Toner, method for producing toner, and developer

1. A method for producing a toner, comprising:

periodically forming and discharging liquid droplets of a toner composition liquid containing at least a resin, a releasing agent and a colorant from a plurality of nozzles formed in a thin film which is provided in a reservoir for the toner composition liquid, by vibrating the thin film using a mechanically vibrating unit, and

forming toner particles by solidifying the liquid droplets of the toner composition liquid,

wherein the forming toner particles comprises primarily drying the liquid droplets discharged from the nozzles of the thin film under a stream of dry gas containing an organic solvent whose partial pressure is equal to or higher than 1/10 of a saturated vapor pressure thereof but is equal to or lower than the saturated vapor pressure, the saturated vapor pressure being that at a drying temperature; and secondarily drying the primarily dried liquid droplets for solidification while the organic solvent is being evaporated.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is a mixture of one or more organic solvents each having a boiling point of 45° C. to 120° C. at normal pressure.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the organic solvent is at least one selected from ethyl acetate, acetone, ethyl alcohol, methyl ethyl ketone and toluene.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the dry gas is fed at a velocity 3 times to 20 times that at which the liquid droplets are discharged from the nozzles of the thin film, in a direction in which the liquid droplets are discharged.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the velocity at which the dry gas is fed is 5 times to 20 times that at which the liquid droplets are discharged.

6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the organic solvent is ethyl acetate and the drying temperature in the primarily drying is 25° C. to 65° C.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the secondarily drying is performed at a drying temperature of 55° C. to 110° C.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the toner composition liquid to be discharged has the same temperature as the drying temperature in the primarily drying.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the toner particles have a mass average particle diameter of 3 μm to 8 μm.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a mass average particle diameter of the toner particles to a number average particle diameter of the toner particles is 1.25 or less.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a proportion of toner particles having a particle diameter of 12.7 μm or greater is 1% or less with respect to all the toner particles.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the resin has a glass transition temperature of 35° C. to 80° C.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the colorant is contained in the toner in an amount of 1% by mass to 15% by mass.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the releasing agent is an acid-modified hydrocarbon wax.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the releasing agent has an acid value of 1 KOHmg/g to 90 KOHmg/g.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the releasing agent has a melt viscosity at 120° C. of 1.0 mPa·s to 30 mPa·s.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the releasing agent has a melting point of 55° C. to 90° C.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an amount of the releasing agent is 0.1 parts by mass to 20 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the resin.