JP6592332B2 - Method for producing toner particles - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for producing toner particles for developing an electrostatic image in an image forming method such as electrophotography, electrostatic printing, and magnetic recording.

In recent years, as a method for producing toner particles, proposals relating to a wet toner such as a suspension polymerization method and an emulsion polymerization aggregation method using a mixture of a polymerizable monomer, a colorant, a release agent and the like have been actively made.
The above-described wet toner is excellent in developability and transferability as compared with conventional pulverized toners due to characteristics such as inclusion of a release agent and characteristics such as easy control of the shape. However, it is difficult to completely remove residual organic volatile substances such as a polymerizable monomer and a solvent in the toner, and a small amount of residual organic volatile substances remain in the toner by either method. If the residual organic volatile substance remains in the toner, when the toner is used in an electrostatic image forming apparatus, the residual organic volatile substance volatilizes from the toner due to heat and pressure at the time of image fixing, and the working environment is deteriorated. An unpleasant odor is generated.

In recent years, regulations on residual organic volatile substances have become stricter worldwide, and it is required to reduce residual organic volatile substances even in wet toners.
On the other hand, in order to reduce the residual organic volatile substances of the wet toner, for example, the following methods are being studied.
(I) A method of reducing residual organic volatile substances in the step of distilling the toner dispersion after polymerization.
(II) A method of reducing residual organic volatile substances in the drying step after dehydrating the toner dispersion.

As the method of (I), for example, in Patent Document 1, the amount of heat supplied to a water-based dispersion of polymer particles after the completion of polymerization is increased stepwise or continuously under reduced pressure. A method for distilling off the compound is disclosed.
As another method (I), Patent Document 2 discloses that after the polymerization is completed, saturated water vapor is supplied to an aqueous dispersion of polymer particles at atmospheric pressure, and a volatile organic compound is removed from the toner particles. A method of distilling off is disclosed.

  On the other hand, in order to reduce the concentration of residual organic volatile substances in the toner particle dispersion after the above-described distillation step to the utmost, the residual toner particle dispersion itself after the polymerization step, which is a pre-step of the distillation step, is used. It is also effective to reduce the concentration of organic volatiles as much as possible. In this regard, since the two-stage addition of the initiator as disclosed in Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4 is effective in increasing the degree of polymerization of the toner particles after the polymerization step, the toner particle dispersion liquid The concentration of residual organic volatiles in it can be reduced.

  On the other hand, as a method of (II), for example, in Patent Document 5, toner particles generated by a wet method are supplied to a container that performs a drying process, and then vacuum vapor is supplied into the container so that the residual particles contained in the toner particles A method for removing organic volatiles is disclosed.

Japanese Patent No. 4092527 Japanese Patent No. 3332394 Japanese Patent No. 3308812 JP-A-11-160909 JP 2011-209429 A

In the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, since water vapor is supplied under reduced pressure in the distillation step, it is expected that foaming at the gas-liquid interface is extremely intense, and water vapor that sufficiently removes residual organic volatile substances is removed. It is expected that it cannot be supplied. Further, since the reduced-pressure steam is supplied, the temperature of the steam itself is low, and it is expected that the effect of reducing residual organic volatile substances by the steam is low.
Compared with the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, the method disclosed in Patent Document 2 is expected to increase the amount of water vapor / water vapor pressure to be introduced because of the operation at atmospheric pressure, and the effect of reducing residual organic volatile substances is also high. It seems that it is not enough to meet recent environmental regulations.

In the two-stage addition of the initiator disclosed in Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4, it is possible to add a water-soluble initiator in the latter half of the polymerization process (for example, after the polymerization conversion becomes 80% or more). It is effective to reduce the concentration of volatile substances. In the case of an oil-soluble initiator, the compatibility with water is poor, and the compatibility with toner particles having a polymerization conversion rate of 80% or more is also poor, so that it can act well on the toner particles as an initiator in the latter half of the polymerization process. Can not reduce the concentration of residual organic volatiles. Among water-soluble initiators, persulfate is effective for reducing the concentration of residual organic volatiles.
However, when the persulfate is decomposed and sulfate ions are generated, the pH of the slurry is lowered to the acidic side. Further, since the decomposition temperature of persulfate is around 100 ° C., it remains without being completely decomposed at a general polymerization temperature of 60 to 90 ° C. The remaining persulfate is decomposed in the subsequent distillation step, and the pH of the slurry is lowered. When the pH of the slurry is lowered during the distillation, the aqueous dispersant adsorbed on the toner surface starts to dissolve and the temperature is high, which causes problems such as coalescence and coarsening of toner particles.
Therefore, when a persulfate is added as a water-soluble initiator in the latter half of the polymerization process, in the polymerization process or the distillation process after the addition of the persulfate, in the slurry, It is necessary to add a basic component to maintain a desired pH.

If the basic component is added as powder, it is expected that the powder will fly inside the tank due to contact with the vapor inside the tank. When the powder flies, it tends to adhere to the inner wall surface of the tank and the inlet, so a method of adding a basic component dissolved in an aqueous system is common. When introducing an aqueous medium in which a basic component is dissolved during distillation, unless the temperature of the aqueous medium is controlled, the temperature inside the tank decreases and the removal efficiency of residual organic volatile substances decreases. However, in order to control the temperature of such an aqueous medium, a dedicated facility is required, which is not preferable.
Because of the above problems, it is difficult to increase the amount of persulfate input to reduce the concentration of residual organic volatiles in the toner particle dispersion, and to maintain distillation efficiency while suppressing coalescence of toner particles. Was an issue.

In the method disclosed in Patent Document 5, an azeotropic action is caused by contact between residual organic volatile substances and steam, so that residual organic volatile substances can be effectively removed.
However, recent toner particles meet the demand for low-temperature fixability from the market with a low molecular weight and low Tg design. Therefore, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 5 in which the toner particles are in direct contact with the vapor, it is difficult to sufficiently suppress the coalescence of the toner and the elution of the release agent from the toner particles. It seems to occur.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and can effectively reduce the residual organic volatile substances in the toner and sufficiently suppress the coalescence of the toner particles and the release of the release agent from the toner particles. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing toner particles that can be used.

In order to achieve the above object, a method for producing toner particles according to the present invention comprises:
A granulating step of forming particles of a polymerizable monomer composition containing a polymerizable monomer and a colorant in an aqueous medium; the particles contained in the particles of the polymerizable monomer composition in the aqueous medium; A method for producing toner particles, comprising: a polymerization step of obtaining toner particles by polymerizing a polymerizable monomer; and a distillation step of removing organic volatile substances from a dispersion in which the toner particles are dispersed in the aqueous medium. There,
In the polymerization step or the distillation step, a persulfate is added to the aqueous medium,
In the distillation step, water vapor containing a basic component is introduced into the dispersion to which the persulfate has been added.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a method for producing toner particles capable of efficiently reducing organic volatile components remaining in the toner particles in a short time while maintaining the toner quality.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred system of the present invention used in a distillation process. It is an example of a toner particle manufacturing flowchart used in the present invention. It is a figure which shows the change of pH during distillation.

