KR20100032350A - Electrophotographic toner and process for preparing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An electrophotographic toner is provided to ensure high glossiness of an image and wide fastening range using a releasing agent with compatability discriminated with a latex component of a toner. CONSTITUTION: An electrophotographic toner comprises a latex, a colorant, and a release agent. The toner comprises Si and Fe of 3 ~ 1,000ppm. A molar ratio of Fe and Si is about 0.1 ~ about 5. In a DSC endothermic curve of the toner measured by a differential scanning calorimetry, a starting temperature of a maximum endothermic peak curve is about 68 ~ about 89°C in the temperature increase and a peak temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve is about 86 ~ about 89°C.

Description

Electrophotographic toner and its manufacturing method {Electrophotographic toner and process for preparing the same}

An electrophotographic toner and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed.

In the electrophotographic method or the electrostatic recording method, a developer for visualizing an electrostatic charge image or an electrostatic latent image includes a two-component developer composed of toner and carrier particles, and a one-component developer composed substantially of toner and free of carrier particles. The one-component developer includes a magnetic one-component developer containing a magnetic component and a nonmagnetic one-component developer containing no magnetic component. In the nonmagnetic one-component developer, a fluidizing agent such as colloidal silica is often added independently to increase the fluidity of the toner. As toner, generally, colored particles obtained by dispersing pigments such as carbon black and other additives in latex and granulating them are used.

Toner production methods include a grinding method and a polymerization method. In the pulverizing method, a toner is obtained by melt-mixing a synthetic resin and a pigment and other additives as necessary, followed by pulverization, and then classifying such that particles having a desired particle size are obtained. In the polymerization method, a polymerizable monomer composition is prepared by uniformly dissolving or dispersing various additives such as a pigment, a polymerization initiator, a crosslinking agent, an antistatic agent, and the like into a polymerizable monomer, and then in an aqueous dispersion medium containing a dispersion stabilizer. It is dispersed using to form fine droplet particles of the polymerizable monomer composition, followed by heating up and suspension polymerization to obtain a polymerized toner which is colored polymer particles having a desired particle size.

In an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic apparatus or an electrostatic recording apparatus, an image exposure is performed on a uniformly charged photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image, and a toner image is adhered to the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image. Is transferred onto the transfer material, and then the unfixed toner image is fixed to the transfer material by various methods such as heating, pressurization, and solvent vapor. In the fixing step, in most cases, the toner image is transferred between the fixing roll and the pressing roll to transfer the toner image, and the toner is thermally compressed to be fused onto the transfer material.

An image formed by an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine is required to improve precision and fineness. Conventionally, as toners used in the image forming apparatus, the toners obtained by the pulverization method are mainstream. According to the pulverization method, colored particles having a large particle size distribution are easy to be formed, and in order to obtain satisfactory developing characteristics, it is necessary to classify the pulverized product and adjust to a somewhat narrow particle size distribution. However, the conventional kneading / crushing process for preparing toner particles suitable for the electrophotographic process or the electrostatic recording process makes it difficult to precisely control the particle size and the particle size distribution, and the yield of the toner production due to the classification in the manufacture of the small particle toner is reduced. In addition, there is a problem that the change / adjustment of the toner design for charging and fixing characteristics is limited. Accordingly, polymerized toners have recently attracted attention, which are easy to control the particle size and do not have to go through complicated manufacturing processes such as classification.

When toner is produced by such a polymerization method, a polymerized toner having a desired particle size and particle size distribution can be obtained without pulverizing or classifying. However, even when such a polymerization method is used, there is a problem that the aggregation of latex and the colorant is not efficient and the aluminum-based material used as the flocculant is harmful to the environment and the human body.

In addition, toner structure control is possible through coagulation process control in order to achieve high glossiness of the toner and wide fixing area, which certainly suppresses surface exposure of pigment and release agent, so that charging uniformity, fluidity and heat storage are maintained. Will contribute to the sex to some extent. However, when a lot of low melting point and low viscosity release agents are contained in order to improve glossiness on glossy paper, the low molecular weight portion of the release agent and the resin may be mixed to some extent to cause plasticization. There is a problem with liquidity.

According to one embodiment of the invention,

An electrophotographic toner comprising a latex, a colorant and a release agent,

The toner comprises about 3 to about 1,000 ppm of Si and Fe,

The molar ratio of Si and Fe is about 0.1 to about 5,

An electrophotograph with a starting temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve at about 68 to about 89 ° C. and a maximum temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve at about 86 ° C. to about 89 ° C. at elevated temperatures in the DSC endothermic curve of the toner measured by a differential scanning calorimeter. Provides toner for use.

The difference between the Tg of the latex and the Tg of the toner may be about 6.4 to about 12.0 ° C.

The release agent may include an ester group.

The release agent is a mixture of paraffin wax and ester wax; Or an ester group-containing paraffin wax.

The release agent may include 100 parts by weight of paraffin wax and about 12.5 to about 50 parts by weight of ester wax.

The average particle size of the toner may be about 3 to about 8 μm.

The average circularity of the toner may be about 0.940 to about 0.980.

The difference in average circularity of toners having an average particle size of about 2 μm and about 5 μm in the toner may be about 0.020 or less.

GSDp and GSDv values of the toner may be about 1.25 or less.

According to another embodiment of the present invention,

Preparing a mixture by mixing the primary latex, the colorant dispersion and the release agent dispersion;

Adding a flocculant to the mixed solution to prepare a primary flocculation toner; And

A method for manufacturing an electrophotographic toner comprising coating a secondary latex prepared by polymerizing one or more polymerizable monomers on the primary aggregated toner to produce a secondary aggregated toner,

The toner comprises about 3 to about 1,000 ppm of Si and Fe,

The molar ratio of Si and Fe is about 0.1 to about 5,

Electrons having a starting temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve at about 68 to about 89 ° C. and a maximum temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve at about 86 ° C. to about 89 ° C. at an elevated temperature in the DSC endothermic curve of the toner measured by a differential scanning calorimeter. Provided is a method of manufacturing a toner for a photograph.

Primary Latex The primary latex is polyester alone; a polymer obtained by polymerizing one or more polymers; Or mixtures thereof.

The manufacturing method may further include coating a tertiary latex prepared by polymerizing one or more polymerizable monomers on the secondary flocculating toner.

The polymerizable monomer may be a styrene monomer; Acrylic acid, methacrylic acid; Derivatives of (meth) acrylic acid; Ethylenically unsaturated monoolefins; Vinyl halides; Vinyl esters; Vinyl ether; Vinyl ketones; And nitrogen-containing vinyl compounds.

The release agent dispersion may be a mixture of a paraffin release agent and an ester release agent; Or an ester group-containing paraffin-based releasing agent.

The flocculant may be Si and Fe-containing metal salts.

The flocculant may comprise polysilica iron.

