exposed to light, particularly ultraviolet rays, due to the photocatalytic activity of titanium oxide, which affects the whiteness and concealability of the images.
Innovation Solution
The white toner includes toner particles with a binder resin, a release agent, and titanium oxide, where at least a part of the titanium oxide is present in the release agent domain, with specific dimensional relationships between the toner particles, the release agent domain, and the titanium oxide in the release agent domain to suppress the choking phenomenon, ensuring improved releasability, whiteness, and concealability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If titanium oxide is added to white toner to improve whiteness and concealability, then image whiteness and concealability are improved, but the choking phenomenon occurs due to photocatalytic activity under light exposure
Solution Approach 1:
A release agent is introduced as an intermediary substance between the titanium oxide particles and the binder resin. The release agent forms a protective layer around the titanium oxide, preventing direct contact between titanium oxide and the binder resin, thereby suppressing the photocatalytic degradation of the binder resin while maintaining the whiteness and concealability benefits of titanium oxide
Solution Approach 2:
The titanium oxide particles are nested within domains formed by the release agent in the toner particle structure. This hierarchical arrangement places the titanium oxide inside the release agent domains, which are themselves part of the toner particle matrix, creating a protected configuration that reduces harmful photocatalytic effects
2Ease of operation
If release agent content is increased to improve releasability, then releasability is improved, but toner particle stability and image quality may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the content of release agent within a specific range (5-20 mass%) and controls the domain size parameters (0.05Dt ≤ Dw ≤ 0.20Dt) to achieve the balance between releasability and particle stability. By precisely controlling these parameters, the release agent provides sufficient releasability without compromising toner particle integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The release agent is distributed in specific domains within the toner particle rather than uniformly throughout. The domain size and distribution are controlled to provide localized releasability where needed while maintaining overall particle stability in other regions
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 dimensional relationships and inclusion of titanium oxide in the release agent domain effectively prevent the choking phenomenon, maintaining image intensity and quality even after exposure to light, while ensuring sufficient whiteness and concealability.
Implementation Method 1
conventional white toners containing titanium oxide suffer from a choking phenomenon, characterized by decreased image intensity, cracks, peeling, and fading when exposed to light, particularly ultraviolet rays, due to the photocatalytic activity of titanium oxide
Data Source
AI summary
A white toner includes a toner particle that contains a binder resin, a release agent, and titanium oxide, at least a part of the titanium oxide being present in a release agent domain, in which in observation of a cross section of the toner particle, an average major axis length Dt of the toner particle, an average major axis length Dw of the release agent domain, and an average major axis length Dp of the titanium oxide in the release agent domain satisfy Expressions (1) and (2).2×Dp≤Dw≤10×Dp Expression (1):0.1×Dt≤Dw≤0.5×Dt Expression (2).