The present invention can be suitably used in a method for producing toner particles by a wet method such as a suspension polymerization method using a polymerizable monomer or the like, or an emulsion polymerization aggregation method. As an example, the case where the present invention is used in a toner production method by a suspension polymerization method will be described below.
The suspension polymerization method is a production method for obtaining toner particles as follows.
A polymerizable monomer composition containing at least a polymerizable monomer and a colorant is added to an aqueous medium, and the polymerizable monomer composition is granulated in the aqueous medium. The particles are formed, and the polymerizable monomer contained in the polymerizable monomer composition particles is polymerized to obtain toner particles.

<Polymerizable monomer composition preparation step>
First, a polymerizable monomer composition containing at least a polymerizable monomer and a colorant is prepared. The colorant may be dispersed in the polymerizable monomer in advance with a medium stirring mill or the like and then mixed with another composition, or may be dispersed after mixing all the compositions.

<Granulation process>
The polymerizable monomer composition is put into an aqueous medium containing an inorganic dispersion stabilizer, granulated by dispersing, and the polymerizable monomer composition is formed by forming particles of the polymerizable monomer composition in the aqueous medium. A body composition dispersion is obtained. The granulation step can be performed, for example, in a vertical stirring tank provided with a stirrer having a high shearing force. As the stirrer having a high shearing force, commercially available products exemplified below can be used.
High shear mixer (manufactured by IKA), T.K. K. Homomixer (manufactured by Primix Industry Co., Ltd. (formerly Special Machine Industry Co., Ltd.)) K. Philmix (Primics Industry Co., Ltd. (formerly Special Machine Industry Co., Ltd.)), Claremix (M Technique Co., Ltd.).

Examples of the inorganic dispersion stabilizer are listed below.
Carbonates such as barium carbonate, calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate; metal phosphates such as aluminum phosphate, magnesium phosphate, calcium phosphate, barium phosphate and zinc phosphate; sulfates such as barium sulfate and calcium sulfate; calcium hydroxide , Aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, ferric hydroxide metal hydroxide.
These can be used alone or in combination of two or more. These exhibit functions as a dispersion stabilizer by being present as fine particles in an aqueous medium.

<Polymerization process>
By polymerizing the polymerizable monomer in the dispersion of the polymerizable monomer composition obtained by the granulation step, a polymer fine particle dispersion is obtained. In order to polymerize the polymerizable monomer, a polymerization initiator is added during the polymerization. Although the kind of polymerization initiator is mentioned later, in order to reduce the residual organic volatile substance at the time of completion | finish of a polymerization process, it is preferable to use multiple types.
An oil-soluble initiator is added at the beginning of the polymerization process.
When the polymerization conversion rate reaches 85% or more, if a persulfate that is a water-soluble initiator is added, the polymerization degree of the polymerizable monomer tends to reach 99% or more, and the residual at the end of the polymerization step Organic volatiles are reduced. The persulfate, which is a water-soluble initiator, can be divided and added several times during the heavy step. Persulfate can also be added during the distillation step, which is the next step of the polymerization step. In the polymerization step in the present invention, a general polymerization vessel having a stirring means and adjustable in temperature can be used.

  The polymerization temperature is 40 ° C. or higher, generally 60 to 90 ° C. The polymerization temperature may be constant throughout, but the temperature may be raised in the latter half of the polymerization step for the purpose of reducing residual organic volatile substances at the end of the polymerization step. Any stirring means may be used as the stirring means used in the polymerization vessel as long as the dispersed polymerizable monomer composition is floated without stagnation and the temperature in the tank can be kept uniform. As the stirring means, a stirring blade is suitable, and for example, a general stirring blade such as a paddle blade, an inclined paddle blade, a three-recessed blade, a propeller blade, a disk turbine blade, a helical ribbon blade, and an anchor blade can be used. In the present invention, full zone (manufactured by Shinko Environmental Solution Co., Ltd.), Twin Star (manufactured by Shinko Environmental Solution Co., Ltd.), Max Blend (manufactured by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.), Supermix (Satake Chemical) Machine Industry Co., Ltd.), Hi-F mixer (manufactured by Soken Chemical Co., Ltd.) and the like are preferable.

<Distillation process>
After completion of the polymerization step, a part of the aqueous medium can be distilled off by a distillation step in order to remove residual organic volatile substances such as unreacted polymerizable monomers and by-products. In the present invention, the distillation step may be performed under reduced pressure or atmospheric pressure, but it is preferable that the distillation step be performed under atmospheric pressure with high distillation efficiency because it does not easily bump even when the steam flow rate is increased.
As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have
In the polymerization process or distillation process, persulfate is added to the toner slurry,
In the distillation step, it has been found that introduction of water vapor containing a basic component into the dispersion is effective in removing residual organic volatile substances while maintaining toner quality.
As the persulfate decomposes, the pH gradually decreases to the acidic side. At this time, with water vapor containing a basic component, the pH change can be stably maintained, and the distillation operation can be performed under certain conditions, so that residual organic volatile substances can be efficiently removed. On the other hand, when a heated aqueous solution containing a basic component is continuously titrated, the removal efficiency of residual organic volatile substances is greatly reduced due to a decrease in vapor pressure and a decrease in liquid temperature associated with the charging operation. In addition, when a heated aqueous solution containing a basic component is added at a time, the pH change is too large, which is not preferable because the surface property of the toner changes.

In addition, as a result of investigation, the present inventors have found that the following 1) and 2) are effective in reducing the residual organic volatile substances after completion of distillation to a desired range.
1) Reduce the residual organic volatile substances in the toner particles to the limit after the polymerization is completed or at the start of distillation. For that purpose, a persulfate which is a water-soluble initiator is added after the polymerization conversion rate becomes 85% in the polymerization step.
When a water-soluble initiator is added at a time point of less than 85%, the molecular weight near the surface of the toner particles is reduced as compared with the core portion, and as a result, the vicinity of the toner surface becomes soft, resulting in a decrease in developability during durability. From the above, with a certain oil-soluble initiator added in advance, the polymerization conversion rate of the toner particles reaches about 85%, and the composition of the toner particle surface is sufficiently strengthened. It is preferred to remove the material. However, since the optimum polymerization conversion rate varies depending on the type and number of polymerizable monomers and oil-soluble initiators, and the reaction temperature and reaction time, and the type of water-soluble initiator and the temperature at the time of addition, The amount of persulfate added is preferably 0.2 to 5.0 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the toner in the slurry. If it is 0.2 parts by mass or more, residual organic volatile substances can be sufficiently reduced, and if it is 5.0 parts by mass or less, the pH change of the toner slurry at the time of persulfate decomposition is not too large. The toner quality can be stably maintained.