According to another embodiment of the present invention,

A toner tank in which toner is stored; A supply unit for supplying the stored toner to the outside; And a toner stirring member installed to rotate inside the toner tank and capable of agitating the toner in the inner space of the toner tank, wherein the toner is about 3 to about 1,000 ppm Si and Fe, wherein the molar ratio of Si and Fe is about 0.1 to about 5, and the starting temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve when the temperature is elevated in the DSC endothermic curve of the toner measured by a differential scanning calorimeter is about 68 to about 89 Toner supply means wherein the peak temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve is from about 86 to about 89 degrees Celsius.

According to another embodiment of the present invention,

Counseling delay; Image forming means for forming an electrostatic latent image on a surface of the counseling member; Means for receiving toner; Toner supply means for supplying the toner to the surface of the consultation body to develop a latent electrostatic image on the surface of the consultation body; And toner transfer means for transferring the toner image to the transfer material on the surface of the support member, wherein the toner comprises about 3 to about 1,000 ppm of Si and Fe, wherein the molar ratio of Si and Fe About 0.1 to about 5, the starting temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve at elevated temperatures in the DSC endothermic curve of the toner measured by a differential scanning calorimeter is about 68 to about 89 ° C, and the peak temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve is about 86 To about 89 ° C.

According to the embodiment of the present invention as described above, an electrophotographic toner having a high glossiness and a wide fixing area of an image can be manufactured by using a release agent that is harmless to humans and the environment, and is compatible with latex components of the toner. Can be.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

The electrophotographic toner according to the present invention is an electrophotographic toner comprising a latex, a colorant and a release agent, wherein the toner comprises about 3 to about 1,000 ppm of Si and Fe, and the molar ratio of Si and Fe is about 0.2 to About 0.8, the starting temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve when heated up in the DSC endothermic curve of the toner measured by a differential scanning calorimeter is about 68 to about 89 ° C, and the peak temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve is about 86 to about 89 ℃.

From the DSC endothermic curve analysis of the toner obtained by using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), it is possible to know the behavior between heat and toner, that is, thermal transfer to the toner and change of state of the toner.

In particular, from the DSC curve at the time of temperature increase, the state change of the toner at the time of heat application, and the endothermic peak accompanying transfer, melting, or melting of the release agent component can be observed.

In one embodiment of the present invention, in the DSC measurement, since the heat exchange of the toner is measured and its behavior is observed, it is necessary to use a high-precision heat-compensated differential scanning calorimeter based on the measurement principle. For example, Perkin Elmer's DSC-7 (trade name) can be used. In this case, it is appropriate to use a sample amount of about 10 to 15 mg for the toner sample or about 2 to 5 mg for the release agent sample.

The measurement can be performed according to ASTM D3418-82. Before taking the DSC curve, the sample (toner or release agent) was heated up once to remove its thermal history, and then cooled (decreased) and heated (heated up) at a rate of 10 ° C./min at a temperature range of 0 ° C. to 200 ° C., respectively. Get a curve. The temperature in the DSC endothermic curve according to an embodiment of the present invention is defined as follows with reference to FIG. 1.

The elevated temperature is the temperature at which the peak curve is clearly separated from the baseline, that is, the temperature at which the derivative of the peak curve begins to increase from a positive value or the temperature at which the derivative of the peak curve changes from negative to positive. .

The starting temperature is the temperature of the intersection of the tangential line and the base line at the point where the derivative value of the peak curve is maximum.

Peak temperature is the highest temperature at the peak of the peak curve.

In the DSC endothermic curve of the toner according to one embodiment of the present invention, measured by a differential scanning calorimeter, the starting temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve at elevated temperature is, for example, about 68 to about 89 ° C.

When the start temperature satisfies this range, the storage and fluidity of the toner with respect to heat, and the fixability of the toner can be improved.

Further, in the toner according to one embodiment of the present invention, the peak temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve is, for example, about 86 to about 89 ° C. At this time, when the peak temperature satisfies this range, the storage and fluidity of the toner with respect to heat, and the fixing property of the toner can be improved.

In addition, the rising temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve is about 68 to about 89 ℃, about 82 to about 89 ℃. When the rising temperature satisfies this range, it is possible to prevent the plasticity change from a low temperature for a long time to improve storage properties, and the melting temperature of the wax does not increase during fixing, which is advantageous for low temperature fixing.

The electrophotographic toner comprises Si and Fe, wherein the content of Si and Fe is about 3 to about 1,000 ppm. At this time, when the content of Si and Fe satisfies this range, the chargeability of the toner is improved, and contamination of the inside of the printer can be prevented.

The molar ratio (Si / Fe) of the Si and Fe components is, for example, about 0.1 to about 5, preferably about 0.15 to about 3. At this time, when the molar ratio satisfies this range, cohesion force and chargeability of the toner may be improved during toner production.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, preparing a mixed solution by mixing the first latex, colorant dispersion and release agent dispersion; Adding a flocculant to the mixed solution to prepare a primary flocculation toner; And coating a secondary latex prepared by polymerizing one or more polymerizable monomers on the primary aggregated toner to produce a secondary aggregated toner, wherein the toner is about 3 to about 3 ton. It contains about 1,000 ppm of Si and Fe, wherein the molar ratio of Si and Fe is about 0.1 to about 5, and the onset temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve when the temperature is raised in the DSC endothermic curve of the toner measured by a differential scanning calorimeter is about A method of making an electrophotographic toner, wherein the peak temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve is from about 86 to about 89 ° C.

Examples of the flocculant include NaCl, MgCl ₂ , MgCl ₂ .8H ₂ 0, [Al ₂ (OH) _n Cl _6-n ] _m (1 ≦ _n ≦ 5, 1 ≦ _m ≦ 10), (Al ₂ (SO ₄ ) _{3 18} H ₂ O, PAC (polyaluminum chloride), PAS (polyaluminum sulfate), PASS (polyaluminum sulfate silicate), ferrous sulfate, ferric sulfate, ferric chloride, hydrated lime, carbonic acid Calcium, Si and Fe-containing metal salts and mixtures thereof, but is not limited thereto.

The content of the flocculant is, for example, about 0.1 to about 10 parts by weight, about 0.5 to about 8 parts by weight, and about 1 to about 6 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the first latex. At this time, when the content of the flocculant satisfies this range, the flocculation efficiency may be improved, and the chargeability and particle size distribution of the toner may be improved.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the electrophotographic toner may use Si and Fe-containing metal salts as flocculants in the toner manufacturing process, and the Si and Fe content included in the prepared toner may be, for example, about 3 To about 1,000 ppm, about 0.15 to about 3. At this time, when the Si and Fe content satisfies this range, the chargeability of the toner is improved, and contamination of the inside of the printer can be prevented.

