Chemical toner with covalently bonded release agent
View Patent ↗A chemical toner composition including a polymer polymerized from starting ingredients comprising a resin monomer and a release agent monomer.
1. A chemical toner composition comprising a polymer polymerized from starting ingredients comprising a resin monomer and a release agent monomer, wherein the chemical toner composition comprises particles having a volume average particle size distribution index of about 1.30 or less.
2. The chemical toner composition of claim 1 , wherein the release agent monomer is selected from at least one of the following:
(a) an acrylic monomer having the formula:
wherein R 1 is hydrogen or carboxylic acid or a salt thereof,
R 2 is hydrogen, or methyl, or ethyl,
R 3 is a methylene group wherein n is from about 15 to about 200, or R 3 is an ethoxy, propoxy or butoxy group, or a propylene group, wherein n is from about 10 to about 100,
R 4 is a methyl group, a hydroxyl group, or a carboxylic acid group or a salt thereof, and
(b) a styrenic monomer having the following formula:
wherein R 1 is a hydrogen or a methyl group,
R 2 is a hydrogen or a methyl group,
R 3 is a methylene group, an oxygen, or a carbonyl group,
R 4 is a methylene group or an oxygen,
R 5 is a methylene group, n is from about 15 to about 200, or R 5 is an ethoxy, propoxy or butoxy group or a propylene group wherein n is from about 10 to about 100,
R 6 is a hydrogen, a methyl group, a hydroxyl group, or a carboxylic acid group or a salt thereof.
3. The chemical toner composition of claim 1 , wherein the chemical toner composition is substantially free of a non-covalently bonded release agent.
4. The chemical toner composition of claim 1 , wherein the chemical toner composition comprises particles have a circularity ranging from about 0.930 to 1.000.
5. The chemical toner composition of claim 1 , wherein the resin monomer comprises a styrene and an acrylate.
6. The chemical toner composition of claim 1 , wherein the release agent monomer comprises an octadecylacrylate.
7. An emulsion aggregation toner composition comprising a polymer polymerized from starting ingredients comprising a resin monomer and a release agent monomer, wherein the emulsion aggregation toner composition comprises particles having a volume average particle size distribution index of about 1.30 or less.
8. The emulsion aggregation toner composition of claim 7 , wherein the release agent monomer is selected from at least one of the following:
(a) an acrylic monomer having the formula:
wherein R 1 is hydrogen or carboxylic acid or a salt thereof,
R 2 is hydrogen, or methyl, or ethyl,
R 3 is a methylene group wherein n is from about 15 to about 200, or R 3 is an ethoxy, propoxy or butoxy group, or a propylene group, wherein n is from about 10 to about 100,
R 4 is a methyl group, a hydroxyl group, or a carboxylic acid group or a salt thereof, and
(b) a styrenic monomer having the following formula:
wherein R 1 is a hydrogen or a methyl group,
R 2 is a hydrogen or a methyl group,
R 3 is a methylene group, an oxygen, or a carbonyl group,
R 4 is a methylene group or an oxygen,
R 5 is a methylene group, n is from about 15 to about 200, or R 5 is an ethoxy, propoxy or butoxy group or a propylene group wherein n is from about 10 to about 100,
R 6 is a hydrogen, a methyl group, a hydroxyl group, or a carboxylic acid group or a salt thereof.
9. The emulsion aggregation toner composition of claim 7 , wherein the emulsion aggregation toner composition is substantially free of a non-covalently bonded release agent.
10. The emulsion aggregation toner composition of claim 7 , wherein the emulsion aggregation toner composition comprises particles have a circularity ranging from about 0.930 to 1.000.
11. The emulsion aggregation toner composition of claim 7 , wherein the resin monomer comprises a styrene and an acrylate.
12. The emulsion aggregation toner composition of claim 7 , wherein the release agent monomer comprises an octadecylacrylate.
13. A process comprising:
(a) forming a dispersion comprising (i) a disperse phase including starting ingredients comprising a resin monomer and a release agent monomer; and (ii) a continuous phase including starting ingredients comprising water and a phase transport catalyst;
(b) polymerizing the resin monomer and the release agent monomer to result in a polymer;
(c) aggregating toner precursor materials comprising the polymer and a colorant to result in aggregated toner precursor materials; and
(d) coalescing the aggregated toner precursor materials to result in an emulsion aggregation toner composition comprising the colorant and the polymer.
14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the phase transport catalyst is a cyclodextrin, a cyclodextrin derivative, or a mixture thereof.
15. The process of claim 13 , wherein the release agent monomer is selected from at least one of the following:
(a) an acrylic monomer having the formula:
wherein R 1 is hydrogen or carboxylic acid or a salt thereof,
R 2 is hydrogen, or methyl, or ethyl,
R 3 is a methylene group wherein n is from about 15 to about 200, or R 3 is an ethoxy, propoxy or butoxy group, or a propylene group, wherein n is from about 10 to about 100,
R 4 is a methyl group, a hydroxyl group, or a carboxylic acid group or a salt thereof, and
(b) a styrenic monomer having the following formula:
wherein R 1 is a hydrogen or a methyl group,
R 2 is a hydrogen or a methyl group,
R 3 is a methylene group, an oxygen, or a carbonyl group,
R 4 is a methylene group or an oxygen;
R 5 is a methylene group, n is from about 15 to about 200, or R 5 is an ethoxy, propoxy or butoxy group or a propylene group wherein n is from about 10 to about 100,
R 6 is a hydrogen, a methyl group, a hydroxyl group, or a carboxylic acid group or a salt thereof.
16. The process of claim 13 , wherein the emulsion aggregation toner composition comprises particles having a volume average particle size distribution index of about 1.30 or less.
17. The process of claim 13 , wherein the resin monomer comprises a styrene and an acrylate.
18. The process of claim 13 , wherein the release agent monomer comprises an octadecylacrylate.