Negatively chargeable toner, method for producing the same, and full color image forming apparatus using the negatively chargeable toner
A negatively chargeable toner containing: resin particles containing a colorant; and an external additive which coats the surface of the resin particles, wherein the external additive contains; first silica particles having a number mean primary particle size of 5 to 20 nm and second silica particles having a number mean primary particle size of 30 to 50 nm; surface-modified silica particles which are surface modified by wet treatment using an oxide or hydroxide of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, tin, zirconium and aluminum, and are further subjected to hydrophobic treatment; and aluminum oxide-silicon dioxide composite oxide particles obtained by flame hydrolysis and hydrophobic treatment.
1. A negatively chargeable toner comprising:
resin particles containing a colorant; and
an external additive which coats the surface of the resin particles,
wherein the external additive comprises;
first silica particles having a number mean primary particle size of 5 to 20 nm and second silica particles having a number mean primary particle size of 30 to 50 nm;
surface-modified silica particles which are surface modified by wet treatment using an oxide or hydroxide of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, tin, zirconium and aluminum, and are further subjected to hydrophobic treatment; and
aluminum oxide-silicon dioxide composite oxide particles obtained by flame hydrolysis and hydrophobic treatment.
2. The negatively chargeable toner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the total amount of the first and second silica particles are 0.5 to 1.5% by weight based on the weight of the resin particles,
wherein the weight ratio of the first silica particles to the second silica particles is from 5/1 to 1/5.
3. The negatively chargeable toner according to claim 1 ,
wherein the amount of the surface-modified silica particles is 0.005 to 0.5% by weight based on the weight of the resin particles,
wherein the amount of the aluminum oxide-silicon dioxide composite oxide particles is 0.005 to 0.5% by weight based on the weight of the resin particles,
wherein the total amount of the surface-modified silica particles and the aluminum oxide-silicon dioxide composite oxide particles is from 0.01 to 1% by weight based on the weight of the resin particles.
4. The negatively chargeable toner according to claim 3 , wherein the weight ratio of the surface-modified silica particles to the aluminum oxide-silicon dioxide composite oxide particles is from 2/50 to 50/2.
5. The negatively chargeable toner according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of the external additive is 0.51 to 2.5% by weight based on the weight of the resin particles.
6. The negatively chargeable toner according to claim 1 , which is produced through a polymerization method.
7. The negatively chargeable toner according to claim 1 , wherein the negatively chargeable toner has a sphericity of 0.94 or more.
8. The negatively chargeable toner according to claim 1 , wherein the negatively chargeable toner has a number mean particle size of 9 μm or less.
9. A full color toner comprising the negatively chargeable toner according to claim 1 .
10. The negatively chargeable toner according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second silica particles are subjected to hydrophobic treatment.
11. The negatively chargeable toner according to claim 1 , wherein the external additive further comprising a metal soap particle.
12. A process for producing a negatively chargeable toner comprising the steps of:
adding, to resin particles containing a colorant, first silica particles having a number mean primary particle size of 5 to 20 nm and second silica particles having a number mean primary particle size of 30 to 50 nm; and
further adding thereto surface-modified silica particles which are surface modified by wet treatment using an oxide or hydroxide of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, tin, zirconium and aluminum, and are further subjected to hydrophobic treatment, and aluminum oxide-silicon dioxide composite oxide particles obtained by flame hydrolysis and hydrophobic treatment.
13. The process for producing a negatively chargeable toner according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second silica particles are subjected to hydrophobic treatment.
14. The process for producing a negatively chargeable toner according to claim 12 , further comprising a step of adding a metal soap particle to the resin particles.
15. A full color image forming apparatus comprising: a photoreceptor on which toner images are to be formed; an intermediate transfer medium for transferring the toner images formed on the photoreceptor to a recording medium; and a toner for forming the toner images comprising:
a negatively chargeable toner comprising:
resin particles containing a colorant; and
an external additive which coats the surface of the resin particles,
wherein the external additive comprises;
first silica particles having a number mean primary particle size of 5 to 20 nm and second silica particles having a number mean primary particle size of 30 to 50 nm;
surface-modified silica particles which are surface modified by wet treatment using an oxide or hydroxide of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, tin, zirconium and aluminum, and are further subjected to hydrophobic treatment; and
aluminum oxide-silicon dioxide composite oxide particles obtained by flame hydrolysis and hydrophobic treatment.
16. The full color image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the photoreceptor is a negatively chargeable organic photoreceptor.
17. The full color image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the intermediate transfer medium is a belt.
18. The full color image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , further comprising a image developing device,
wherein the photoreceptor and the image developing device are integrated to form a process cartridge,
wherein the process cartridge is detachably mounted on the image forming apparatus.
19. The full color image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the ratio of peripheral velocity of the photoreceptor to the intermediate transfer medium is from 0.95 to 1.05.
20. The full color image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the first and second silica particles are subjected to hydrophobic treatment.
21. The full color image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the external additive further comprising a metal soap particle.
22. The full color image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the work function of the negatively chargeable toner is higher than the work function of the surface of the photoreceptor.