2) It is preferable to maintain pH at the time of superposition | polymerization or distillation at 4.0-7.0, and it is more preferable to maintain at 5.0-6.0. Depending on the desired molecular weight of the toner particles, a generally preferred polymerization temperature is 60 ° C to 90 ° C. On the other hand, since the decomposition temperature of persulfate is about 100 ° C., the persulfate added during the polymerization is not completely decomposed at the polymerization temperature described above and remains in the distillation step. When the persulfate is decomposed, the pH of the toner slurry is lowered with the generation of sulfate ions. When the pH is 4.0 or more, the inorganic dispersant adsorbed on the surface of the toner particles does not start to dissolve, and even when the distillation process is performed at a high temperature, the toner particles coalesce with each other. And no flat or coarse particles are produced. On the other hand, if the pH is 7.0 or less, the dye in the toner particles does not elute into the aqueous system, and the coloring power of the toner does not decrease.
In the polymerization step, an aqueous alkali component solution can be added as appropriate in order to maintain the pH within a predetermined range.
However, in the distillation step, when an alkaline component-dissolved aqueous solution is added in order to maintain the pH within a predetermined range, the pH can be adjusted, but the distillation efficiency is significantly lowered due to the water-feeding effect. This tendency is particularly strong when performing highly efficient distillation in order to comply with recent environmental standards. Therefore, it has been found that it is very effective to perform distillation with water vapor containing a basic component in order to adjust the pH without reducing the distillation efficiency during distillation.
The water vapor containing the basic component may be produced from a basic aqueous solution in which the basic component is added to water itself which is a raw material of the water vapor. Alternatively, an aqueous solution in which a basic component is dissolved in a water supply pipe can be appropriately dropped. Any method can be used in the present invention.

  The boiling point of the basic component contained in the water vapor of the present invention is preferably 120 ° C to 200 ° C. When the boiling point of the basic component is 120 ° C. or higher, the water can be stably adjusted without instantaneous vaporization when the water vapor containing the basic component is introduced into the distillation tank. . If the boiling point is 200 ° C. or less, the basic component is easily contained in the water vapor, and a part of the vaporized basic component is cooled in the water vapor pipe and is not easily discharged to the drain treatment system. It is easy to supply basic components to the distillation tank, and pH can be adjusted stably.

  The basic component used in the present invention is preferably an amine compound, more preferably an alkanolamine or a cyclic amine that is readily miscible with water. When an amine that is immiscible with water is used as the basic component, the content ratio of the basic component in the water vapor is likely to change, and it is not preferable because it is difficult to stably control the pH in the distillation tank.

<Washing process, solid-liquid separation process and drying process>
In order to remove the dispersion stabilizer adhering to the surface of the polymer particles, the polymer particle dispersion can be treated with an acid or an alkali. Thereafter, the polymer particles are separated from the liquid phase by a general solid-liquid separation method. However, in order to completely remove the acid or alkali and the dispersion stabilizer component dissolved therein, water is added again to remove the polymer particles. Wash. This washing process is repeated several times, and after sufficient washing, solid-liquid separation is performed again to obtain toner particles. The obtained toner particles are dried by a known drying means if necessary.

<Classification process>
The toner particles obtained in this way have a sufficiently sharp particle size as compared with conventional pulverized toners. However, when a sharper particle size is required, the toner particles are classified by an air classifier or the like. Particles deviating from the particle size distribution can be separated and removed.

<Basic component>
The basic component suitably used in the toner of the present invention is not particularly limited, but an amine compound is used. Examples of amine compounds include monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine, diisopropanolamine, triisopropanolamine, N, N-dimethyl-ethanolamine, N-methyl-ethanolamine, alkanolamine, methylamine, etc. , Ethylamine, n-propylamine, isopropylamine, n-butylamine, isobutylamine, dimethylamine, diethylamine, di-n-propylamine, diisopropylamine, dibutylamine, trimethylamine, triethylamine, tripropylamine, tributylamine, 2-hydroxymethyl Aliphatic amines such as -2-propylamine, aniline, methylaniline, ethylaniline, p-dodecylaniline, methylbenzylamine, Aromatic amines such as alkyldiphenylamine, alkylnaphthylamine, hexylaniline, octylaniline, decylaniline, etc .; morpholine, cyclohexylamine, dicyclohexylamine, piperidine, pipecoline, pyrrolidine, hexamethylenediamine, morpholine, etc .; cyclic amines, etc. .

  Among the above-described amine compounds, preferred in the present invention are monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine, diisopropanolamine, triisopropanolamine, N, N-dimethyl-ethanolamine, N-methyl-ethanol. Cyclic amines such as alkanolamines such as amines, morpholine, cyclohexylamine, dicyclohexylamine, piperidine, pipecoline, pyrrolidine, hexamethylenediamine, morpholine and the like;

<Polymerizable monomer>
As the polymerizable monomer suitably used in the toner of the present invention, a vinyl polymerizable monomer capable of radical polymerization is used. As the vinyl polymerizable monomer, a monofunctional or polyfunctional monomer can be used. Examples of the monofunctional polymerizable monomer include the following.

Styrene; α-methylstyrene, β-methylstyrene, o-methylstyrene, m-methylstyrene, p-methylstyrene, 2,4-dimethylstyrene, pn-butylstyrene, p-tert-butylstyrene, p- Styrene derivatives such as n-hexyl styrene, pn-octyl styrene, pn-nonyl styrene, pn-decyl styrene, pn-dodecyl styrene, p-methoxy styrene, p-phenyl styrene; methyl acrylate , Ethyl acrylate, n-propyl acrylate, iso-propyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, iso-butyl acrylate, tert-butyl acrylate, n-amyl acrylate, n-hexyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, n-octyl acrylate, Acrylic monomers such as nonyl acrylate, cyclohexyl acrylate, benzyl acrylate, dimethyl phosphate ethyl acrylate, diethyl phosphate ethyl acrylate, dibutyl phosphate ethyl acrylate, 2-benzoyloxyethyl acrylate; methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, n-propyl Methacrylate, iso-propyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, iso-butyl methacrylate, tert-butyl methacrylate, n-amyl methacrylate, n-hexyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, n-octyl methacrylate, n-nonyl methacrylate, diethyl phosphate Ethyl methacrylate, dibutyl phosphate Methacrylic polymerizable monomers such as til methacrylate; Methylene aliphatic monocarboxylic acid esters, vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl butyrate, vinyl benzoate, vinyl formate; vinyl methyl ether, vinyl ethyl ether Vinyl ethers such as vinyl isobutyl ether; vinyl ketones such as vinyl methyl ketone, vinyl hexyl ketone and vinyl isopropyl ketone.

  The following are mentioned as a polyfunctional polymerizable monomer. Diethylene glycol diacrylate, triethylene glycol diacrylate, tetraethylene glycol diacrylate, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate, neopentyl glycol diacrylate, tripropylene glycol diacrylate, polypropylene glycol diacrylate, 2,2 '-Bis (4- (acryloxydiethoxy) phenyl) propane, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, tetramethylolmethane tetraacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, tetraethylene glycol dimethacrylate, polyethylene Glycol dimethacrylate, 1,3-buty Glycol dimethacrylate, 1,6-hexanediol dimethacrylate, neopentyl glycol dimethacrylate, polypropylene glycol dimethacrylate, 2,2′-bis (4- (methacryloxydiethoxy) phenyl) propane, 2,2′-bis (4- (methacryloxypolyethoxy) phenyl) propane, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, tetramethylolmethane tetramethacrylate, divinylbenzene, divinylnaphthalene, divinyl ether.

  In the present invention, the above monofunctional polymerizable monomers are used alone or in combination of two or more, or the above monofunctional polymerizable monomers and polyfunctional polymerizable monomers are used in combination. . Among the above-described monomers, styrene or a styrene derivative is preferably used alone or in combination, or in combination with other monomers from the viewpoint of toner development characteristics and durability.

<Colorant>
Examples of the colorant preferably used in the present invention include the following organic pigments or dyes and inorganic pigments.
As the organic pigment or organic dye as the cyan colorant, a copper phthalocyanine compound and a derivative thereof, an anthraquinone compound, or a basic dye lake compound can be used.