The Si and Fe-containing metal salts include, for example, polysilicon iron, and in particular, by adding Si and Fe-containing metal salts in the manufacturing process of the toner according to the present invention, increased ionic strength and collision between particles, etc. This increases the size of the primary flocculation toner. Examples thereof include polysilica iron, and specific examples include product names PSI-025, PSI-050, PSI-085, PSI-100, PSI-200, and PSI-300 (waterworks). Can be used. For example, the physical properties and compositions of the PSI-025, PSI-050, PSI-085, PSI-100, PSI-200, and PSI-300 are shown in Table 1 below.

Kinds PSI-025 PSI-050 PSI-085 PSI-100 PSI-200 PSI-300 Silica / Fe molar ratio (Si / Fe) 0.25 0.5 0.85 One 2 3 Principal component concentration Fe (wt%) 5.0 3.5 2.5 2.0 1.0 0.8 SiO ₂ (wt%) 1.4 1.9 2.0 2.2 pH (1w / v%) 2-3 Specific gravity (20 ° C) 1.14 1.13 1.09 1.08 1.06 1.04 Viscosity (mPa.S) 2.0 or higher Average molecular weight (Dalton) 500,000 Exterior Apparently tan transparent liquid

By using the Si and Fe-containing metal salts as flocculants in the toner manufacturing process, small particle size can be reduced, and particle shape control can be achieved.

The flocculant may be added at, for example, pH 0.1 to 2.0, pH 0.3 to 1.8, pH 0.5 to 1.6. At this time, when the pH of the flocculant is added to satisfy this range, handling is easy, and the iron added to the flocculant is improved in the odor control of the chain transfer agent, ie, the sulfur-containing compound, used in the production of the latex, thereby improving the flocculation efficiency. Can be.

The volume average particle diameter of the electrophotographic toner according to one embodiment of the present invention is, for example, about 3 to about 8 μm, about 4 to about 7.5 μm, about 4.5 to about 7, and the mean value of the circularity is, for example, , About 0.940 to about 0.980, about 0.960 to about 0.975.

In general, the smaller the toner particles, the more advantageous it is to obtain high resolution and high image quality, but at the same time, it is important to have an appropriate particle size because it is disadvantageous in view of the transfer speed and the cleaning power.

The volume average particle diameter of the toner can be measured by the electrical resistance method.

When the volume average particle diameter of the toner satisfies the range of about 3 to about 8 mu m, the photoconductor is easy to clean and the yield of mass production is improved, and the problem of human hazard is eliminated due to scattering, and high resolution and high quality images are obtained. The charging may be uniform, the fixing of the toner may be improved, and it may be possible for the doctor blade Dr-Blade to regulate the toner layer.

When the average value of the roundness of the toner satisfies the range of about 0.940 to about 0.980, it is possible to prevent the image developed on the transfer material from having a large height or increasing the toner consumption, and the voids between the toners become too large The phenomenon of not being able to obtain a sufficient coverage on the image developed on the transfer material can be improved, and thus an excessive amount of toner is not required to obtain the required image density, thereby reducing the toner consumption amount. In addition, toner may be excessively supplied onto the developing sleeve so that the sleeve is unevenly coated with the toner to prevent the occurrence of contamination.

The circularity of the toner can be measured with the FPIA-3000 device of SYSMEX, which is calculated based on the following equation.

<Calculation Formula>

Circularity = 2 × (π × Area) ^0.5 / Circumference

The circularity value is a value between 0 and 1, and the closer the circularity value is to 1, the closer to the spherical shape.

In particular, the difference in average circularity of toners having an average particle size of about 2 μm and about 5 μm in the toner is, for example, about 0.020 or less. At this time, when the average circularity difference is 0.020 or less, the uniformity of particles is improved, the problem of cleaning, etc. in the image forming apparatus is improved, and contamination can be eliminated.

As the index of the toner particle distribution, the following volume average particle size distribution index GSDv or number average particle size distribution index GSDp may be used, which is calculated and calculated as follows.

First, the particle size distribution of the toner measured using a Coulter counter multisizer III (manufactured by Beckman Coulter Co., Ltd.) is divided with respect to the volume and number of individual toner particles with respect to the divided particle size range (channel). The cumulative distribution is drawn from the) side to define a particle diameter of 16% as the volume average particle diameter D16v and the number average particle diameter D16p, and a particle size of the cumulative 50% as the volume average particle diameter D50v and the number average particle diameter D50p. do. Similarly, the particle diameter which becomes cumulative 84% is defined as volume average particle diameter D84v and number average particle diameter D84p.

At this time, the volume average particle size distribution index (GSDv) is defined as (D84v / D16v) ^0.5 , and the number average particle size index (GSDp) is defined as (D84p / D16p) ^0.5 using their relational expressions to define the volume average particle size distribution. The index GSDv and the number average particle size index GSDp may be calculated.

In this case, the values of the GSDv and the GSDp are about 1.25 or less, for example. When the values of the GSDv and the GSDp are about 1.25 or less, the particle diameter may be uniform.

In the above production method, the primary latex may be a polyester alone, a polymer prepared by polymerizing one or more polymerizable monomers, or a mixture thereof (hybrid type) may be used. In the case where the polymer is used, the polymerization may be performed together with a release agent such as wax or a mixture of release agents may be used separately.

The polymerization process produces, for example, emulsion latex having a size of about 1 μm or less, about 100 to about 300 nm, about 150 to about 250 nm.

Polymerizable monomers used herein include styrene monomers of styrene, vinyltoluene, and α-methylstyrene; Acrylic acid, methacrylic acid; Methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, dimethylaminoethyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, propyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate Derivatives of (meth) acrylic acid of dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, acrylamide, and methacrylamide; Ethylenically unsaturated monoolefins of ethylene, propylene, butylene; Vinyl halides of vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride and vinyl fluoride; Vinyl esters of vinyl acetate and vinyl propionate; Vinyl ethers of vinyl methyl ether and vinyl ethyl ether; Vinyl ketones of vinyl methyl ketone and methyl isopropenyl ketone; It is preferably at least one selected from nitrogen-containing vinyl compounds of 2-vinylpyridine, 4-vinylpyridine and N-vinylpyrrolidone.

In the first latex manufacturing process, a polymerization initiator and a chain transfer agent may be used for efficient polymerization.

As said polymerization initiator, Persulfates, such as potassium persulfate and ammonium persulfate; 4,4-azobis (4-cyanoylacetic acid), dimethyl-2,2'-azobis (2-methylpropionate), 2,2-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride, 2, 2-azobis-2-methyl-N-1,1-bis (hydroxymethyl) -2-hydroxyethylpropioamide, 2,2'-azobis (2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile), 2 Azo compounds such as 2'-azobisisobutyronitrile and 1,1'-azobis (1-cyclohexanecarbonitrile); Methylethylperoxide, di-t-butylperoxide, acetylperoxide, dicumylperoxide, lauroylperoxide, benzoyl peroxide, t-butylperoxy-2-ethylhexanoate, di-isopropylper Peroxides, such as an oxydicarbonate and di-t- butylperoxy isophthalate, etc. can be illustrated. Moreover, the oxidation-reduction initiator which combined these polymerization initiators and a reducing agent is mentioned.

