Imaging processes
The present disclosure provides processes for producing images with toner particles. In embodiments, toner particles of a certain diameter in size are applied to a substrate as an incomplete monolayer, and then fused to form an image that is a complete monolayer and possesses a thickness less than the diameter of the particles utilized to form the image.
1. A toner comprising low melt emulsion aggregation toner particles having a core and a shell, wherein the toner particles comprise:
a low molecular weight amorphous polyester resin which exhibits a glass transition temperature of from about 30° C. to about 120° C. and having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of from about 2,000 to about 8,000, the low molecular weight amorphous polyester resin comprises a combination of low molecular weight amorphous polyester resins, wherein the amorphous polyester resin is present in an amount of from about 30% to 45% by weight of the toner particles, and further wherein the combined amorphous polyester resins have a melt viscosity of from about 10 to about 1,000,000 Pa*S at about 130° C.;
a crystalline polyester resin which exhibits a melting temperature of from about 50° C. to about 90° C.; and
a pigment present in an amount of from about 7% to about 40% by weight of the toner;
wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles have a volume average particle diameter of about 2 μm to about 7 μm;
further wherein the toner possesses a toner charge per mass ratio (Q/m) of from about −3 ρC/gram to about −90 ρC/gram.
2. The toner of claim 1 , wherein the amorphous polyester resin comprises the following formula (I):
wherein m is from about 5 to about 1000.
3. The toner of claim 1 , wherein the crystalline polyester resin is present in an amount of from 1% to about 15% by weight of the toner particles.
4. The toner of claim 1 , wherein the crystalline polyester resin comprises the following formula:
wherein b is from about 5 to about 2000; and d is from about 5 to about 2000.
5. The toner of claim 1 , wherein the pigment is present in an amount of from about 10% to about 18% by weight of the toner.
6. The toner of claim 1 , wherein the low melt emulsion aggregation toner particles are dry, and the dry toner particles have a number average geometric standard deviation (GSDn) and/or volume average geometric standard deviation (GSDv) of from about 1.05 to about 1.55.
7. The toner of claim 1 , wherein the low melt emulsion aggregation toner particles are dry, and the dry toner particles have a glass transition temperature of from about 40° C. to about 65° C.