  Specific examples include the following. C. I. Pigment blue 1, C.I. I. Pigment blue 7, C.I. I. Pigment blue 15, C.I. I. Pigment blue 15: 1, C.I. I. Pigment blue 15: 2, C.I. I. Pigment blue 15: 3, C.I. I. Pigment blue 15: 4, C.I. I. Pigment blue 60, C.I. I. Pigment blue 62, C.I. I. Pigment Blue 66.

  Examples of the organic pigment or organic dye as the magenta colorant include the following. Condensed azo compounds, diketopyrrolopyrrole compounds, anthraquinones, quinacridone compounds, basic dye lake compounds, naphthol compounds, benzimidazolone compounds, thioindigo compounds, perylene compounds.

  Specific examples include the following. C. I. Pigment red 2, C.I. I. Pigment red 3, C.I. I. Pigment red 5, C.I. I. Pigment red 6, C.I. I. Pigment red 7, C.I. I. Pigment violet 19, C.I. I. Pigment red 23, C.I. I. Pigment red 48: 2, C.I. I. Pigment red 48: 3, C.I. I. Pigment red 48: 4, C.I. I. Pigment red 57: 1, C.I. I. Pigment red 81: 1, C.I. I. Pigment red 122, C.I. I. Pigment red 144, C.I. I. Pigment red 146, C.I. I. Pigment red 150, C.I. I. Pigment red 166, C.I. I. Pigment red 169, C.I. I. Pigment red 177, C.I. I. Pigment red 184, C.I. I. Pigment red 185, C.I. I. Pigment red 202, C.I. I. Pigment red 206, C.I. I. Pigment red 220, C.I. I. Pigment red 221, C.I. I. Pigment Red 254.

  As the organic pigment or organic dye as the yellow colorant, compounds represented by condensed azo compounds, isoindolinone compounds, anthraquinone compounds, azo metal complexes, methine compounds, and allylamide compounds are used.

  Specific examples include the following. C. I. Pigment yellow 12, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 13, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 14, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 15, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 17, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 62, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 74, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 83, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 93, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 94, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 95, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 97, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 109, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 110, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 111, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 120, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 127, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 128, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 129, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 147, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 151, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 154, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 155, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 168, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 174, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 175, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 176, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 180, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 181, C.I. I. Pigment yellow 191, C.I. I. Pigment Yellow 194.

As the black colorant, carbon black and those which are toned in black using the yellow / magenta / cyan colorants are used.
These colorants can be used alone or in combination and further in the form of a solid solution. The colorant used in the toner of the present invention is selected from the viewpoints of hue angle, saturation, brightness, light resistance, OHP transparency, and dispersibility in the toner.

The colorant is preferably used by adding 1 part by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less to 100 parts by mass of the binder resin.
In selecting a colorant, it is necessary to pay attention to the polymerization inhibitory property and water phase transferability of the colorant. In particular, since dyes and carbon black often have polymerization inhibiting properties, care must be taken when using them. Preferably, these should be subjected to surface modification, for example, a hydrophobic treatment with a substance that does not inhibit polymerization. Examples of the surface treatment of the dye include a method of polymerizing a polymerizable monomer in the presence of these dyes in advance, and the obtained colored polymer is added to a raw material for toner such as a polymerizable monomer composition. . In addition to carbon black, the carbon black may be grafted with a substance that reacts with the surface functional groups of the carbon black, such as polyorganosiloxane.

<Release agent>
As the release agent used in the present invention, a wax in a solid state at room temperature may be used in terms of toner blocking resistance, multi-sheet durability, low-temperature fixability, and offset resistance.
Examples of the wax include the following. Polymethylene waxes such as paraffin wax, polyolefin wax, microcrystalline wax, Fischer-Tropsch wax, amide wax, higher fatty acid, long chain alcohol, ester wax and graft compounds thereof, and block compounds thereof. These are preferably removed from the low molecular weight component and have a sharp maximum endothermic peak in the endothermic curve obtained by a differential scanning calorimeter. In order to improve the translucency of the image fixed on the OHP, a linear ester wax is particularly preferably used. 1-40 mass parts is preferable with respect to 100 mass parts of polymerizable monomers, and, as for content of a linear ester wax, 4-30 mass parts is more preferable.

  In the present invention, a second release agent having a melting point lower than 80 ° C. can be used in combination in order to increase the plasticity of the toner particles and improve the fixability in the low temperature region. As the second release agent, a linear alkyl alcohol having 15 to 100 carbon atoms, a linear fatty acid, a linear acid amide, a linear ester, or a montan derivative wax is preferably used. It is more preferable that impurities such as liquid fatty acid have been previously removed from these waxes.

<Charge control agent>
The toner produced according to the present invention may contain a charge control agent. Known charge control agents can be used. For example, the following are examples of toners that are controlled to be negatively charged. Organic metal compounds and chelate compounds are effective, monoazo dye metal compounds, acetylacetone metal compounds, aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acids, aromatic mono and polycarboxylic acids and their metal salts, anhydrides, esters, bisphenol and other phenol derivatives Kind. Furthermore, the following are mentioned. Urea derivatives, metal-containing salicylic acid compounds, quaternary ammonium salts, calixarene, silicon compounds, styrene-acrylic acid copolymers, styrene-methacrylic acid copolymers, styrene-acrylic-sulfonic acid copolymers, non-metallic carboxylic acids Compounds.

Examples of controlling the toner to be positively charged include the following. Modified products with nigrosine and fatty acid metal salts; quaternary ammonium salts such as tributylbenzylammonium-1-hydroxy-4-naphthosulfonate and tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate; onium salts such as phosphonium salts and lake pigments thereof, tri Phenylmethane dyes and these lake pigments (Laketungstic acid, phosphomolybdic acid, phosphotungsten molybdic acid, tannic acid, lauric acid, gallic acid, ferricyanide, or ferrocyanide), higher fatty acid Metal salt. These can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, charge control agents such as quaternary ammonium salts are particularly preferably used.
0.01-20 mass parts is preferable with respect to 100 mass parts of polymerizable monomers, and, as for the usage-amount of a charge control agent, 0.5-10 mass parts is more preferable.

<Polymerization initiator>
Examples of the polymerization initiator that can be used in the present invention include an azo polymerization initiator, an organic peroxide initiator, and a persulfate initiator.
Examples of the azo polymerization initiator include the following.
2,2′-azobis- (2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile), 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile, 1,1′-azobis (cyclohexane-1-carbonitrile), 2,2′-azobis -4-methoxy-2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile, azobismethylbutyronitrile.

The following are mentioned as an organic peroxide type | system | group initiator.
Benzoyl peroxide, methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, diisopropyl peroxycarbonate, cumene hydroperoxide, 2,4-dichlorobenzoyl peroxide, lauroyl peroxide, tert-butyl-peroxypivalate.

Examples of the persulfate-based initiator include sodium persulfate, potassium persulfate, and ammonium persulfate.
The initiator is selected with reference to the 10-hour half-life temperature, and is used alone or in combination. Although the addition amount of this polymerization initiator changes with the target degree of polymerization, generally 0.5-20 mass parts is added with respect to 100 mass parts of polymerizable monomers.