The chain transfer agent refers to a substance that changes the type of chain carrier in a chain reaction. New chains include significantly reduced activity compared to the previous one. Through the chain transfer agent it is possible to reduce the degree of polymerization of the polymerizable monomer and to initiate a new chain. Through the chain transfer agent it is possible to control the distribution of molecular weight.

The amount of the chain transfer agent is, for example, about 0.1 to about 5 parts by weight, about 0.2 to about 3 parts by weight, and about 0.5 to about 2.0 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the at least one polymerizable monomer. When the content of the chain transfer agent satisfies this range, the molecular weight is appropriately controlled, so that the aggregation efficiency and the fixing performance can be improved.

Examples of such chain transfer agents include, but are not limited to, sulfur-containing compounds such as dodecanethiol, thioglycolic acid, thioacetic acid and mercaptoethanol; Phosphorous acid compounds such as phosphorous acid and sodium phosphite; Hypophosphorous acid compounds such as hypophosphorous acid and sodium hypophosphate; And alcohols such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol and n-butyl alcohol.

The primary latex may further include a charge control agent, and the charge control agent used in the present invention may use both an incident charge control agent and an antistatic charge control agent, and the chromium-containing azo complex may be used as the incident charge control agent. organometallic complexes or chelate compounds such as (azo dyes) or monoazo metal complexes; Metal containing salicylic acid compounds such as chromium, iron and zinc; And organometallic complexes of aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acids and aromatic dicarboxylic acids may be used, and any known ones are not particularly limited. In addition, the antistatic charge control agent includes a product modified with nigrosine and fatty acid metal salts thereof, quaternary ammonium salts such as tributylbenzyl ammonium 1-hydroxy-4-naphthosulfonate and tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate. It may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Since the charge control agent stably supports the toner on the developing roller by the electrostatic force, the use of the charge control agent as described above enables stable and fast charging speed.

The primary latex obtained as described above is mixed with the colorant dispersion and the release agent dispersion to prepare a mixed solution. The colorant dispersion is obtained by homogeneously dispersing a composition containing a colorant such as black, cyan, magenta, yellow and an emulsifier using an ultrasonic disperser or a micro fludizer.

Among the colorants used in the colorant dispersion, black is carbon black or aniline black, and the color further includes one or more selected from yellow, magenta, and cyan colorants.

As said yellow colorant, a condensed nitrogen compound, an isoindolinone compound, an atrakin compound, an azo metal complex, or an allyl imide compound is used. Specifically C.I. Pigment Yellow 12, 13, 14, 17, 62, 74, 83, 93, 94, 95, 109, 110, 111, 128, 129, 147, 168, 180 and the like can be used.

As the magenta colorant, a condensed nitrogen compound, anthrakin, quinacridone compound, a base dye late compound, a naphthol compound, a benzo imidazole compound, a thioindigo compound, or a perylene compound is used. Specifically C.I. Pigment Red 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 23, 48: 2, 48: 3, 48: 4, 57: 1, 81: 1, 122, 144, 146, 166, 169, 177, 184, 185, 202, 206, 220, 221, or 254 may be used.

As the cyan colorant, a copper phthalocyanine compound and a derivative thereof, an anthrakin compound, a basic dye rate compound and the like are used. Specifically C.I. Pigment Blue 1, 7, 15, 15: 1, 15: 2, 15: 3, 15: 4, 60, 62, 66 or the like can be used.

Such colorants may be used alone or in admixture of two or more thereof, and are selected in consideration of color, saturation, lightness, weather resistance, dispersibility in toner, and the like.

The amount of the colorant as described above may be any amount sufficient to color the toner, but for example, about 0.5 to about 15 parts by weight, about 1 to about 12 parts by weight, and about 2 to about about 100 parts by weight of the toner 10 parts by weight. When the content of the colorant satisfies this range, the coloring effect is sufficiently expressed, the rise in manufacturing cost of the toner can be suppressed, and a sufficient amount of friction charge can be obtained.

Emulsifiers known in the art may be used as the emulsifier used in the colorant dispersion, and anionic reactive emulsifiers, nonionic reactive emulsifiers, or mixtures thereof may be used. Examples of the anionic reactive emulsifier include HS-10 (manufactured by Dai-ich kogyo), Dowfax 2A1 (manufactured by Rhodia), and the like, and RN-10 (manufactured by Dai-ichi kogyo) as a nonionic reactive emulsifier. For example.

The release agent dispersion used in the manufacturing process of the toner includes a release agent, water, an emulsifier, and the like.

In this case, since the release agent is fixed at a low fixing temperature on the final image receptor and provides a toner that exhibits excellent final image durability and wear resistance, it is understood that the type and content of the release agent play an important role in determining the characteristics of the toner. Can be.

In particular, the difference between the Tg of the latex before adding the release agent and the Tg of the toner containing the release agent (δTg) indicates the compatibility of the latex and the toner. The smaller the compatibility between the release agent and the latex, the smaller the temperature difference is. do. The smaller the compatibility of the release agent with the latex, the higher the probability that the dispersion size of the release agent in the toner increases.

 In the toner according to the present invention, the difference (? Tg) between the Tg of the latex and the Tg of the toner is, for example, about 6.4 to about 12.0 ° C.

When the δ Tg satisfies this range, the compatibility between the release agent and latex is suppressed from being excessively increased, so that the release agent is less likely to protrude on the toner surface, which has sufficient durability under mechanical stress and inflation temperature. The fixing area can be increased and the high temperature storage property and the fluidity can be improved.

The release agent that can be used in the present invention has a starting temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve at about 68 to about 75 ° C. when the temperature is elevated in the DSC endothermic curve measured by the differential scanning calorimeter of the toner, and the peak temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve is about If the difference (? Tg) between Tg of the latex and Tg of the toner is satisfied between about 6.4 and about 12.0 ° C, it is not particularly limited.

Non-limiting examples of release agents that can be used include polyethylene wax, polypropylene wax, silicone wax, paraffin wax, ester wax, carnauba wax and metallocene wax. The melting point of the release agent may be about 50 to about 150 ℃. The release agent component is in physical contact with the toner particles but does not covalently bond with the toner particles. A toner is settled on a final image receptor at a low fixing temperature and exhibits excellent final image durability and wear resistance.

The content of the release agent may be, for example, about 1 to about 20 parts by weight, about 2 to about 16 parts by weight, about 3 to about 12 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of one or more toners, and the content of the release agent may be in this range. If satisfactory, the low temperature fixability can be improved, the fixing temperature range can be widened, and the storage and economic efficiency can be increased.

As the release agent, a wax containing an ester group may be used, and examples thereof include (1) a mixture of an ester wax and a nonester wax; Or (2) an ester group-containing wax in which an ester group is contained in a non-ester wax.

