Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Electric or magnetic imagery – e.g. – xerography,... – Post imaging process – finishing – or perfecting composition...
Patent
1981-04-21
1982-10-05
Welsh, John D.
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Electric or magnetic imagery, e.g., xerography,...
Post imaging process, finishing, or perfecting composition...
430124, 430109, G03G 1312
Patent
active
043528775
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an electrophotographic process wherein an image developed with finely divided toner particles is fixed by a flash fixation procedure.
In conventional electrophotographic processes wherein electrophotographic devices such as printers, facsimiles and copiers are utilized, images developed with finely divided toner particles are usually fixed by using an oven or heated roller. However, the finely divided toner particles used in these conventional electrophotographic processes are not suitable for a process wherein developed images are fixed by means of flash fixation. The term "flash fixation" as used herein means a fixation procedure wherein a toner image is fixed by irradiating the toner image with high energy ultraviolet or visible light to instantly elevate the temperature of the toner to a point at which the toner is molten.
Most of the conventional finely divided toner particles comprise resin binders which are based upon styrene/acrylic acid ester copolymers, as described in, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Applications Nos. 17,434/72, 17,435/72, 8,141/73, 16,646/73, 75,033/73, 78,936/73, 79,639/73, 90,238/73, 90,132/74, 44,836/75 and 23,941/77. If the styrene/acrylic acid ester copolymer-based toners are used in an electrophotographic process wherein the developed toner images are fixed by means of flash fixation, the styrene/acrylic acid ester copolymer tends to be degraded, namely, the main chain of the styrene/acrylic acid ester copolymer tends to be broken at the ester bond portions, thereby producing low molecular weight substances such as styrene, xylene, isopropylbenzene, butanol, isobutyl acetate, methyl methacrylate and butyl methacrylate.
Furthermore, most of the conventional finely divided toner particles contain, as a colorant, carbon and various organic dyes. Particularly, some commercially available toners contain only an organic dye as a colorant. Typical organic dyes used include, for example, heavy metal-containing acid dyes and Nigrosine base dyes. The heavy metal-containing acid dyes have a problem in that the heavy metal contained therein is toxic. The Nigrosine base dyes have a problem in that, when the developed toner images are fixed by means of flash fixation, the dyes tend to produce low molecular weight substances, such as nitrobenzene, aniline and biphenylamine, due to the decomposition of the dyes.
In other words, when the conventional finely divided toner particles are used in an electrophotographic process wherein the developed toner images are fixed by means of flash fixation, the toner particles produce gaseous, low molecular weight substances which emit an offensive odor and are detrimental to health.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an electrophotographic process wherein the developed toner images are fixed by means of flash fixation, during which fixation only a minimal amount of gaseous low molecular weight compounds emitting an offensive order is produced.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an improved electrophotographic process for developing an electrostatic latent image with finely divided toner particles and fixing the developed image by irradiating it with a high energy ultraviolet or visible light, characterized by using as the toner particles those which consist essentially of, based on the weight of the toner particles, 0.6 to 8% by weight of carbon as a colorant and 0 to 5% by weight of a dye as a colorant, and 62 to 99.4% by weight of a binder resin; at least 95% by weight of said binder resin being a bisphenol A/epichlorohydrin type epoxy resin having a melting point of from 60.degree. to 160.degree. C., an epoxy equivalent of from about 450 to about 5,500 and a weight average molecular weight of from about 900 to about 8,250.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a gas chromatogram of a gaseous mixture evolved when an image developed with the toner of the present invention
REFERENCES:
patent: 3236639 (1966-02-01), Tomanek
patent: 3506469 (1970-04-01), Titow
patent: 3753910 (1973-08-01), Mitsuhashi et al.
patent: 4073739 (1978-02-01), Peters
Muramatsu Kiyohide
Narusawa Toshiaki
Okada Seiji
Okuyama Hirohumi
Yagishita Teruo
Fujitsu Limited
Welsh John D.
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