<Crosslinking agent>
Various cross-linking agents can also be used in the present invention. The following are mentioned as a crosslinking agent. Divinylbenzene, 4,4'-divinylbiphenyl, hexanediol diacrylate, ethylene glycol diacrylate, diethylene glycol diacrylate, glycidyl acrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, hexanediol dimethacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, glycidyl methacrylate , Trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate.

<Binder resin>
The binder resin used in the suspension polymerization method and dissolution suspension method of the present invention is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected from known ones. For example, styrenes such as styrene and chlorostyrene; ethylene , Propylene, butylene, isoprene, and other monoolefins; vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl benzoate, vinyl butyrate, and other vinyl esters; methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, dodecyl acrylate, octyl acrylate , Α-methylene aliphatic monocarboxylic esters such as phenyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, dodecyl methacrylate; vinyl ethers such as vinyl methyl ether, vinyl ethyl ether, vinyl butyl ether; Ketone, vinyl Hexyl ketone, vinyl ketones such as vinyl isopropenyl ketone, homopolymers such as, or a copolymer, and the like.

  Examples of the polymer of styrene or a substituted product thereof include polystyrene, poly p-chlorostyrene, and polyvinyl toluene. Examples of the styrene copolymer include a styrene-p-chlorostyrene copolymer, a styrene-propylene copolymer, a styrene-vinyltoluene copolymer, a styrene-vinylnaphthalene copolymer, and a styrene-methyl acrylate copolymer. Polymer, styrene-ethyl acrylate copolymer, styrene-butyl acrylate copolymer, styrene-octyl acrylate copolymer, styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymer, styrene-ethyl methacrylate copolymer, styrene- Butyl methacrylate copolymer, styrene-α-chloromethyl methacrylate copolymer, styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer, styrene-vinyl methyl ketone copolymer, styrene-butadiene copolymer, styrene-isoprene copolymer, styrene An acrylonitrile-indene copolymer, Styrene - maleic acid copolymer, styrene - maleic acid ester copolymer, and the like.

  Particularly representative binder resins include, for example, polystyrene resins, polyester resins, styrene-alkyl acrylate copolymers, styrene-alkyl methacrylate copolymers, styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers, styrene-butadiene copolymers, styrene. -Maleic anhydride copolymer, polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin and the like. These may be used individually by 1 type and may use 2 or more types together.

<External additive>
In the production method of the present invention, an external additive can be used for the purpose of imparting various properties to the toner. The external additive preferably has a particle size of 1/10 or less of the average particle size of the toner particles from the viewpoint of durability when added to the toner. Examples of the external additive include the following.
Aluminum oxide particles, titanium oxide particles, strontium titanate particles, cerium oxide particles, magnesium oxide particles, chromium oxide particles, tin oxide particles, metal oxide particles such as zinc oxide particles; nitride particles such as silicon nitride particles; silicon carbide Carbide particles such as particles; inorganic metal salt particles such as calcium sulfate particles, barium sulfate particles and calcium carbonate particles; fatty acid metal salt particles such as zinc stearate particles and calcium stearate particles; carbon black particles and silica particles.

  These external additives are used in an amount of 0.01 to 10 parts by weight, preferably 0.05 to 5 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of toner particles. The external additives may be used singly or in combination of two or more, but those subjected to hydrophobic treatment are more preferable.

<Magnetic material>
The production method of the present invention can also be applied to a production method of a magnetic toner containing a magnetic material, and the magnetic material contained in the toner can also serve as a colorant. In the present invention, the magnetic material contained in the magnetic toner includes iron oxides such as magnetite, hematite, and ferrite; metals such as iron, cobalt, and nickel; and these metals and aluminum, cobalt, copper, lead, magnesium, tin, Alloys of metals such as zinc, antimony, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, calcium, manganese, selenium, titanium, tungsten, vanadium and mixtures thereof.

These magnetic materials have a volume average particle diameter (Dv) of 0.5 μm or less, preferably about 0.1 to 0.5 μm.
The volume average particle diameter (Dv) of the magnetic body is a circle of the same area as the projected area of 100 magnetic bodies in the field of view at a magnification of 10,000 to 40,000 times using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The equivalent diameter is obtained, and the volume average particle diameter is calculated based on the equivalent diameter.

The content of the magnetic substance in the toner is preferably 20 to 200 parts by mass, and more preferably 40 to 150 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the polymerizable monomer.
In addition, it is preferable that the magnetic material has a saturation magnetization (σs) of 50 to ²⁰⁰ Am ² / kg and a residual magnetization (σr) of ^{2 to} 20 Am ² / kg when 800 kA / m is applied. The magnetic properties of the magnetic material are measured using an oscillating magnetometer VSM P-1-10 (manufactured by Toei Industry Co., Ltd.) at a room temperature of 25 ° C. and an external magnetic field of 79.6 kA / m.

<Hydrophobicizing agent>
In order to improve the dispersibility of these magnetic materials in the toner particles, it is also preferable to subject the surface of the magnetic material to a hydrophobic treatment. Coupling agents such as a silane coupling agent and a titanium coupling agent are used for the hydrophobic treatment. Of these, silane coupling agents are preferably used. The following are mentioned as a silane coupling agent. Vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriacetoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, methyltriethoxysilane, isobutyltrimethoxysilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, dimethyldiethoxysilane, trimethylmethoxy Silane, hydroxypropyltrimethoxysilane, phenyltrimethoxysilane, n-hexadecyltrimethoxysilane, n-octadecyltrimethoxysilane.
As described above, the toner produced according to the present invention can be used as either a one-component or two-component developer.

  In the case of a magnetic toner containing a magnetic material in the toner as a one-component developer, a method of transporting or charging the magnetic toner using a magnet built in the developing sleeve is used. Further, when non-magnetic toner containing no magnetic material is used, there is a method in which a blade and a fur brush are used to forcibly charge by a developing sleeve and the toner is attached to the sleeve to be conveyed.

  When the toner obtained by the production method of the present invention is used as a two-component developer, a carrier is used with the toner as a developer. Although it does not specifically limit as a carrier used for this invention, It is comprised by the single or composite ferrite state which mainly consists of iron, copper, zinc, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and a chromium atom.

The carrier shape is also important from the viewpoint that the saturation magnetization and electric resistance can be controlled over a wide range. For example, it is preferable to select a spherical shape, a flat shape, or an indeterminate shape, and to control the fine structure of the carrier surface state, for example, the surface unevenness. In general, a method is used in which a carrier core particle is generated in advance by firing and granulating the above metal compound, and then a resin is coated. In order to reduce the load on the toner of the carrier, the following method can also be used.
A method of obtaining a low-density dispersion carrier by kneading and classifying a metal compound and a resin,
A method of obtaining a polymer carrier in which a kneaded product of a direct metal compound and a polymerizable monomer is suspension-polymerized in an aqueous medium and dispersed in a spherical shape.

The particle size of the carrier is measured based on the volume of the carrier using a laser diffraction particle size distribution measuring apparatus (Hellos <HELOS>) manufactured by SYNPATEC and equipped with a dry disperser (Rodos <RODOS>). Measured as median diameter.
The volume-based median diameter of these carriers is preferably 10 to 100 μm, and more preferably 20 to 50 μm.

