Two-component developer, replenishing developer, and image-forming method

• US 7,767,370 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ishigami, Koh, Kubo, Kenta, Okamoto, Naoki, Yamamoto, Takeshi, Haraguchi, Manami, Baba, Yoshinobu, Terauchi, Kazuo, Hotta, Yojiro, Itakura, Takayuki, Ida, Tetsuya, Umeda, Noriyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): RODEE, CHRISTOPHER D
• Application Number:
  US12/182,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20080286668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 430/108.7, 430/111.4, 430/109.3, 430/111.41, 430/111.1, 430/123.56, 430/123.58, 430/45.51, 430/45.56
• US Class Current: 430/45.51
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/01 for producing multicoloured copies colour correction in photography G03C; colour correction in printing plate production
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0821 characterised by physical parameters magnetic parameters G03G9/083
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0823 Electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/083 Magnetic toner particles
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/09 Colouring agents for toner particles
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/10 characterised by carrier particles

Abstract

A two-component developer containing a magenta toner and a magnetic carrier, wherein the magenta toner has the characteristics: (i) when the concentration of the magenta toner in a solution of the magenta toner in chloroform is represented by Cm (mg/ml) and the absorbance of the solution at a wavelength of 538 nm is represented by A538, a relationship between Cm and A538 satisfies the relationship of 2.00<A538/Cm<6.55; (ii) the lightness L* and chroma C* of the magenta toner determined in a powder state satisfy the relationships of 35≦L*≦45 and 60≦C*≦72; and (iii) the absolute value for the triboelectric charge quantity of the magenta toner measured by a two-component method using the magenta toner and the magnetic carrier is 50 mC/kg or more and 120 mC/kg or less.

Claims

1. A two-component developer, comprising:

a magenta toner having magenta toner particles each having at least a binder resin and a colorant, and an external additive; and

a magnetic carrier,

(a) wherein the magenta toner has the following characteristics;

(i) when a concentration of the magenta toner in a solution of the magenta toner in chloroform is represented by Cm (mg/ml) and an absorbance of the solution at a wavelength of 538 nm is represented by A538, a relationship between Cm and A538 satisfies the following expression (3)

2.00<

A538/Cm<

6.55 

 

(3);

(ii) a lightness L* and a chroma C* of the magenta toner determined in a powder state satisfy relationships of 35.0≦

L*≦

45.0 and 60.0≦

C*≦

72.0; and

(iii) an absolute value for a triboelectric charge quantity of the magenta toner measured by a two-component method using the magenta toner and the magnetic carrier is 50 mC/kg or more and 120 mC/kg or less, and

(b) wherein the magnetic carrier comprises at least magnetic core particles and a resin component;

a packed bulk density ρ

1 (g/cm³) and a true density ρ

2 (g/cm³) of the magnetic core particles of the magnetic carrier satisfy relationships of 0.80≦

ρ

1≦

2.40 and 0.20≦

ρ

1/ρ

2≦

0.42;

a specific resistance of each of the magnetic core particles of the magnetic carrier is 1.0×

10³ Ω

·

cm or more and 5.0×

10⁷ Ω

·

cm or less; and

when a 50% particle diameter on a volume basis of the magnetic carrier is represented by D50, an average breaking strength P1 (MPa) of the magnetic carrier having a particle diameter of D50−

5 μ

m or more and D50+5 μ

m or less and an average breaking strength P2 (MPa) of the magnetic carrier having a particle diameter of 10 μ

m or more and less than 20 μ

m satisfy a relationship of 0.50≦

P2/P1≦

1.10.

2. A two-component developer according to claim 1, wherein:

the relationship between Cm and A538 of the magenta toner satisfies the following expression (4)

2.40<

A538/Cm<

4.90 

 

(4); and

the lightness L* and chroma C* of the magenta toner determined in a powder state satisfy relationships of 35.0≦

L*≦

45.0 and 62.0≦

C*≦

72.0.

3. A two-component developer according to claim 1, wherein an adhesive force (F50) between the magenta toner and the magnetic carrier by a centrifugal separation method when the absolute value for the triboelectric charge quantity of the magenta toner measured by the two-component method using the magenta toner and the magnetic carrier is 50 mC/kg is 11 nN or more and 16 nN or less.

4. A two-component developer according to claim 1, wherein the magenta toner having a circle-equivalent diameter on a number basis measured with a flow-type particle image measuring apparatus having an image processing resolution of 512×

512 pixels each measuring 0.37 μ

m by 0.37 μ

m of 2.0 μ

m or more and 200.00 μ

m or less has an average circularity of 0.945 or more and 0.970 or less.

5. A two-component developer according to claim 1, wherein the external additive contains inorganic fine particles, and the inorganic fine particles have a number average particle diameter of 80 nm or more and 300 nm or less.

6. A two-component developer according to claim 5, wherein the inorganic fine particles each comprise spherical silica produced by a sol-gel method.