Since the ester group has a high affinity with the latex component of the toner, the wax can be uniformly present in the toner particles, thereby effectively exerting the action of the wax. This is because excessive plasticization in the case of consisting only of the wax can be suppressed, and as a result, it is possible to maintain good developability of the toner for a long time.

As said ester wax, ester of a C15-30 fatty acid and 1-5 valent alcohol, such as behenyl behenyl, stearyl stearate, stearic acid ester of pentaerythritol, glyceride of montanate, is preferable, for example. Do. Moreover, as an alcohol component which comprises ester, it is preferable that it is C10-C30 in the case of monohydric alcohol, and it is preferable that it is C3-C10 in the case of polyhydric alcohol.

Non-ester waxes include polyethylene waxes and flypan waxes.

Examples of the wax containing the ester group include a mixture of paraffin wax and ester wax; Or an ester group-containing paraffin wax; and specific examples thereof may include P-280, P-318, and P-319 of the heavy oil and fat company.

When the release agent is a mixture of paraffin wax and ester wax, the release agent includes, for example, 100 parts by weight of paraffin wax and about 12.5 to about 50 parts by weight of ester wax.

When the content of the ester wax and the paraffin wax satisfies the above range, the compatibility with the latex is improved, the plasticity of the toner is improved, and the developability can be maintained for a long time.

As the emulsifier used in the release agent dispersion, an emulsifier known in the art can be used similarly to the emulsifier used in the colorant dispersion, and anionic reactive emulsifiers, nonionic reactive emulsifiers or mixtures thereof can be used. Examples of the anionic reactive emulsifier include HS-10 (manufactured by Dai-ich kogyo), Dowfax 2A1 (manufactured by Rhodia), and the like, and RN-10 (manufactured by Dai-ichi kogyo) as a nonionic reactive emulsifier. For example.

Through the above method, it is preferable that the primary latex is adjusted in molecular weight and T _g to favor low temperature fixation and rheological characteristics are controlled.

After mixing the primary latex and colorant dispersion and release agent dispersion obtained as described above, a flocculant is added to the mixture to prepare a coagulated toner. More specifically, after mixing the primary latex, the colorant dispersion and the release agent dispersion, the coagulant is added under conditions of pH 0.1 to 2.0 to form a primary coagulated toner having a thickness of 2.5 μm or less, which acts as a core. After adding the secondary latex and adjusting the pH in the system to 6 to 8, if the particle size is kept constant for a certain time, the temperature is raised to the range of 90 to 98 ℃, the pH is lowered to 5 to 6, the secondary aggregation Toner can be produced.

The secondary latex may be obtained by polymerizing one or more polymerizable monomers as described above, such polymerization producing a latex having a size of about 1 μm or less, preferably about 100 to about 300 nm, as emulsion polymerization dispersion. Done. Such secondary latex may also include wax, and the wax may be included in the secondary latex during the polymerization process.

On the other hand, the tertiary latex obtained by polymerizing one or more polymerizable monomers as described above may be coated on the secondary flocculating toner.

By forming the shell layer with the secondary latex or the tertiary latex as described above, it becomes possible to increase the durability of the toner and to solve the problem of the storage of the toner in shipping and handling. At this time, it is preferable to further add a polymerization inhibitor so that new latex particles are not produced, and the reaction is preferably performed under starved-feeding conditions so that the monomer mixture is well coated on the toner.

The secondary flocculation toner or tertiary flocculation toner obtained as described above is filtered to separate the toner particles and then dry. The dried toner is externally treated with an external additive, and the final dry toner is obtained by adjusting the charge amount and the like.

As the external additive, silica, TiO _2, or the like may be used. For example, about 1.5 parts by weight to about 7 parts by weight and about 2 parts by weight to about 5 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the non-additive toner. When the content of the external additive satisfies this range, caking, which is a phenomenon of sticking together due to the cohesion force between the toners, is prevented, the charging amount is stabilized, and the problem of contamination of the roller by the excessive external component does not occur.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an image forming method comprising attaching toner to a surface of a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed to form a visible image and transferring the visible image to a transfer material, wherein the toner is a latex. An electrophotographic toner comprising a colorant and a releasing agent, wherein the toner comprises about 3 to about 1,000 ppm of Si and Fe, wherein the molar ratio of Si and Fe is about 0.2 to about 0.8 and is measured by a differential scanning calorimeter. In the DSC endothermic curve of the starting temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve is about 68 to about 89 ℃, the peak temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve is about 86 to about 89 ℃. Exemplary electrophotographic image forming processes include a series of steps to form an image on a receptor, including charging, exposing, developing, transferring, fixing, cleaning, and antistatic steps.

In this charging step, the photoreceptor is usually covered with a charge of a desired polarity, either negative or positive, by a corona or a charging roller. In the exposing step, an optical system, typically a laser scanner or diode array, selectively discharges the charged surface of the photoreceptor in an imagewise manner corresponding to the desired image formed on the final image receptor to form a latent image. Electromagnetic radiation, which may be referred to as "light", may include, for example, infrared radiation, visible light, and ultraviolet radiation.

In the developing step, toner particles of suitable polarity are generally in contact with the latent image on the photoconductor, using a developer electrically-biased, typically having a potential polarity equal to the toner polarity. Toner particles move to the photoconductor and are selectively attached to the latent image by electrostatic force, forming a toned image on the photoconductor.

In the transfer step, the tone image is transferred from the photoreceptor to the desired final image receptor, sometimes an intermediate transfer element is used to influence the transfer of the tone image from the photoreceptor to the final image receptor with subsequent transfer of the tone image. .

In the fixing step, the tone image on the final image receptor is heated to soften or melt the toner particles, thereby fixing the tone image to the final receptor. Another method of fixing involves fixing the toner to the final receptor under high pressure with or without heat.

In the cleaning step, residual toner remaining on the photoreceptor is removed.

Finally, in the antistatic step, the photoreceptor charge is exposed to light of a specific wavelength band and reduced to a substantially uniformly low value, thereby removing the residue of the original latent image and preparing the photoreceptor for the next image forming cycle.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a toner tank in which toner is stored; A supply unit for supplying the stored toner to the outside; And a toner stirring member installed to rotate inside the toner tank and capable of stirring the toner in the internal space of the toner tank, wherein the toner is about 3 to about 1,000. ppm and Si and Fe, wherein the molar ratio of Si and Fe is about 0.1 to about 5, and the onset temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve at elevated temperatures in the DSC endothermic curve of the toner measured by a differential scanning calorimeter is about 68 to About 89 ° C., and the peak temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve is about 86 ° C. to about 89 ° C.

Figure 2 shows a toner supply means according to an embodiment of the present invention, which will be described below.

The toner supply apparatus 100 includes a toner tank 101, a supply unit 103, a toner transport member 105, and a toner stirring member 110.

The toner tank 101 stores a certain amount of toner, and is formed in a substantially hollow cylinder.