  In preparing the two-component developer, the mixing ratio of the carrier and the toner in the present invention is preferably 2% by mass to 15% by mass, and more preferably 4% by mass to 13% by mass as the toner concentration in the developer. When the toner density is 2% by mass or more, the image density is a density required for practical use. When the toner density is 15% by mass or less, fog and in-machine scattering hardly occur, and image deterioration and increase in developer consumption hardly occur. .

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to examples, but these do not limit the present invention in any way.
The measurement method used in the present invention will be described below.

<Measuring method of weight average particle diameter (D4) and number average particle diameter (D1)>
The weight average particle diameter (D4) and number average particle diameter (D1) of the toner are calculated as follows. As a measuring device, a precise particle size distribution measuring device “Coulter Counter Multisizer 3” (registered trademark, manufactured by Beckman Coulter, Inc.) using a pore electrical resistance method provided with a 100 μm aperture tube is used. For setting of measurement conditions and analysis of measurement data, attached dedicated software “Beckman Coulter Multisizer 3 Version 3.51” (manufactured by Beckman Coulter, Inc.) is used. The measurement is performed with 25,000 effective measurement channels.

As the electrolytic aqueous solution used for the measurement, a special grade sodium chloride is dissolved in ion-exchanged water so as to have a concentration of about 1% by mass, for example, “ISOTON II” (manufactured by Beckman Coulter, Inc.) can be used. .
Prior to measurement and analysis, the dedicated software was set as follows.

On the “Change Standard Measurement Method (SOM)” screen of the dedicated software, set the total count in the control mode to 50,000 particles, set the number of measurements once, and set the Kd value to “standard particles 10.0 μm” (Beckman The value obtained using Coulter Co.) is set. By pressing the “Threshold / Noise Level Measurement Button”, the threshold and noise level are automatically set. In addition, the current is set to 1600 μA, the gain is set to 2, the electrolyte is set to ISOTON II, and the “aperture tube flush after measurement” is checked.
In the “Pulse to particle size conversion setting” screen of the dedicated software, the bin interval is set to logarithmic particle size, the particle size bin is set to 256 particle size bin, and the particle size range is set to 2 μm to 60 μm.
The specific measurement method is as follows.

1) About 200 mL of the electrolytic solution is placed in a glass 250 mL round bottom beaker exclusively for Multisizer 3, set on a sample stand, and the stirrer rod is stirred counterclockwise at 24 rpm. Then, the dirt and bubbles in the aperture tube are removed by the “aperture flush” function of the dedicated software.
2) About 30 mL of the electrolytic solution is put into a glass 100 mL flat bottom beaker. As a dispersant, “Contaminone N” (a nonionic surfactant, an anionic surfactant, a 10% by weight aqueous solution of a neutral detergent for washing a pH 7 precision measuring instrument comprising an organic builder, Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd. About 0.3 mL of a diluted solution obtained by diluting (made in ()) with ion-exchanged water about 3 times by mass.

3) Two oscillators with an oscillation frequency of 50 kHz are incorporated with the phase shifted by 180 degrees, and an ultrasonic disperser “Ultrasonic Dissipation System Tetora 150” (manufactured by Nikki Bios Co., Ltd.) having an electrical output of 120 W is prepared. About 3.3 liters of ion-exchanged water is placed in the water tank of the ultrasonic disperser, and about 2 mL of Contaminone N is added to the water tank.
4) The beaker of 2) is set in the beaker fixing hole of the ultrasonic disperser, and the ultrasonic disperser is operated. And the height position of a beaker is adjusted so that the resonance state of the liquid level of the electrolyte solution in a beaker may become the maximum.

5) In a state where the electrolytic aqueous solution in the beaker of 4) is irradiated with ultrasonic waves, about 10 mg of toner is added to the electrolytic aqueous solution little by little and dispersed. Then, the ultrasonic dispersion process is continued for another 60 seconds. In the ultrasonic dispersion, the water temperature in the water tank is adjusted as appropriate so that it is 10 ° C to 40 ° C.
6) Into the round bottom beaker of 1) installed in the sample stand, the electrolyte solution of 5) in which the toner is dispersed is dropped using a pipette, and the measurement concentration is adjusted to about 5%. The measurement is performed until the number of measured particles reaches 50,000.

7) The measurement data is analyzed with the dedicated software attached to the apparatus, and the weight average particle diameter (D4) and the number average particle diameter (D1) are calculated. The “average diameter” on the “analysis / volume statistics (arithmetic mean)” screen when the graph / volume% is set with the dedicated software is the weight average particle size (D4), and the graph / number% is set with the dedicated software. The “average diameter” on the “analysis / number statistics (arithmetic average)” screen is the number average particle diameter (D1).

<Method of measuring volume-based median diameter of sparingly water-soluble inorganic substance>
The volume-based median diameter (D50) of the fatty acid metal salt used in the present invention is measured according to JIS Z8825-2 (2001), and is specifically as follows.
As a measuring device, a laser diffraction / scattering particle size distribution measuring device “LA-920” (manufactured by Horiba, Ltd.) is used. The dedicated software attached to LA-920 is used for setting measurement conditions and analyzing measurement data. As the measurement solvent, ion-exchanged water from which impure solids are removed in advance is used.
The measurement procedure is as follows.

(1) A batch type cell holder is attached to LA-920.
(2) A predetermined amount of ion-exchanged water is put into a batch type cell, and the batch type cell is set in a batch type cell holder.
(3) The inside of the batch cell is stirred using a dedicated stirrer chip.
(4) The solvent refractive index of ion-exchanged water is set to 1.333. The refractive index of the hardly water-soluble inorganic compound is set depending on the sample.

(5) In the “display condition setting” screen, the particle diameter reference is set as the volume reference.
(6) After performing warm-up operation for 1 hour or more, optical axis adjustment, optical axis fine adjustment, and blank measurement are performed.
(7) A slightly water-soluble metal compound is added little by little, and the transmittance of the tungsten lamp is adjusted to 90% to 95%. Then, the particle size distribution is measured. The volume-based median diameter (D50) is calculated based on the obtained volume-based particle size distribution data.

<Preparation of sample for measurement of residual organic volatiles>
In the case of measuring residual organic volatiles of toner particles in an aqueous medium, a toner dried in advance is prepared by the following procedure. The polymerization slurry or the distillation slurry is subjected to solid-liquid separation with a pressure filter. The filtration conditions at this time are
Cake thickness: 1.0-1.5cm
Pressurized air: 4.0 to 5.0 kg / cm ²
Filter paper: Kiriyama Seisakusho funnel filter NO. 5A
After solid-liquid separation under the above conditions, the sample is air-dried for about 30 minutes, and then dried for 1.0 hour with a constant-temperature dryer at 45 ° C. to prepare a measurement toner.

<Measurement of residual organic volatiles>
The amount of organic volatile component in terms of toluene of the toner by the headspace method can be measured as follows.
Weigh accurately 300 mg of toner in a headspace vial (volume: 22 mL), and seal with a crimp cap and a special septum coated with fluororesin using a crimper. This vial is set in a headspace sampler, and gas chromatogram (GC) analysis is performed under the following conditions. And the total area value of the peak of the obtained GC chart is calculated by data processing. At this time, an empty vial in which no toner is sealed is simultaneously measured as a blank, and a measurement value in the blank measurement is subtracted from the toner measurement data.