7. A replenishing developer for use in a two-component developing method including:

performing development while replenishing a developing device with the replenishing developer; and

discharging an excess magnetic carrier in the developing device from the developing device, comprising;

a magenta toner having magenta toner particles each having at least a binder resin and a colorant, and an external additive; and

a magnetic carrier,

the replenishing developer being a two-component developer containing the magenta toner at a mass ratio of 2 parts by mass or more and 50 parts by mass or less with respect to 1 part by mass of the magnetic carrier,

(a) wherein the magenta toner has the following characteristics;

(i) when a concentration of the magenta toner in a solution of the magenta toner in chloroform is represented by Cm (mg/ml) and an absorbance of the solution at a wavelength of 538 nm is represented by A538, a relationship between Cm and A538 satisfies the following expression (3)

2.00<

A538/Cm<

6.55 

 

(3);

(ii) a lightness L* and a chroma C* of the magenta toner determined in a powder state satisfy relationships of 35.0≦

L*≦

45.0 and 60.0≦

C*≦

720 and

(iii) an absolute value for a triboelectric charge quantity of the magenta toner measured by a two-component method using the magenta toner and the magnetic carrier is 50 mC/kg or more and 120 mC/kg or less and

(b) wherein the magnetic carrier comprises at least magnetic core particles and a resin component;

a packed bulk density ρ

1 (g/cm³) and a true density ρ

2 (g/cm³) of the magnetic core particles of the magnetic carrier satisfy relationships of 0.80ρ

1≦

2.40 and 0.20≦

ρ

1/ρ

2≦

0.42;

a specific resistance of each of the magnetic core particles of the magnetic carrier is 1.0×

10³ Ω

·

cm or more and 5.0×

10⁷ Ω

·

cm or less; and

when a 50% particle diameter on a volume basis of the magnetic carrier is represented by D50, an average breaking strength P1 (MPa) of the magnetic carrier having a particle diameter of D50−

5 μ

m or more and D50+5 μ

m or less and an average breaking strength P2 (MPa) of the magnetic carrier having a particle diameter of 10 μ

m or more and less than 20 μ

m satisfy a relationship of 0.50≦

P2/P1≦

1.10.

8. An image-forming method, comprising:

a charging step of charging an electrostatic latent image bearing member;

an electrostatic latent image forming step of forming an electrostatic latent image on the electrostatic latent image bearing member charged in the charging step;

a developing step of developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the electrostatic latent image bearing member with a two-component developer containing a magenta toner having magenta toner particles each having at least a binder resin and a colorant, and an external additive, and a magnetic carrier to form a magenta toner image;

a transferring step of transferring the magenta toner image on the electrostatic latent image bearing member onto a transfer material through or without through an intermediate transfer body; and

a fixing step of fixing the magenta toner image to the transfer material,

wherein;

a laid-on level of the magenta toner of a monochromatic solid image portion having an image density of 1.5 in the magenta toner image unfixed to be formed on the transfer material is in a range of 0.10 mg/cm² or more to 0.50 mg/cm² or less; and

(a) the magenta toner has the following characteristics;

(i) when a concentration of the magenta toner in a solution of the magenta toner in chloroform is represented by Cm (mg/ml) and an absorbance of the solution at a wavelength of 538 nm is represented by A538, a relationship between Cm and A538 satisfies the following expression (3)

2.00<

A538/Cm<

6.55 

 

(3);

(ii) a lightness L* and a chroma C* of the magenta toner determined in a powder state satisfy relationships of 35.0≦

L*≦

45.0 and 60.0≦

C*≦

72.0 and

(iii) an absolute value for a triboelectric charge quantity of the magenta toner measured by a two-component method using the magenta toner and the magnetic carrier is 50 mC/kg or more and 120 mC/kg or less, and

(b) wherein the magnetic carrier comprises at least magnetic core particles and a resin component;

a packed bulk density ρ

1 (g/cm³) and a true density ρ

2 (g/cm³) of the magnetic core particles of the magnetic carrier satisfy relationships of 0.80≦

ρ

1≦

2.40 and 0.20ρ

1/ρ

2≦

0.42;

a specific resistance of each of the magnetic core particles of the magnetic carrier is 1.0×

10³ Ω

·

cm or more and 5.0×

10⁷ Ω

·

cm or less; and

when a 50% particle diameter on a volume basis of the magnetic carrier is represented by D50, an average breaking strength P1 (MPa) of the magnetic carrier having a particle diameter of D50−

5 μ

m or more and D50+5 μ

m or less and an average breaking strength P2 (MPa) of the magnetic carrier having a particle diameter of 10 μ

m or more and less than 20 μ

m satisfy a relationship of 0.50≦

P2/P1≦

1.10.

9. An image-forming method according to claim 8, wherein the laid-on level of the magenta toner of the monochromatic solid image portion having an image density of 1.5 in the magenta toner image unfixed to be formed on the transfer material is in a range of 0.10 mg/cm² or more to 0.35 mg/cm² or less.

10. An image-forming method according to claim 8, wherein:

the relationship between Cm and A538 of the magenta toner satisfies the following expression (4)

2.40<

A538/Cm<

4.90 

 

(4); and

the lightness L* and chroma C* of the magenta toner determined in a powder state satisfy relationships of 35.0≦

L*≦

45.0 and 62.0≦

C*≦

72.0.

