Low melt toners and processes thereof

• US 7,402,371 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sacripante, Guerino G., Chen, Allan K., Zwartz, Edward G., Nosella, Kimberly D., Farrugia, Valerie M., Patel, Raj D., Mayer, Fatima M., Ng, T. Hwee, Maric, Milan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dote; Janis L
• Application Number:
  US10/948,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20060063086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 430/109.4, 430/137.14
• US Class Current: 430/137.14
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0804 whereby the components are brought together in a liquid dispersing medium
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0819 characterised by the dimensions of the particles
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0821 characterised by physical parameters magnetic parameters G03G9/083
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/08755 Polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/08791 characterised by the presence of specified groups or side chains
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/08793 Crosslinked polymers
• 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

Abstract

A process for preparing toner particles and compositions adapted for use in preparing toners that comprise a blend of a first polyester resin with a second sharp melting polyester resin. The process includes forming an emulsion resin comprising a branched polyester resin, a crystalline polyester resin, a colorant, and optionally a wax. The resin mixture is aggregated using an aggregating agent, such as a zinc acetate solution, to form an aggregate mixture. The aggregate mixture is then coalesced at a temperature of from about 5 to about 20° C. above the T_g of the emulsion resin to produce the resultant toner particles.

Claims

1. A process for preparing a low-melt toner, the process comprising:

forming a pre-toner mixture comprising a first alkali sulfonated polyester resin, a second alkali sulfonated polyester resin and a colorant;

adding an aggregating agent to the pre-toner mixture and aggregating the mixture to form an aggregate mixture comprising a plurality of aggregate toner particles;

adjusting the pH of the aggregate mixture to between about 5 and about 7;

coalescing the aggregate mixture at a temperature of from about 5 to about 20°

C. above the glass transition temperature (T_g) of one of the first or second alkai sulfonated polyester resins to form a mixture of coalesced toner particles; and

cooling the mixture of coalesced toner particles.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the first and second alkali sulfonated polyester resins each comprise an alkali metal independently selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, and combinations thereof.

3. The process according to claim 2, wherein the alkali metal is lithium.

4. The process according to claim 1 further comprising adjusting the pH of the pre-toner mixture to between about 4 and about 5.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein the pH of the pre-toner mixture is adjusted using an acid or a base.

6. The process according to claim 1, further comprising homogenizing the pre-toner mixture.

7. The process according to claim 1, further comprising adding a wax to the mixture of the polyester resin blend and the colorant.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the pH of the aggregate mixture is adjusted by adding a base selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and mixtures thereof to the aggregate mixture.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein the aggregating agent is an aqueous solution of a metal salt selected from the group consisting of zinc acetate, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, magnesium acetate, magnesium bromide, aluminum chloride, poly-aluminum chloride, calcium chloride, calcium acetate, copper chloride, copper sulfate, and mixtures thereof.

10. A method for forming a low melt toner, the method comprising:

forming a pre-toner mixture comprising (i) an emulsion resin comprising a first alkali sulfonated polyester resin and a second alkali sulfonated polyester resin, (ii) a colorant, and (iii) optionally a wax;

adjusting the pH of the pre-toner mixture to between about 4 to about 5;

homogenizing the pre-toner mixture;

forming an aggregate mixture of aggregate toner particle by adding an aggregating agent over a period of about 10 to about 60 minutes;

adjusting the pH of the aggregate mixture to between about 5 and about 7;

heating the aggregate mixture to a temperature of from about 50 to about 80°

C. thereby forming a mixture coalesced toner particles;

controlling toner particle size by adjusting the pH of the mixture of coalesced toner particles to between about 5 and about 7; and

cooling the mixture of coalesced toner particles to room temperature.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the aggregating agent comprises an aqueous solution of a metal salt selected from the group consisting of zinc acetate, zinc acetate dehydrate, zinc chloride, zinc bromide, magnesium acetate, magnesium bromide, aluminum chloride, poly-aluminum chloride, calcium chloride, calcium acetate, copper chloride, copper sulfate, and mixtures thereof.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first and second alkali sulfonated polyester resins each comprise an alkali metal independently selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium and mixtures thereof.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the alkali metal is lithium.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein homogenization of the pre-toner mixture continued during addition of the aggregation agent.