Toner for developing electrostatic image, developer for developing electrostatic image, and method for forming image

1. A toner for developing an electrostatic image, the toner comprising:

a binder resin,

a releasing agent in an amount of from 5% to 30% by weight, and

a colorant in an amount of from 4% to 15% by weight,

wherein the binder resin comprises a polycondensation resin obtained by a polycondensation reaction of 1,9-nonanediol with 1,10-decane dicarboxylic acid, 1,9-nonanediol with sebacic acid, or 1,6-hexanediol with sebacic acid in the presence of a polycondensation catalyst,

the releasing agent comprises a condensation compound that is a crystalline ester obtained by a condensation reaction of an alcohol and a carboxylic acid in the presence of a condensation catalyst, wherein the carboxylic acid is palmitic acid or behenic acid, and the alcohol is pentaerythritol or behenyl alcohol

the releasing agent further comprises a wax,

the toner contains a metallic element derived from the polycondensation catalyst and the condensation catalyst in an amount up to 10 ppm, the metallic element selected from the group of consisting of tin, titanium, antimony, beryllium, strontium, germanium and a rare earth metal, and

the toner contains a sulfur component in an amount of from about 100 ppm to about 20,000 ppm.

2. The toner for developing an electrostatic image according to claim 1 ,

wherein the binder resin comprises the polycondensation resin in an amount of about 40% by weight or more.

3. The toner for developing an electrostatic image according to claim 1 ,

wherein the binder resin comprises a noncrystalline polyester in an amount of from about 1% to about 90% by weight.

4. The toner for developing an electrostatic image according to claim 3 ,

wherein the noncrystalline polyester has a glass transition temperature Tg of from about 40° C. to about 100° C.

5. The toner for developing an electrostatic image according to claim 3 ,

wherein the noncrystalline polyester has a weight average molecular weight of from about 1,000 to about 60,000 as measured by a gel permeation chromatography (GPC) molecular weight measuring method of a component soluble in tetrahydrofuran (THF).

6. The toner for developing an electrostatic image according to claim 1 ,

wherein the binder resin comprises a crystalline polyester.

7. The toner for developing an electrostatic image according to claim 6 ,

wherein the crystalline polyester has a crystal melting temperature Tm of from about 50° C. to about 120° C.

8. The toner for developing an electrostatic image according to claim 6 ,

wherein the crystalline polyester has a weight average molecular weight of from about 1,000 to about 60,000 as measured by a gel permeation chromatography (GPC) molecular weight measuring method of a component soluble in tetrahydrofuran (THF).

9. The toner for developing an electrostatic image according to claim 1 ,

wherein the condensation compound comprises the metallic element present in an amount up to 7.5 ppm.

10. The toner for developing an electrostatic image according to claim 1 , which has a volume average particle size distribution index GSDv of about 1.30 or less.

11. The toner for developing an electrostatic image according to claim 1 , which has a shape factor SF1 of from about 100 to about 140.

12. A method for producing the toner for developing an electrostatic image as claimed in claim 1 , the method comprising:

aggregating binder resin particles comprising a polycondensation resin and releasing agent particles comprising a condensation compound in an aqueous medium; and

fusing and integrating the aggregated particles by heating.

13. A developer for developing an electrostatic image comprising:

a toner for developing an electrostatic image as claimed in claim 1 ; and

a carrier.

14. A method for forming an image comprising:

forming an electrostatic latent image on a surface of a latent image carrying member;

developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the latent image carrying member with a developer comprising a toner to form a toner image;

transferring the toner image formed on the surface of the latent image carrying member to a surface of a transfer material; and

fixing the toner image transferred to the surface of the transfer material by heating,

wherein the toner is a toner for developing an electrostatic image as claimed in claim 1 .

15. A method for forming an image comprising:

forming an electrostatic latent image on a surface of a latent image carrying member;

developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the latent image carrying member with a developer comprising a toner to form a toner image;

transferring the toner image formed on the surface of the latent image carrying member to a surface of a transfer material; and

fixing the toner image transferred to the surface of the transfer material by heating,

wherein the developer is a developer for developing an electrostatic image as claimed in claim 13 .

16. A toner for developing an electrostatic image, the toner comprising:

a binder resin,

a releasing agent in an amount of from 5% to 30% by weight, and

a colorant in an amount of from 4% to 15% by weight,

wherein the binder resin comprises a polycondensation resin obtained by a polycondensation reaction of 1,9-nonanediol with 1,10-decane dicarboxylic acid, 1,9-nonanediol with sebacic acid, or 1,6-hexanediol with sebacic acid in the presence of a polycondensation catalyst,

the releasing agent comprises a condensation compound,

the toner contains a metallic element derived from the polycondensation catalyst and the condensation catalyst in an amount up to 10 ppm, and

the toner contains a sulfur component in an amount of from about 100 ppm to about 20,000 ppm,

wherein the binder resin comprises a polyester which has a weight average molecular weight of from about 1,000 to about 60,000 as measured by a gel permeation chromatography (GPC) molecular weight measuring method of a component soluble in tetrahydrofuran (THF);

the releasing agent is a crystalline ester obtained by a condensation reaction of an alcohol and a carboxylic acid, wherein the carboxylic acid is palmitic acid or behenic acid, and the alcohol is pentaerythritol or behenyl alcohol,

the releasing agent further comprises a wax; and

the metallic element derived from the polycondensation catalyst and the condensation catalyst is selected from the group of consisting of tin, titanium, antimony, beryllium, strontium, germanium and a rare earth metal.

17. The toner for developing an electrostatic image according to claim 1 ,

wherein the polycondensation catalyst contains a sulfur element derived from a sulfur-containing catalyst.