On the other hand, several vials (0.1 μL, 0.5 μL, 1.0 μL) prepared by precisely weighing toluene were prepared in the vial, and each measurement was performed under the following analysis conditions before measuring the toner sample. Then, a calibration curve is created from the amount of toluene mixed and the toluene area value.
The amount of organic volatile component in terms of toluene can be obtained by converting the area value of the organic volatile component of the toner into the mass of toluene based on this calibration curve, and further converting it into an amount based on the toner mass.

<Measurement equipment and measurement conditions>
Headspace sampler: HEWLETT PACKARD 7694
Oven temperature: 150 ° C
Sample heating time: 60 minutes Sample loop (Ni): 1 mL
Loop temperature: 170 ° C
Transfer line temperature: 190 ° C
Pressurization time: 0.50 minutes LOOP FILL TIME: 0.01 minutes LOOP EQ TIME: 0.06 minutes INJECT TIME: 1.00 minutes GC cycle time: 80 minutes Carrier gas: He
GC: HEWLETT PACKARD 6890GC (detector: FID)
Column: HP-1 (inner diameter 0.25 μm × 30 m)
Oven: (1) 35 ° C .: Hold for 20 minutes, (2) Hold 20 ° C./min to 300 ° C. for 20 minutes Hold INJ: 300 ° C., Splitless, Constant Pressure (20 psi) Mode DET: 320 ° C.

<Coarse particles>
When the weight average particle diameter (D4) measured with the Coulter counter is measured, particles having a size of 12.0 μm or more are cut during wind classification because of low charging performance. That is, the larger the ratio of particles of 12.0 μm or more, the lower the productivity.

<Example 1>
Toner particles 1 were produced by the following procedure. The materials were adjusted at the following ratio so that the total amount of the aqueous medium and the polymerizable monomer composition was 20 kg.

(Preparation of aqueous medium)
Na ₃ PO ₄ : 5.3 parts by mass and 2.1% by mass of 10% hydrochloric acid are added to 380 parts by mass of ion-exchanged water and stirred at 130 s ⁻¹ using a high shear mixer (manufactured by IKA). , Heated to 60 ° C. An aqueous solution in which 3.1 parts by mass of CaCl ₂ was dissolved in 32 parts by mass of ion-exchanged water was added thereto, and stirring and temperature control were continued for 30 minutes to prepare a calcium phosphate aqueous medium. At this time, when the volume-based median diameter of the produced calcium phosphate aqueous medium was measured by LA-920, it was 0.15 μm.

(Preparation of polymerizable monomer composition)
The following materials were stirred with a propeller stirrer at a stirring speed of 5.0 revolutions / second and dissolved to prepare a solution.
Styrene 70.0 parts by mass n-butyl acrylate 15.0 parts by mass Polyester resin 5.0 parts by mass (terephthalic acid: isophthalic acid: propylene oxide modified bisphenol A (2 mol adduct): ethylene oxide modified bisphenol A ( 2 mol adduct) = 30: 30: 30: 10 (mass ratio) polycondensate, acid value 11 mgKOH / g, glass transition temperature Tg = 74 ° C., weight average molecular weight Mw = 11,000, number average molecular weight Mn = 4,000)
・ Low molecular weight polystyrene resin 15.0 parts by mass (Mw = 3,000, Mn = 1,050, Tg = 55 ° C.)

Next, the following materials were added to the solution.
Pigment Yellow 93 5.0 parts by mass Solvent Yellow 162 3.0 parts by mass Negative charge control agent (Bontron E-88, manufactured by Orient Chemical) 2.0 parts by mass Hydrocarbon wax having a melting point of 77 ° C (HNP-51, 10.0 parts by mass of Nippon Seiwa Co., Ltd.

The above mixture is heated to a temperature of 60 ° C., and then stirred and dissolved by a TK homomixer (Primics Kogyo Co., Ltd. (formerly Special Machinery Co., Ltd.)) at a stirring speed of 100 rpm. Distributed.
In this, 10.0 parts by mass of a polymerization initiator, perhexyl PV (10-hour half-life temperature 53.2 ° C. (manufactured by NOF Corporation)) was dissolved to prepare a polymerizable monomer composition.

(Granulation process)
The polymerizable monomer composition is charged into the aqueous medium and stirred at a temperature of 60 ° C. using a high shear mixer (manufactured by IKA) at a stirring speed of 150 rotations / second for 30 minutes. A dispersion of the product was obtained.

(Polymerization process)
After completion of the granulation step, the dispersion of the polymerizable monomer composition was transferred to a polymerization tank that was temperature-controlled at 60 ° C. After receiving the dispersion, stirring was started and the dispersion of the polymerizable monomer composition was heated to 70 ° C. After raising the temperature, the reaction was carried out at 70 ° C. for 5 hours. When the pH of the dispersion at the time when the reaction was completed for 5 hours was measured, it was 5.5.
Then, after adding 3.0 parts by mass of potassium persulfate as a persulfate to 135.0 parts by mass of the polymerizable monomer composition, the temperature in the container 1 is increased to 85 ° C. A time reaction was performed to obtain a polymerization slurry.

  When the pH was measured during the temperature increase to 85 ° C. and during the reaction, a decrease in pH was confirmed with the decomposition of potassium persulfate. For this reason, sodium carbonate was added as a neutralizing component in a divided amount of 5.0 parts by mass with respect to 134 parts by mass of the polymerizable monomer composition, and the pH was controlled between 5.0 and 6.0. After completion of the reaction, sampling was performed and measurement of residual organic volatiles in the toner particles was 100 ppm. The particle size of the sample at the end of the polymerization was measured with a Coulter counter Multisizer 3. The weight average particle diameter D4 was 6.50 μm. The results are shown in Table 1.

(Distillation process)
After completion of the polymerization process, the polymerization slurry was transferred to the distillation tank 1 of FIG. 1 and stirring in the tank was started.
Next, 1000 kg of RO water (water subjected to RO membrane treatment) and 80 g of ethanolamine (boiling point: 170 ° C.) were added into the water supply tank 18 and stirred for 10 minutes to prepare boiler water. When the inside of the tank was visually observed after the stirring was stopped, RO water and ethanolamine were uniformly mixed.
Next, supply of boiler water was started from the water supply tank to the simple boiler 17 (K007: manufactured by Nippon Electric Heat Co., Ltd.), and the production of water vapor was started.

Next, supply of water vapor containing ethanolamine as a basic component was started from a simple boiler at a flow rate of 5 kg / hour into the distillation tank 1.
At this time, the thermometer 12 and the pressure gauge 13 of the water vapor line displayed 200 kPa and 120 ° C., respectively. Thereafter, the distillation operation was terminated when the distillation operation was continued for 5 hours.
At the end of the distillation, the distillation slurry was sampled from the inside of the distillation vessel, and the residual organic volatiles in the toner particles were measured to find 20 ppm. The results are shown in Table 1. Moreover, the result of having measured the pH during distillation over time is shown in FIG.
The particle size of the sample at the end of the distillation was measured with a Coulter counter Multisizer 3. The weight average particle diameter D4 was 6.50 μm. As a result, toner particles were hardly coalesced during the distillation, which was a good distillation operation.
The toner slurry after completion of polymerization and after completion of distillation was subjected to solid-liquid separation by pressure filtration, and color observation of the filtrate was performed. Both the filtrate obtained from the toner slurry at the end of the polymerization and the filtrate obtained from the toner slurry after the completion of the distillation were colorless, and the elution of the dye due to the change in pH did not occur.