11. A full-color image-forming method, comprising:

forming a first electrostatic latent image on an electrostatic latent image bearing member;

developing the electrostatic latent image with a first two-component developer selected from the group consisting of

a two-component developer a containing a cyan toner having cyan toner particles each having at least a binder resin and a colorant, and an external additive, and a magnetic carrier,

a two-component developer b containing a magenta toner having magenta toner particles each having at least a binder resin and a colorant, and an external additive, and a magnetic carrier, and

a two-component developer c containing a yellow toner having yellow toner particles each having at least a binder resin and a colorant, and an external additive, and a magnetic carrier to form a first toner image on the electrostatic latent image bearing member;

transferring the first toner image onto a transfer material through or without through an intermediate transfer body;

forming a second electrostatic latent image on the electrostatic latent image bearing member;

developing the electrostatic latent image with a second two-component developer except the first two-component developer selected from the group consisting of the two-component developer a, the two-component developer b, and the two-component developer c to form a second toner image on the electrostatic latent image bearing member;

transferring the second toner image onto the transfer material through or without through the intermediate transfer body;

forming a third electrostatic latent image on the electrostatic latent image bearing member;

developing the electrostatic latent image with a third two-component developer except the first two-component developer and the second two-component developer selected from the group consisting of the two-component developer a, the two-component developer b, and the two-component developer c to form a third toner image on the electrostatic latent image bearing member;

transferring the third toner image onto the transfer material through or without through the intermediate transfer body; and

fixing the first to third toner images on the transfer material under heat to form a full-color image on the transfer material,

wherein;

a laid-on level of each of the cyan toner, the magenta toner, and the yellow toner of a monochromatic solid image portion having an image density of 1.5 and formed on the transfer material is in a range of 0.10 mg/cm² or more to 0.50 mg/cm² or less;

(a) the cyan toner has the following characteristics;

(i) when a concentration of the cyan toner in a solution of the cyan toner in chloroform is represented by Cc (mg/ml) and an absorbance of the solution at a wavelength of 712 nm is represented by A712, a relationship between Cc and A712 satisfies the following expression (1)

2.00<

A712/Cc<

8.15 

 

(1);

(ii) a lightness L* and a chroma C* of the cyan toner determined in a powder state satisfy relationships of 25.0≦

L*≦

40.0 and 50.0≦

C*≦

60.0; and

(iii) an absolute value for a triboelectric charge quantity of the cyan toner measured by a two-component method using the cyan toner and the magnetic carrier is 50 mC/kg or more and 120 mC/kg or less;

(b) the magenta toner has the following characteristics;

(i) when a concentration of the magenta toner in a solution of the magenta toner in chloroform is represented by Cm (mg/ml) and an absorbance of the solution at a wavelength of 538 nm is represented by A538, a relationship between Cm and A538 satisfies the following expression (3)

2.00<

A538/Cm<

6.55 

 

(3);

(ii) a lightness L* and a chroma C* of the magenta toner determined in a powder state satisfy relationships of 35.0≦

L*≦

45.0 and 60.0≦

C*≦

72.0 and

(iii) an absolute value for a triboelectric charge quantity of the magenta toner measured by a two-component method using the magenta toner and the magnetic carrier is 50 mC/kg or more and 120 mC/kg or less; and

(c) the yellow toner has the following characteristics;

(i) when a concentration of the yellow toner in a solution of the yellow toner in chloroform is represented by Cy (mg/ml) and an absorbance of the solution at a wavelength of 422 nm is represented by A422, a relationship between Cy and A422 satisfies the following expression (5)

6.00<

A422/Cy<

14.40 

 

(5);

(ii) a lightness L* and a chroma C* of the yellow toner determined in a powder state satisfy relationships of 85.0≦

L*≦

95.0 and 100.0≦

C*≦

115.0; and

(iii) an absolute value for a triboelectric charge quantity of the yellow toner measured by a two-component method using the yellow toner and the magnetic carrier is 50 mC/kg or more and 120 mC/kg or less and

(d) wherein the magnetic carrier comprises at least magnetic core particles and a resin component;

a packed bulk density ρ

1 (g/cm³) and a true density ρ

2 (g/cm³) of the magnetic core particles of the magnetic carrier satisfy relationships of 0.80≦

ρ

1≦

2.40 and 0.20≦

ρ

1/ρ

2≦

0.42;

a specific resistance of each of the magnetic core particles of the magnetic carrier is 1.0×

10³ Ω

·

cm or more and 5.0×

10⁷ Ω

·

cm or less; and

when a 50% particle diameter on a volume basis of the magnetic carrier is represented by D50, an average breaking strength P1 (MPa) of the magnetic carrier having a particle diameter of D50−

5 μ

m or more and D50+5 μ

m or less and an average breaking strength P2 (MPa) of the magnetic carrier having a particle diameter of 10 μ

m or more and less than 20 μ

m satisfy a relationship of 0.50≦

P2/P1≦

1.10.