Kao Corporation

Tetsuya Ueno

Eiji Shirai

Shingo Tanaka

Kuniyasu Kawabe

Yasunori Inagaki

Tadashi Sakuma

Koji Nishibuchi

Takehiro Tsutsumi

Yoshihiro Ueno

Koji Azuma

Hiroyuki Kawaji

Isao Nishi

Akito Itoi

Koji Shimokusa

Shigemi Wakabayashi

Michitaka Sawada

Kenji Kaida

The present invention relates to a crystalline resin for toners which includes a composite resin including a polycondensation-based resin component obtained by polycondensing an alcohol component containing an aliphatic diol having 2 to 10 carbon atoms with a carboxylic acid component containing an aromatic dicarboxylic acid, and a styrene-based resin component; a resin binder containing the crystalline resin and a non-crystalline resin; and a toner for electrophotography which contains the resin binder. According to the present invention, there are provided a crystalline resin for toners which is capable of producing a toner that is excellent in not only low-temperature fixing ability but also gloss of images and anti-filming property, a resin binder, and a toner for electrophotography.

Crystalline resins for toners

The present invention relates to a polyester for a toner, obtained by polycondensing an alcohol component and a carboxylic acid component containing an alkylsuccinic acid having 10 or more carbon atoms, an alkenylsuccinic acid having 10 or more carbon atoms, or a mixture thereof, in an amount of from 0.5 to 50% by mole, wherein each of 6-methyl-2-heptanone and 5-methyl-2-heptanone is detected in an amount of 0.5 ppm or less as determined by thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The polyester for a toner of the present invention is used as a resin binder, or the like, for a toner used, for example, for developing electrostatic latent images formed in electrophotography, electrostatic recording method, electrostatic printing method, or the like.

Polyester for toner

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a resin binder for toner, comprising the steps of (A) carrying out an addition polymerization reaction of addition polymerization resin monomers including styrene in the presence or absence of an organic solvent; and (B) mixing the resulting reaction mixture from the step (A) with water at a rate of 0.002 to 0.5 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the addition polymerization resin monomers per minute at a temperature of 100&#xb0; to 300&#xb0; C. during and/or after the step (A), wherein the amount of water to be mixed in the step (B) is 0.1 to 50 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the addition polymerization resin monomers. The resin binder for a toner obtained according to the present invention can be used, for instance, for developing electrostatic latent images formed in electrophotography, electrostatic recording method, electrostatic printing method, and the like, and a toner containing the resin binder.

Process for preparing resin binder for toner

A toner for electrophotography, containing a low-softening point polyester-based resin having a softening point of from 80&#xb0; to 120&#xb0; C.; and a high-softening point polyester-based resin having a softening point of higher than 120&#xb0; C. and 160&#xb0; C. or lower, wherein the low-softening point polyester-based resin has a viscosity at 160&#xb0; C. of from 500 to 10000 Pa&#xb7;s, and a ratio of viscosity at 140&#xb0; C. to viscosity at 180&#xb0; C. is 10 or less, and wherein a weight ratio of the low-softening point polyester-based resin to the high-softening point polyester-based resin is from 20/80 to 90/10. The toner for electrophotography of the present invention is used for, for instance, developing electrostatic latent images formed in electrophotography, electrostatic recording method, electrostatic printing method, and the like.

Toner for electrophotography

A toner comprising a resin binder comprising a crystalline resin having a ratio of a softening point to a maximal peak temperature of heat of fusion of 0.6 or more and less than 1.1, and an amorphous hybrid resin having a ratio of a softening point to a maximal peak temperature of heat of fusion of from 1.1 to 4.0; and a colorant, wherein the amorphous hybrid resin comprises two polymerization resin components each having an independent reaction path, said two polymerization resin components being partially chemically bonded to each other, wherein at least one polymerization resin component is the same as that of the crystalline resin, and wherein a weight ratio of the crystalline resin to the amorphous hybrid resin (crystalline resin/amorphous hybrid resin) is from 1/99 to 50/50. The toner can be used for developing electrostatic latent images formed in electrophotography, electrostatic recording method, electrostatic printing, and the like.

Toner

A resin binder comprising a specified nonlinear polyester having a softening point of from 130&deg; to 160&deg; C. and a specified linear polyester having a softening point of from 80&deg; to 110&deg; C. The resin binder for a toner can be used for developing electrostatic latent images formed in electrophotography, electrostatic recording method, electrostatic printing, and the like.

Resin binder

Aqueous ink for ink-jet printing comprises an emulsion of fine polymer particles and contains at least one compound selected from an amino acid or a salt thereof and the like.

Aqueous ink for ink-jet printing

Aqueous ink

A developer additive selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by the general formulas (1) to (5): ##STR1## a toner composition having excellent fixing properties and improved pulverizability which comprises the developer additive, a binder resin and a colorant and a developer composition having excellent toner-fixing properties which comprises the developer additive, a binder resin and a colorant.

Developer additive, toner and developer composition

An electrophotographic developer composition for flash fusing containing at least a binder resin based on a polyester resin and a colorant, the polyester resin being formed between an acid component, not less than 80 mol % of the acid component being phthalic acid series dicarboxylic acid and an alcohol component, not less than 80 mol % of the alcohol component being bisphenol A alkylene oxide adduct, the polyester resin having an acid value of not more than 10.0 KOH mg/g, a softening temperature of not less than 95.0.degree. C. and not more than 125.0.degree. C. as determined using a flow tester of the 'koka-shiki' type and a glass transition temperature of not less than 50.0.degree. C. and not more than 80.0.degree. C. as determined by DSC, whereby substantially no odor is produced upon flash fusing.

Developer composition for electrophotography for flash fusing

The present invention is directed to a developer composition for electrophotography containing a binder resin comprising at least a polyester resin as the main component, a colorant and a bisphenol A alkylene oxide adduct, wherein said bisphenol A alkylene oxide adduct is contained in a ratio of not less than 1.0 part by weight and not more than 10.0 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin. The developer composition of the present invention possesses satisfactory low-temperature fixability and is excellent in offset resistance, storage stability and resin pulverizability.

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Wakayama, Japan

Tetsuya Ueno