<Example 2>
The same operation as in Example 1 was performed except that the additive charged into the water supply tank 18 in the distillation step of Example 1 was changed from ethanolamine to morpholine (boiling point: 129 ° C.).
The results are summarized in Table 1 and FIG.

<Example 3>
The same operation as in Example 1 was performed except that the additive charged into the water supply tank 18 in the distillation step of Example 1 was changed from ethanolamine to aniline (boiling point: 184 ° C.). RO water and aniline were put into the water supply tank 18 and stirred for 10 minutes to prepare boiler water. After the stirring was stopped, the inside of the tank was visually observed, and it was found that the mixture was uneven.
The toner slurry after completion of polymerization and after completion of distillation was subjected to solid-liquid separation by pressure filtration, and color observation of the filtrate was performed. The color of the filtrate obtained from the toner slurry at the end of the polymerization was colorless, but the color of the filtrate obtained from the toner slurry at the end of the distillation was extremely light yellowish. It seems that the dye was eluted in the aqueous system due to the pH swinging to the alkaline side. However, the toner quality and production level were not problematic.
The results are summarized in Table 1 and FIG.

<Example 4>
The same operation as in Example 1 was performed except that the additive charged into the water supply tank 18 in the distillation step of Example 1 was changed from ethanolamine to di-n-propylamine (boiling point: 105 ° C.). RO water and di-n-propylamine were put into the water supply tank 18 and stirred for 10 minutes to prepare boiler water. After the stirring was stopped, the inside of the tank was visually observed, and it was found that the mixture was uneven.
The toner slurry after completion of polymerization and after completion of distillation was subjected to solid-liquid separation by pressure filtration, and color observation of the filtrate was performed. The color of the filtrate obtained from the toner slurry at the end of the polymerization was colorless, but the color of the filtrate obtained from the toner slurry at the end of the distillation was extremely light yellowish. It seems that the dye was eluted in the aqueous system due to the pH swinging to the alkaline side. However, the toner quality and production level were not problematic.
The results are summarized in Table 1 and FIG.

<Example 5>
The same operation as in Example 1 was performed except that the additive charged into the water supply tank 18 in the distillation step of Example 1 was changed from ethanolamine to p-dodecylaniline (boiling point: 220 ° C.). RO water and di-n-propylamine were put into the water supply tank 18 and stirred for 10 minutes to prepare boiler water. After the stirring was stopped, the inside of the tank was visually observed, and it was found that the mixture was uneven.
The toner slurry after completion of polymerization and after completion of distillation was subjected to solid-liquid separation by pressure filtration, and color observation of the filtrate was performed. The color of the filtrate obtained from the toner slurry at the end of the polymerization was colorless, but the color of the filtrate obtained from the toner slurry at the end of the distillation was extremely light yellowish. It seems that the dye was eluted in the aqueous system due to the pH swinging to the alkaline side. However, the toner quality and production level were not problematic.
The results are summarized in Table 1 and FIG.

<Example 6>
The same operation as in Example 1 was performed except that the additive charged into the water supply tank 18 in the distillation step of Example 1 was changed from ethanolamine to diisopropylamine (boiling point: 84 ° C.). RO water and di-n-propylamine were put into the water supply tank 18 and stirred for 10 minutes to prepare boiler water. After the stirring was stopped, the inside of the tank was visually observed, and it was found that the mixture was uneven.
The toner slurry after completion of polymerization and after completion of distillation was subjected to solid-liquid separation by pressure filtration, and color observation of the filtrate was performed. The color of the filtrate obtained from the toner slurry at the end of the polymerization was colorless, but the color of the filtrate obtained from the toner slurry at the end of the distillation was extremely light yellowish. It seems that the dye was eluted in the aqueous system due to the pH swinging to the alkaline side. However, the toner quality and production level were not problematic.
The results are summarized in Table 1 and FIG.

<Example 7>
The same operation as in Example 1 was performed except that the additive charged into the water supply tank 18 in the distillation step of Example 1 was changed from ethanolamine to p-hexylaniline (boiling point: 279 ° C.). RO water and di-n-propylamine were put into the water supply tank 18 and stirred for 10 minutes to prepare boiler water. After the stirring was stopped, the inside of the tank was visually observed, and it was found that the mixture was uneven.
The results are summarized in Table 1 and FIG.

<Example 8>
The same operation as in Example 1 was performed except that the additive charged into the water supply tank 18 in the distillation step of Example 1 was changed from ethanolamine to KOH (boiling point: 1320 ° C.). Since KOH is difficult to be contained in water vapor, the pH dropped during distillation, and the toner particles became slightly coarse. However, it was a usable level as a product.
The results are summarized in Table 1 and FIG.

<Comparative Example 1>
The same operation as in Example 1 was performed except that only RO water was supplied to the water supply tank 18 in the distillation step of Example 1. Since the basic component is not contained in the water vapor, the pH is greatly lowered during the distillation, and the toner particles are coarsened to a level that is difficult to use as a product.
The results are summarized in Table 1 and FIG.

<Reference Example 1>
During the distillation of Comparative Example 1, in order to suppress the pH drop and maintain the pH in the range of 5.0 to 6.0, except that 5 mass% sodium carbonate aqueous solution was added several times from the top of the distillation tank 1 The same operation as in Comparative Example 1 was performed. It is thought that the distillation efficiency decreased because the internal temperature of the distillation tank 1 decreased by about 0.5 ° C. to 1.0 ° C. at the time of addition of the aqueous sodium carbonate solution, and the organic volatile components at the end of the distillation were sufficiently low It wasn't.
The results are summarized in Table 1 and FIG.

1: distillation tank, 2: stirring blade, 3: stirring shaft, 4: stirring motor, 5: gas-liquid interface, 6: jacket for temperature adjustment, 7: thermometer in distillation vessel, 8: jacket thermometer, 9: Vessel discharge valve, 10: steam pipe, 11: steam valve, 12: steam thermometer, 13: steam pressure gauge, 14: condensate water tank, 15: condenser, 16: vent line, 17: simple boiler, 18: water tank

Claims (4)

A granulating step of forming particles of a polymerizable monomer composition containing a polymerizable monomer and a colorant in an aqueous medium; the particles contained in the particles of the polymerizable monomer composition in the aqueous medium; A method for producing toner particles, comprising: a polymerization step of obtaining toner particles by polymerizing a polymerizable monomer; and a distillation step of removing organic volatile substances from a dispersion in which the toner particles are dispersed in the aqueous medium. There,
In the polymerization step or the distillation step, a persulfate is added to the aqueous medium,
A method for producing toner particles, wherein water vapor containing a basic component is introduced into the dispersion to which the persulfate has been added in the distillation step.   The method for producing toner particles according to claim 1, wherein the basic component is a basic component having a boiling point of 120 ° C. to 200 ° C.   The method for producing toner particles according to claim 1, wherein the basic component is an amine compound. The method for producing toner particles according to claim 1, wherein the basic component is an alkanolamine or a cyclic amine.