Toner compositions and process thereof

• US 20060222991A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sacripante, Guerino G., Zwartz, Edward G., McDougall, Maria N.V., Veregin, Richard P.N., Zhou, Ke
• Granted Patent: US 7,329,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/109.400
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0804 whereby the components are brought together in a liquid dispersing medium
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/08755 Polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/08791 characterised by the presence of specified groups or side chains

Abstract

A toner composition is provided which contains a polyester resin with hydrophilic groups and hydrophobic end groups and a colorant, wherein said polyester resin is of the formula: wherein R is an alkylene group; X is an aromatic hydrocarbon; Y is selected from the group consisting of an alkali and an alkaline earth metal salt of an arylenesulfonate or an alkylenesulfonate; R′ is a hydrophobic group, and m and n represent the number of random segments of from about 50 to about 300 for n, and from about 20 to about 2,000 for m, and m is less than 20 times n.

Claims

1. A toner composition comprised of a polyester resin with hydrophilic groups and hydrophobic end groups and a colorant, wherein said polyester resin is of the formula:

2. A toner composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein R′

is derived from a polymeric alcohol.

3. A toner composition in accordance with claim 2, wherein the polymeric alcohol is from about 10 to about 120 carbon atoms, or from about 20 to about 60 carbon atoms.

4. A toner composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein said polyester resin is derived from at least one polymeric alcohol moiety of the formula —

OH(CH2)_pCH₃, wherein p is a number of from about 10 to about 120, or from about 20 to about 60.

5. A toner composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein said R′

hydrophobic group is an aliphatic hydrocarbon of from about 10 to about 120 carbon atoms, or from about 20 to about 60 carbons atoms in length.

6. A toner composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein said R alkylene group contains from about 2 to about 24 carbon atoms and is selected from the group consisting of diethylene, propylene, dipropylene, cycloalkylene, and 1,4-dimethyl cyclohexylene.

7. A toner composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein said Y comprises from about 3 mole percent to about 8 mole percent of the polyester resin.

8. A toner composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein said Y arylenesulfonate is phenylenesulfonate.

9. A toner composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein said X aromatic hydrocarbon is an aryl moiety selected from the group consisting of phenylene, isophthalylene, terephthalylene, and phthalylene.

10. A toner composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein said metal for said alkali or alkaline earth metal salt is selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, cesium, berylium, magnesium, calcium and barium.

11. A toner composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein said R′

group comprises from about 0.5% to about 5% parts per weight based on the amount of polyester polymer.

12. A toner composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein said hydrophilic groups comprise from about 3 weight percent to about 8 weight percent, or from about 4 weight percent to about 6 weight percent of the polyester resin.

13. A toner composition in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a wax, a charge additive and surface additives.

14. A toner composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein said polyester resin is of the formula:

15. A toner composition in accordance with claim 14, further comprising toner particles of an average volume diameter of, from about 3 μ

m to about 12 μ

m, or from about 4 μ

m to about 7 μ

m.

16. A toner composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein said R alkylene group contains from about 2 to about 24 carbon atoms and is selected from the group consisting of diethylene, propylene, dipropylene, cycloalkylene, and 1,4-dimethyl cyclohexylene.

17. A toner composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein R′

hydrophobic group is an aliphatic hydrocarbon of from about 10 to about 120 carbon atoms, or from about 20 to about 60 carbons atoms in length.

18. A toner composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein said polyester resin is derived from at least one polymeric alcohol of the formula —

OH(CH2)_pCH₃, wherein p is a number of from about 10 to about 120, or from about 20 to about 60.

19. A xerographic system comprising a charging component, a photoconductive component, a development component, an image transfer component and a fusing component and wherein the development component contains the toner composition of claim 1.

20. A process for the preparation of a toner composition comprising:

(a) mixing an emulsion of a polyester resin of the formula

wherein R is an alkylene group;

X is an aromatic hydrocarbon;

Y is an alkali or alkaline earth metal salt of an arylenesulfonate or an alkylenesulfonate and comprises from about 3 mole percent to about 8 mole percent of said polyester resin;

R′

is a hydrophobic group, and

m and n represent the number of random segments of from about 50 to about 300 for n, and from about 20 to about 2,000 for m, or m is less than 20 times n,

with a pigment to form a mixture and heating said mixture at a temperature of from about 50°

C. to about 75°

C. with stirring;

(b) adding a solution comprising a catalyst to said mixture to form toner particles;

(c) monitoring said toner particle size in said mixture until the volume particle size is less than 25 μ

m, or from about 3 μ

m to about 12 μ

m, with a geometric distribution of about 1.3;

(d) cooling said mixture to a temperature of from about 25°

C. to about 30°

C., or a temperature of from about 20°

C. to about 26°

C., and optionally separating said mixture followed by filtration, washing and freeze-drying said toner particles.

21. The process of claim 20, further comprising adding to said mixture a wax, a charge additive, and/or surface additives to said mixture prior to filtration.

22. The process of claim 20, wherein said X aromatic hydrocarbon is an arylene moiety selected from the group consisting of phenylene, isophthalylene, terephthalylene, and phthalylene.

23. The process of claim 20, wherein said metal of said alkali or alkaline earth metal salt of said arylenesulfonate is 5-sulfoisophthalic acid sodium salt.

24. The process of claim 20, wherein said R′

hydrophobic group is of the formula—

(CH2)_pCH₃, wherein p is a number of from about 10 to about 120 or from about 20 to about 60.

25. The process of claim 20, wherein said R alkylene group contains from about 2 to about 24 carbon atoms.

26. The process of claim 20, wherein R alkylene group is selected from the group consisting of diethylene, propylene, dipropylene, cycloalkylene, and 1,4-dimethyl cyclohexylene.