Magnetic carrier and two-component developer

• US 7,279,262 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2004
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Baba, Yoshinobu, Itakura, Takayuki, Fujikawa, Hiroyuki, Sugahara, Nobuyoshi, Tanikawa, Hirohide, Ishigami, Koh, Kobori, Takakuni
• Primary Examiner(s): RODEE, CHRISTOPHER D
• Application Number:
  US10/988,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20050112489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 430/111.35, 430/111.32, 430/111.33
• US Class Current: 430/111.35
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0804 whereby the components are brought together in a liquid dispersing medium
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/081 by mixing the toner components in a liquefied state; melt kneading; reactive mixing
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0815 Post-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/08722 Polyvinylalcohols; Polyallylalcohols; Polyvinylethers; Polyvinylaldehydes; Polyvinylketones; Polyvinylketals
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/08775 Natural macromolecular compounds or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/08777 Cellulose or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/08795 characterised by their chemical properties, e.g. acidity, molecular weight, sensitivity to reactants
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/08797 characterised by their physical properties, e.g. viscosity, solubility, melting temperature, softening temperature, glass transition temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/09708 Inorganic compounds

Abstract

A magnetic carrier composed of carrier particles is provided in which each carrier particle has a carrier core including magnetic fine particles and a binder resin with the carrier core surface being coated with a coat material containing a coat resin. In the magnetic carrier, Fatom/Catom and (Fatom/Catom)/(Fcalc/Ccalc) are respectively in specific ranges, wherein Fatom and Catom represent respectively a fluorine element abundance ratio and a carbon element abundance ratio at the magnetic carrier particle surface, and Fcalc and Ccalc represent respectively a fluorine element abundance ratio and a carbon element abundance ratio which are calculable from the molecular structure of the coat resin.

In addition, a two-component developer is provoded including the magnetic carrier and a toner having a specific contact angle against water.

Claims

1. A magnetic carrier comprising carrier particles, wherein:

a BET specific surface area (BET

     1) of the magnetic carrier is from 0.02 m²/g to 0.20 m²/g as measured by a BET method, each carrier particle comprises a carrier core and a coat material for coating the carrier core,

the carrier core comprises at least a binder resin and magnetic particles dispersed in the binder resin,

the coat material has a coat resin,

a ratio (A) of a fluorine element abundance ratio (Fatom) to a carbon element abundance ratio (Catom), Fatom/Catom, at a surface of the carrier particle is from 0.10 to 0.85, and

a ratio ((A)/(B)) of a ratio (A) of a fluorine element abundance ratio (Fatom) to a carbon element abundance ratio (Catom), Fatom/Catom, at a surface of the carrier particle to a ratio (B) of a fluorine element abundance ratio (Fcalc) to a carbon element abundance ratio (Ccalc) that is theoretically calculable from molecular structure of the coat resin, Fcalc/Ccalc is from 1.01 to 3.00.

2. The magnetic carrier according to claim 1, wherein said ratio (Fatom/Catom)/(Fcalc/Ccalc) is from 1.10 to 2.00.

3. The magnetic carrier according to claim 1, which has a specific resistance of from 1×

10⁷ Ω

·

cm to 1×

10¹¹ Ω

·

cm.

4. The magnetic carrier according to claim 1, wherein said carrier cores have a BET specific surface area (BET 2) of from 0.02 m²/g to 0.20 m²/g as measured by a BET method.

5. The magnetic carrier according to claim 4, wherein said BET specific surface area (BET 1) is from 0.02 m²/g to 0.19 m²/g and said BET specific surface area (BET 2) is from 0.03 m²/g to 0.20 m²/g, where said BET specific surface area (BET 1) and said BET specific surface area (BET 2) satisfy BET 1<

BET 2.

6. The magnetic carrier according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic particles have a BET specific surface area (BET 3) of from 2.0 m²/g to 20.0 m²/g as measured by a BET method.