The supply unit 103 is installed at an inner lower portion of the toner tank 101 and discharges the toner stored in the toner tank 101 to the outside. That is, the supply unit 103 protrudes in a columnar shape having a semicircular cross section from the bottom of the toner tank 101 to the inside. On the outer circumferential surface of the supply unit 103, a toner discharge port (not shown) through which toner is discharged is formed.

The toner transfer member 105 is installed at one side of the supply unit 103 at the inner lower portion of the toner tank 101. The toner transport member 105 is formed in a coil spring shape, and one end thereof extends to the inside of the supply section 103. When the toner transport member 105 rotates, the toner in the toner tank 101 is supplied to the supply section 103. Is conveyed to the inner side. The toner conveyed by the toner conveying member 105 is discharged to the outside through the toner discharge port.

The toner stirring member 110 is installed to rotate inside the toner tank 101, and the toner stored in the toner tank 101 is moved downward. That is, when the toner stirring member 110 rotates at the center of the toner tank 101, the toner stored in the toner tank 101 is agitated so that the toner does not harden. The toner then moves downward by its own weight. The toner stirring member 110 includes a rotating shaft 112 and the toner stirring film 120. The rotating shaft 112 is installed to rotate in the center of the toner tank 101, and a driving gear (not shown) is coaxially installed at one end protruding to one side of the toner tank 101. Therefore, when the drive gear rotates, the rotating shaft 112 rotates integrally. In addition, it is preferable to form a wing plate 114 on the rotating shaft 112 to facilitate the installation of the toner stirring film 120. At this time, the wing plate 114 is preferably formed to be approximately symmetrical about the rotation axis (112). The toner stirring film 120 has a width corresponding to the inner length of the toner tank 101 and has elasticity that can be deformed along the protrusions, that is, the supply part 103, of the inner side of the toner tank 101.

The toner stirring film 120 is preferably formed of the first stirring portion 121 and the second stirring portion 122 by cutting a predetermined length toward the rotation shaft 112 from the end of the toner stirring film 120.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a photosensitive member; Image forming means for forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive member; Means for receiving toner; Toner supply means for supplying the toner to the surface of the photoconductor to develop a latent electrostatic image on the surface of the photoconductor; And toner transfer means for transferring the toner image from the surface of the photoconductor to the transfer material, wherein the toner is an electrophotographic toner comprising latex, a colorant, and a release agent, wherein the toner is about 3 to about 1,000 ppm. Of Si and Fe, wherein the molar ratio of Si and Fe is about 0.2 to about 0.8, and the starting temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve when the temperature is elevated in the DSC endothermic curve of the toner measured by a differential scanning calorimeter is about 68 to about 89 ° C. and an electrophotographic toner having a peak temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve of about 86 ° C. to about 89 ° C.

3 is a view illustrating an embodiment of an image forming apparatus of a non-contact developing method in which toner manufactured according to a manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is described.

The nonmagnetic one-component developer of the developing device 204 is supplied with the developer 208 onto the developing roller 205 by a supply roller 206 composed of an elastic member such as polyurethane foam or sponge. The developer 208 supplied onto the developing roller 205 reaches the contact portion between the developer regulating blade 207 and the developing roller 205 as the developing roller 205 rotates. The developer regulating blade 207 is made of an elastic member such as metal and rubber. When the developer passes between the developer regulating blades 207 and the contact portions of the developing roller 205, the layer of the developer 208 is regulated to a constant layer to form a thin layer and sufficiently charge the developer. The thinner developer 208 is transferred to the developing region in which the developer 208 is developed by the developing roller 205 on the electrostatic latent image of the photosensitive member 201, which is a counseling member. In this case, the electrostatic latent image is formed by scanning the light 203 to the photosensitive member 201.

The developing rollers 205 face each other without contact with the photosensitive member 201 at regular intervals. The developing roller 205 rotates in the counterclockwise direction and the photosensitive member 201 rotates in the clockwise direction.

The developer 208 transferred to the developing region of the photosensitive member 201 is composed of the DC superimposed AC voltage applied to the developing roller 205 and the latent potential of the photosensitive member 201 charged by the charging means 202. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member 201 is developed by the electric force generated by the potential difference to form a toner image.

The developer 208 developed on the photosensitive member 201 reaches the position of the transfer means 209 according to the rotational direction of the photosensitive member 201. The developer developed on the photosensitive member 201 is transferred to the printing paper while the printing paper 213 passes by the transfer means 209 to which the reverse high voltage is applied to the developer 208 in the form of corona discharge or roller. An image is formed.

The image transferred to the printing paper passes through a high temperature and high pressure fixing unit (not shown), and the developer is fused to the printing paper to fix the image. Meanwhile, the undeveloped residual developer 208 'on the developing roller 205 is recovered by the supply roller 206 in contact with the developing roller 205, and the undeveloped residual developer on the photosensitive member 201 ( 208 ′ is recovered by the cleaning blade 210. The above process is repeated.

The invention is described in more detail by the following examples, but the invention is not limited thereto.

The shape of the toner prepared below was confirmed by SEM photographs, and the circularity of the toner may be measured by the FPIA-3000 equipment of SYSMEX, which is calculated based on the following equation.

<Calculation Formula>

Circularity = 2 × (π × Area) ^0.5 / Circumference

The circularity value is a value between 0 and 1, and the closer the circularity value is to 1, the closer to the spherical shape.

In addition, the volume particle size of the toner was measured using a Coulter counter (Multisizer 3, Beckman, USA).

Example 1

Synthesis of Primary Latex

To a 3 L beaker add a monomer mixture (styrene 234 g, n-butyl acrylate 96 g, methacrylic acid 14 g, polyethylene glycol-ethyl ether methacrylate 6.5 g) and 5 g of 1-dodecanethiol, a chain transfer agent (CTA), HS Poured into 3% -10 aqueous solution and emulsified at 75 ° C with an ultrasonic homogenizer. The prepared release agent / polymer dispersion was added to a reactor heated to a reaction temperature of 80 ° C., and 860 g of a potassium persulfate (KPS) 3.2% aqueous solution as a polymerization initiator was added and reacted under a nitrogen stream for 2 hours. After the reaction, the monomer mixture (styrene 145g, n-butyl acrylate 66g, methacrylic acid 9g) and 3.3 g of 1-dodecanethiol were added to the reactor for 60 minutes by stabbed feeding, followed by further reaction for 6 hours. Cooled. The size of the toner latex particles after the reaction was measured by light scattering (Horiba 910), and the result was 140 nm.

