Xerox Corporation

David John William Lawton

Frank Ping-Hay Lee

Richard P N Veregin

Aurelian Valeriu Magdalinis

Michael J D'Amato

Shigang S Qiu

Santiago Faucher

David R Kurceba

Daniel Mcdougall Mcneil

Marcel Philippe Breton

Valerie M Farrugia

Edward Graham Zwartz

Carolyn Patricia Moorlag

Michael Steven Hawkins

Juan A Morales-Tirado

Vincenzo G Marcello

Benjamin John Knapik

A method of making thermoplastic polymer particles may include mixing in an extruder a mixture comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a carrier fluid that is immiscible with the thermoplastic polymer at a temperature greater than a melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polymer and at a shear rate sufficiently high to disperse the thermoplastic polymer in the carrier fluid; cooling the mixture to below the melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polymer to form solidified particles comprising thermoplastic polymer particles having a circularity of 0.90 or greater and that comprise the thermoplastic polymer; and separating the solidified particles from the carrier fluid.

Melt emulsion extrusion methods for producing thermoplastic polymer particles

Powder particulates comprising a water-soluble polymer may be formed by melt emulsification. Compositions comprising powder particulates may comprise a plurality of particulates comprising a water-soluble polymer and a plurality of nanoparticles, the water-soluble polymer defining at least an outer surface of the particulates and at least a majority of the plurality of nanoparticles being disposed upon the outer surface.

Powder particulates comprising a water-soluble polymer and production thereof by melt emulsification

A continuous flow process for producing coalesced toner particles from aggregated toner particles includes continuously flowing a slurry of aggregated toner particles having a size of from about 5 microns to about 7 microns through one or more heat exchangers, wherein a residence time in the one or more heat exchangers is from about 1 second to about 15 minutes, thereby producing coalesced toner particles having a circularity of from about 0.930 to about 0.990. The aggregated toner particles comprise a polymer resin, a colorant, an aggregating agent, and an optional wax.

Emulsion aggregation toners

A toner including a resin; and a colorant wax comprising a plurality of colorant wax particles comprising a colorant core surrounded by a wax shell, wherein the colorant wax particles exhibit a particle size distribution of from about 150 nanometers to less than about 300 nanometers; and wherein the colorant wax is prepared by (a) melting and mixing a dry colorant with at least one wax to form a colorant concentrate, wherein the colorant concentrate contains at least 25 percent by weight of colorant; (b) milling the colorant concentrate of step (a) to form a milled colorant concentrate; (c) combining the milled colorant concentrate of (b) with water and dispersing to form the plurality of colorant wax particles; wherein the melting and mixing of step (a) and the milling of step (b) is done in an immersion media mill; and wherein the combining of step (c) is done using a piston homogenizer.

Toner comprising colorant wax dispersion

The method of manufacturing toners disclosed herein includes a continuous temperature ramp and coalescence process that involves continuously passing toner slurry, such as an aggregated toner slurry, through at least one heat exchanger before being subjected to a cooling step. The heat exchanger is pressurized, so the temperature of the slurry may be increased above the atmospheric boiling point of water without boiling the water component of the slurry. Because of these higher temperatures, the coalescence step can be completed more quickly than in conventional batch processes. More than two heat exchangers may be connected in the coalescence step, yielding multiple ramping/cooling temperature steps, ability to inject components, or recycling heat from the process to reduce energy consumption.

Emulsion aggregation process

The process for manufacturing porous nanoparticles disclosed herein includes feeding a dry-blended mixture of at least one resin and a neutralizing agent into a feed section of a screw extruder, injecting a surfactant solution downstream of the hopper, and adding an aqueous composition both directly after the surfactant solution as well as further downstream. Porous nanoparticles having a particle size of from about 50 nm to about 2 &#x3bc;m and a pore diameter of from about 20 nm to about 400 nm may be continuously recovered from the extruder following this process.

Porous nanoparticles produced by solvent-free emulsification

A process for preparing a pigmented wax dispersion including (a) melting and mixing a dry pigment with at least one wax to form a pigment concentrate, wherein the pigment concentrate contains at least 25 percent by weight of pigment; (b) milling the pigment concentrate of step (a) to form a milled pigment concentrate; (c) combining the milled pigment concentrate of (b) with water and dispersing to form a pigmented wax dispersion comprising a plurality of pigmented wax particles comprising a pigment core surrounded by a wax shell, wherein the pigmented wax particles exhibit a particle size distribution of from about 150 nanometers to less than about 300 nanometers; wherein the melting and mixing of step (a) and the milling of step (b) is done in an immersion media mill; and wherein the combining of step (c) is done using a piston homogenizer.

Pigmented wax dispersion and method for preparing same

Processes for continuously coalescing particles from an aggregated particle slurry are disclosed. An aggregated particle slurry is further heated in a first heat exchanger, and the heated slurry then flows through a residence time reactor. The slurry, now containing coalesced particles, then flows through a second heat exchanger and is quenched. The recovered coalesced particle slurry is then suitable for washing and drying. No moving parts are needed in this system.

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Stoney Creek, Canada

David John William Lawton