7. The magnetic carrier according to claim 1, wherein said carrier cores contain said magnetic particles and further non-magnetic inorganic-compound particles.

8. The magnetic carrier according to claim 7, wherein said non-magnetic inorganic-compound particles have a BET specific surface area (BET 4) of from 1.0 m²/g to 10.0 m²/g as measured by a BET method, and said BET specific surface area (BET 3) and said BET specific surface area (BET 4) satisfy BET 3>

BET 4.

9. The magnetic carrier according to claim 1, wherein said coat resin is a polymer or copolymer constituted of a methacrylate unit or acrylate unit having a perfluoroalkyl unit represented by the formula:

10. The magnetic carrier according to claim 1, wherein said coat resin is a polymer or copolymer comprising a methacrylate unit or acrylate unit having a perfluoroalkyl unit represented by the formula:

11. The magnetic carrier according to claim 1, wherein said coat resin is a polymer or copolymer comprising a unit represented by the formula:

12. The magnetic carrier according to claim 1, wherein said coat material is in an amount of from 0.3 part by weight to 4.0 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of said carrier core.

13. The magnetic carrier according to claim 1, which has a contact angle to water of from 95°

to 125°

.

14. The magnetic carrier according to claim 1, wherein said coat material contains fine particles in an amount of from 1 part by weight to 40 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of said coat resin.

15. The magnetic carrier according to claim 14, wherein said fine particles contained in said coat material are at least one of fine resin particles and conductive fine particles.

16. The magnetic carrier according to claim 15, wherein said fine resin particles are fine resin particles selected from the group consisting of cross-linked fine polymethyl methacrylate resin particles, cross-linked fine polystyrene resin particles and fine melamine resin particles;

and

one or two or more kinds of fine resin particles are contained.

17. The magnetic carrier according to claim 15, wherein said conductive fine particles are conductive fine particles selected from the group consisting of fine carbon black particles, fine magnetite particles, fine graphite particles, fine titanium oxide particles, fine alumina particles, fine zinc oxide particles and fine tin oxide particles.

18. The magnetic carrier according to claim 1, wherein said carrier cores contain said magnetic particles in an amount of from 70 parts by weight to 95 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of said carrier cores.

19. The magnetic carrier according to claim 1, which has a true specific gravity of from 2.5 g/cm³ to 4.0 g/cm³.

21. A two-component developer comprising a toner and a magnetic carrier, wherein:

said toner has toner particles containing at least a binder resin, a release agent and a colorant, and the transmittance of light having a wavelength of 600 nm through a dispersion prepared by dispersing said toner in an aqueous 45% by volume methanol solution is from 10% to 70%; and

wherein said magnetic carrier is the magnetic carrier according to any one of claims 2, 3 or 4-19.

20. A two-component developer comprising a toner and a magnetic carrier, wherein:

said toner has toner particles containing at least a binder resin, a release agent and a colorant, and the transmittance of light having a wavelength of 600 nm through a dispersion prepared by dispersing said toner in an aqueous 45% by volume methanol solution is from 10% to 70%; and

said magnetic carrier has a BET specific surface area (BET

     1) from 0.02 m²/g to 0.20 m²/g as measured by a BET method, and comprises carrier particles, wherein;

each carrier particle comprises a carrier core and a coat material for coating the carrier core,

the carrier core comprises at least a binder resin and magnetic particles dispersed in the binder resin,

the coat material has a coat resin,

a ratio (A) of a fluorine element abundance ratio (Fatom) to a carbon element abundance ratio (Catom), Fatom/Catom, at a surface of said carrier particle is from 0.10 to 0.85, and a ratio ((A)/(B)) of a ratio (A) of fluorine element abundance ratio (Fatom) to a carbon element abundance ratio (Catom), Fatom/Catom, at a surface of said carrier particle to a ratio (B) of a fluorine element abundance ratio (Fcalc) to a carbon element abundance ratio (Ccalc) that is theoretically calculable from molecular structure of the coat resin, Fcalc/Ccalc is from 1.01 to 3.00.