<Production of Colorant Dispersion>

10 g of anionic reactive emulsifier (HS-10; DAI-ICH KOGYO) and nonionic reactive emulsifier (RN-10; DAI-ICH KOGYO) were added in the ratio as shown in Table 2 below to obtain pigments (black, cyan, magenta, yellow). ) Into a milling bath (60g) together with 400g of 0.8-1mm diameter glass beads and milled at room temperature to prepare a dispersion.

color Pigment Type HS-10: RN-10 (weight ratio) size black Mogul-l  100: 0 130 nm  80: 20 120 nm  0: 100 100 nm yellow PY-84  100: 0 350 nm  50: 50 290 nm  0: 100 280 nm magenta PR-122  100: 0 320 nm  50: 50 300 nm  0: 100 290 nm draft PB 15: 4  100: 0 130 nm  80: 20 120 nm  80: 30 120 nm

Coagulation and Preparation of Toner

500 g deionized water in a 1 L reactor, 150 g of the primary latex for the core, 19.5% cyan colorant dispersion (HS-10 100%) 15 g of nitric acid (0.3 mol) in a mixed solution containing 35 g and release agent dispersion P-280 (heavy oil) (paraffin wax component: 25-35% by weight, ester wax component: 5-10% by weight, melting point: 84 DEG C) 15 g of% PSI- (025) (Water Works, Inc.) was added thereto, and stirred for 1 minute at 11,000 rpm using a homogenizer to obtain a primary coagulation toner having a volume average particle size of 1.5 to 2.5 µm. The mixed solution was placed in a 1 L double jacket reactor and heated up to 50 ° C. (Tg-5 degrees of latex) at 0.02 ° C. per minute at room temperature. When the volume average particle diameter of the primary coagulation toner reaches about 5.8 µm, an additional 50 g of a secondary latex obtained by polymerizing the polystyrene-based polymerizable monomer is added. When the volume average particle diameter reaches 6.0 µm, NaOH (1 mol) is added to The pH was adjusted to 7. When the value of the volume average particle diameter was kept constant for 10 minutes, the temperature was raised to 96 ° C (0.5 ° C / min). After reaching 96 DEG C, nitric acid (0.3 mol) was added to adjust the pH to 6.6, and when combined for 3 to 5 hours, a potato-like secondary coagulation toner of 5 to 6 mu m was obtained. Subsequently, the agglomeration reaction solution was cooled to below T _g and then filtered to separate toner particles and dried.

0.5 parts by weight of NX-90 (Nippon Aerosil), 1.0 parts by weight of RX-200 (Nippon Aerosil), and 0.5 parts by weight of SW-100 (Titan Kogyo) were added to 100 parts by weight of the dried toner particles (KM-LS2K, dialog). TECH) and 8,000rpm, it was stirred for 4 minutes and added. This gave a toner having a volume average particle diameter of 5.8 mu m. The GSDp and GSDv values of the toner were 1.29 and 1.24, respectively.

Example 2

Except for using P-318 (heavy oil) (paraffin wax component: 30-40 wt%, ester wax component: 1-5 wt%, melting point: 80 ° C) instead of P-280 (heavy oil) Toner was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1. The GSDp and GSDv values of the toner were 1.28 and 1.21, respectively.

Example 3

Except for using P-419 (heavy oil fat) (paraffin wax component: 20-30 wt%, ester wax component: 10-20 wt%, melting point: 88 ° C) instead of P-280 (heavy oil fat) as the release agent dispersion Toner was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1. The GSDp and GSDv values of the toner were 1.27 and 1.21, respectively.

Example 4

Except for using P-420 (heavy oil) (paraffin wax component: 25-35 wt%, ester wax component: 5-10 wt%, melting point: 89 ° C) instead of P-280 (heavy oil) Toner was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1. The GSDp and GSDv values of the toner were 1.28 and 1.21, respectively.

Comparative Example 1

Except for using P-212 (heavy oil) (paraffin wax component: 25-35% by weight, ester wax component: 5-10% by weight, melting point: 82 ° C) instead of P-280 (heavy oil) Toner was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1. The GSDp and GSDv values of the toner were 1.30 and 1.23, respectively.

Comparative Example 2

Toner was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that HNP-100 (heavy oil fat) (melting point: 90 ° C.), a paraffin wax, was used instead of P-280 (heavy oil fat) as the release agent dispersion. The GSDp and GSDv values of the toner were 1.27 and 1.24, respectively.

Toner Property Evaluation

Toner Fixing Area Evaluation

-Equipment: Belt-type Fixture

-Unfixed image for test: 100% pattern

-Test temperature: 100 ~ 200 ℃ (10 ℃ interval)

-Settling Speed: 160mm / sec

Settling time: 0.08 sec

After the experiment proceeded under the above conditions, the fixability of the fixed image was evaluated as follows.

After measuring the OD of the fixed image, a 3M 810 tape was attached to the image portion, and the tape was removed after 5 round trips using a 500 g weight. OD after tape removal is measured.

Fixability (%) = (after OD tape peeling / before OD tape peeling) x 100

The fixing temperature range of 90% or more of fixability is regarded as the fixing area of the toner.

MFT: Minimum Fusing Temperature [Minimum temperature where fixability is over 90% without cold offset]

HOT: HOT Offset Temperature [lowest temperature for hot offset]

Toner Gloss Evaluation

Glossmeter (Glossmeter) is used to measure at 160 ℃, the fuser using temperature.

Measuring angle: 60 ^o

Measurement pattern: 100% pattern

Toner High Temperature Storage Evaluation

After 100 g of toner was externally added, it was put into a developer and stored in a constant temperature and humidity oven as a package as follows.

23 ° C, 55% RH (Relative Humidity) 2hr

=> 40 ℃, 90% RH 48hr

=> 50 ℃, 80% RH 48hr

=> 40 ℃, 90% RH 48hr

=> 23 ℃, 55% RH 6hr

After storing the above conditions, whether or not Caking of the toner in the developing machine is visually determined and an image defect is output to evaluate an image defect.

- Evaluation standard

○: Good image, no caking (No-Caking)

△: bad image, no caking

X: Caking Out

Carr's Cohesion Evaluation

-Equipment: Hosokawa micron powder tester PT-S

Sample volume: 2g (external or external toner)

Amplitude: 1mm_dial 3 ~ 3.5

Sieve: 53, 45, 38um

Vibration time: 120 sec

After storing for 2 hours at 23 ℃, RH 55%, the amount of change before and after the sieve for each size under the above conditions is measured and calculated as follows.

(1) [(mass of particles left in largest sieve) / 2 g] x 100

(2) [(mass of particles left in half-size sieve) / 2 g] x 100 x (3/5)

(3) [(mass of particles left in smallest sieve) / 2 g] x 100 x (1/5)

Carr's Cohesion = (1) + (2) + (3)

- Criteria

◎: 10% or less

○: 20% or less

△: 50% or less

X: over 50%

Evaluation of Charging Characteristics of Toner

28.5 g of a carrier (SS82, powdertech) and 1.5 g of toner were put into 60 ml of a glass container, followed by stirring using a turbula mixer, and then the charge amount of the toner was measured using an electric field separation method.

The charging stability of the toner according to the stirring time and the high temperature / high humidity / low temperature / humidity charge amount ratio (HH / LL) at room temperature and humidity conditions are utilized as a measure of evaluation.

-Humidity: 23 ℃, RH 55%

-High temperature & high humidity: 32 ℃, RH 80%

-Low temperature and low humidity: 10 ℃, RH 10%

- Evaluation standard

○: 0.59 ≤ HH / LL ≤ 0.65

△: 0.45 ≤ HH / LL <0.59

X: HH / LL <0.45

Toner physical property evaluation results of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Examples 1 to 2 prepared above are shown in Table 3 below.

This brother T _g [latex] [℃] T _g [toner] [° C] δT _g [° C] T _m [toner] Temperature [η = 1 * 10 ⁴ Pa · s] [° C] Glossiness Settlement area Charging characteristics Liquidity Goon Preservation Castle Starting temperature [℃] Peak temperature [° C] MFT [℃] HOT [℃] HH / LL Example 1 P-280 66.6 55.1 11.5 68.2 89.9 106 8.4 140 210 0.65 ○ ○ ○ Example 2 P-318 68.0 59.5 8.5 82.1 86.8 108 8.1 140 210 0.59 ○ ○ ○ Example 3 P-419 67.0 60.1 6.9 88.5 88.1 109 8.8 150 210 0.63 ○ ○ ○ Example 4 P-420 67.0 60.6 6.4 89.1 89.0 111 8.8 150 210 0.62 ○ ○ ○ Comparative Example 1 P-212 66.6 54.1 12.5 68.0 80.4 95 8.9 130 200 0.41 X △ X Comparative Example 2 HNP -100 67.0 62.5 4.5 80.2 90.8 125 5.8 180 210 0.48 △ ○ ○

* δ Tg = Latex Tg-Toner Tg

In Table 3, δ Tg represents the difference between the latex Tg and the toner Tg. As the compatibility between the release agent and the toner decreases, the releasing agent is less plastic in the toner, and thus the Tg of the toner shows a smaller difference from the Tg of the latex.

Referring to Table 3 above, when δTg representing the compatibility tendency of the toner resin and the release agent was 6.4 to 11.5 ° C. like the toners prepared in Examples 1 to 4, the physical properties of the toner were excellent. In Comparative Example 1 having a compatibility range of δTg greater than 12.0 ° C., it was confirmed that charging characteristics were unstable, high temperature storageability was lowered, and cohesion was increased. It is judged to be because the possibility of protruding to the surface is large.

In addition, in the case of Comparative Example 2 having a δTg of less than 6.4 ° C., the cohesion degree of the toner was small, and the high temperature storage property was improved, but it was confirmed that the fixing area was reduced finely.

1 is a schematic diagram of a DSC endothermic curve measured by a differential scanning calorimeter.

2 shows a toner supply means according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 shows an embodiment of the image forming apparatus containing the toner manufactured according to an embodiment of the present invention.

&Lt; Brief Description of Drawings &

100; Toner supply device 101; Toner tank

103; Supply 105; Toner conveying member

110; Toner stirring member 112; Axis of rotation

114; Wing plates 120,130; Toner Stirring Film

121,131; First stirring portions 122,132; 2nd Stirring

201: Photosensitive member 202: charging means

203: light 204: developing device

205: developing roller 206: feeding roller

207: developer control blade 208: developer

208 ': Residual toner 209: Transfer means

210: cleaning blade 212: power

213: print media

Claims (20)

An electrophotographic toner comprising a latex, a colorant and a release agent, The toner comprises about 3 to about 1,000 ppm of Si and Fe, The molar ratio of Si and Fe is about 0.1 to about 5, An electrophotograph with a starting temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve at about 68 to about 89 ° C. and a maximum temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve at about 86 ° C. to about 89 ° C. at elevated temperatures in the DSC endothermic curve of the toner measured by a differential scanning calorimeter. For toner. The method of claim 1, And a difference between T _g of the latex and T _g of the toner is about 6.4 to about 12.0 ° C. The method of claim 1, An electrophotographic toner, wherein the release agent comprises an ester group. The method of claim 1, The release agent is a mixture of paraffin wax and ester wax; Or an ester group-containing paraffin wax. The method of claim 1, And wherein the release agent comprises 100 parts by weight of paraffin wax and about 12.5 to about 50 parts by weight of ester wax. The method of claim 1, And an average particle size of the toner is about 3 to about 8 mu m. The method of claim 1, And an average circularity of the toner is from about 0.940 to about 0.980. The method of claim 1, And an average circularity difference of the toner having an average particle size of about 2 μm and about 5 μm in the toner is about 0.02 or less. The method of claim 1, An electrophotographic toner, wherein the GSDv and GSDp values of the toner are about 1.25 or less, respectively. Preparing a mixture by mixing the primary latex, the colorant dispersion and the release agent dispersion; Adding a flocculant to the mixed solution to prepare a primary flocculation toner; And A method of manufacturing an electrophotographic toner comprising coating a secondary latex prepared by polymerizing one or more polymerizable monomers on the primary aggregated toner to produce a secondary aggregated toner, The toner comprises about 3 to about 1,000 ppm of Si and Fe, The molar ratio of Si and Fe is about 0.1 to about 5, An electrophotograph with a starting temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve at about 68 to about 89 ° C. and a maximum temperature of the maximum endothermic peak curve at about 86 ° C. to about 89 ° C. at elevated temperatures in the DSC endothermic curve of the toner measured by a differential scanning calorimeter. Method for producing a toner for solvents. The method of claim 10, The primary latex is polyester alone; Polymers obtained by polymerizing one or more polymerizable monomers; Or a mixture thereof. The method of claim 10, And coating a third latex prepared by polymerizing one or more polymerizable monomers on the second aggregated toner. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, The polymerizable monomer is a styrene monomer; Acrylic acid, methacrylic acid; Derivatives of (meth) acrylic acid; Ethylenically unsaturated monoolefins; Vinyl halides; Vinyl esters; Vinyl ether; Vinyl ketones; And at least one selected from a nitrogen-containing vinyl compound. The method of claim 10, And the release agent is a release agent containing an ester group. The method of claim 10, The release agent dispersion is a mixture of paraffin wax and ester wax; Or an ester group-containing paraffin-based releasing agent. The method of claim 10, And wherein the release agent comprises 100 parts by weight of paraffin wax and about 12.5 to about 50 parts by weight of ester wax. The method of claim 10, And said coagulant is a metal salt containing Si and Fe. The method of claim 10, And the coagulant comprises polysilicon iron. A toner tank in which toner is stored; A supply unit for supplying the stored toner to the outside; And a toner stirring member installed to rotate inside the toner tank and capable of stirring the toner in the inner space of the toner tank. Toner supply means, characterized in that the electrophotographic toner according to any one of claims. Counseling delay; Image forming means for forming an electrostatic latent image on a surface of the counseling member; Means for receiving toner; Toner supply means for supplying the toner to the surface of the consultation body to develop a latent electrostatic image on the surface of the consultation body; And toner transfer means for transferring the toner image from the surface of the support member to the transfer material, wherein the toner is the electrophotographic toner according to any one of claims 1 to 9. An image forming apparatus.

Images