Agitating – Stirrer within stationary mixing chamber – Rotatable stirrer
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-31
2004-10-19
Soohoo, Tony G. (Department: 1723)
Agitating
Stirrer within stationary mixing chamber
Rotatable stirrer
C366S325400, C366S343000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06805481
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The field of the present invention relates to high intensity blending apparatus, particularly for blending operations designed to cause additive materials to become affixed to the surface of base particles. More particularly, the proposed invention relates to an improved blending tool for producing surface modifications to electrophotographic and related toner particles.
State of the art electrophotographic imaging systems increasingly call for toner particles having narrow distributions of sizes in ranges less than 10 microns. Along with such narrow distributions and small sizes, such toners require increased surface additive coverage since increased quantities of surface additives improve charge control properties, decrease adhesion between toner particles, and decrease Hybrid Scavangeless Development (“HSD”) developer wire contamination in electrophotographic systems. The present invention enables an improved toner having greater coverage by surface additives and having greater adhesion of the surface additives to the toner particles. The present invention also relates to an improved method for producing surface modifications to electrophotographic and related toner particles. This method comprises using an improved blending tool to cause increased blending intensity during high speed blending processes.
A typical process for manufacture of electrophotographic, electrostatic or similar toners is demonstrated by the following description of a typical toner manufacturing process. For conventional toners, the process generally begins by melt-mixing the heated polymer resin with a colorant in an extruder, such as a Werner Pfleiderer ZSK-53 or WP-28 extruder, whereby the pigment is dispersed in the polymer. For example, the Werner Pfleiderer WP-28 extruder when equipped with a 15 horsepower motor is well-suited for melt-blending the resin, colorant, and additives. This extruder has a 28 mm barrel diameter and is considered semiworks-scale, running at peak throughputs of about 3 to 12 lbs./hour.
Toner colorants are particulate pigments or, alternatively, are dyes. Numerous colorants can be used in this process, including but not limited to:
Pigment
Pigment Brand Name
Manufacturer
Color Index
Permanent Yellow DHG
Hoechst
Yellow 12
Permanent Yellow GR
Hoechst
Yellow 13
Permanent Yellow G
Hoechst
Yellow 14
Permanent Yellow NCG-71
Hoechst
Yellow 16
Permanent Yellow NCG-71
Hoechst
Yellow 16
Permanent Yellow GG
Hoechst
Yellow 17
Hansa Yellow RA
Hoechst
Yellow 73
Hansa Brilliant Yellow 5GX-02
Hoechst
Yellow 74
Dalamar .RTM. Yellow TY-858-D
Heubach
Yellow 74
Hansa Yellow X
Hoechst
Yellow 75
Novoperm .RTM. Yellow HR
Hoechst
Yellow 75
Cromophtal .RTM. Yellow 3G
Ciba-Geigy
Yellow 93
Cromophtal .RTM. Yellow GR
Ciba-Geigy
Yellow 95
Novoperm .RTM. Yellow FGL
Hoechst
Yellow 97
Hansa Brilliant Yellow 10GX
Hoechst
Yellow 98
Lumogen .RTM. Light Yellow
BASF
Yellow 110
Permanent Yellow G3R-01
Hoechst
Yellow 114
Cromophtal .RTM. Yellow 8G
Ciba-Geigy
Yellow 128
lrgazin .RTM. Yellow 5GT
Ciba-Geigy
Yellow 129
Hostaperm .RTM. Yellow H4G
Hoechst
Yellow 151
Hostaperm .RTM. Yellow H3G
Hoechst
Yellow 154
L74-1357 Yellow
Sun Chem.
L75-1331 Yellow
Sun Chem.
L75-2377 Yellow
Sun Chem.
Hostaperm .RTM. Orange GR
Hoechst
Orange 43
Paliogen .RTM. Orange
BASF
Orange 51
Irgalite .RTM. 4BL
Ciba-Geigy
Red 57:1
Fanal Pink
BASF
Red 81
Quindo .RTM. Magenta
Mobay
Red 122
Indofast .RTM. Brilliant Scarlet
Mobay
Red 123
Hostaperm .RTM. Scarlet GO
Hoechst
Red 168
Permanent Rubine F6B
Hoechst
Red 184
Monastral .RTM. Magenta
Ciba-Geigy
Red 202
Monastral .RTM. Scarlet
Ciba-Geigy
Red 207
Heliogen .RTM. Blue L 6901F
BASF
Blue 15:2
Heliogen .RTM. Blue NBD 7010
BASF
Heliogen .RTM. Blue K 7090
BASF
Blue 15:3
Heliogen .RTM. Blue K 7090
BASF
Blue 15:3
Paliogen .RTM. Blue L 6470
BASF
Blue 60
Heliogen .RTM. Green K 8683
BASF
Green 7
Heliogen .RTM. Green L 9140
BASF
Green 36
Monastral .RTM. Violet R
Ciba-Geigy
Violet 19
Monastral .RTM. Red B
Ciba-Geigy
Violet 19
Quindo .RTM. Red R6700
Mobay
Quindo .RTM. Red R6713
Mobay
lndofast .RTM. Violet
Mobay
Violet 23
Monastral .RTM. Violet Maroon B
Ciba-Geigy
Violet 42
Sterling .RTM. NS Black
Cabot
Black 7
Sterling .RTM. NSX 76
Cabot
Tipure .RTM. R-101
Du Pont
Mogul L
Cabot
BK 8200 Black Toner
Paul Uhlich
Any suitable toner resin can be mixed with the colorant by the downstream injection of the colorant dispersion. Examples of suitable toner resins which can be used include but are not limited to polyamides, epoxies, diolefins, polyesters, polyurethanes, vinyl resins and polymeric esterification products of a dicarboxylic acid and a diol comprising a diphenol.
Illustrative examples of suitable toner resins selected for the toner and developer compositions of the present invention include vinyl polymers such as styrene polymers, acrylonitrile polymers, vinyl ether polymers, acrylate and methacrylate polymers; epoxy polymers; diolefins; polyurethanes; polyamides and polyimides; polyesters such as the polymeric esterification products of a dicarboxylic acid and a diol comprising a diphenol, crosslinked polyesters; and the like. The polymer resins selected for the toner compositions of the present invention include homopolymers or copolymers of two or more monomers. Furthermore, the above-mentioned polymer resins may also be crosslinked.
Illustrative vinyl monomer units in the vinyl polymers include styrene, substituted styrenes such as methyl styrene, chlorostyrene, styrene acrylates and styrene methacrylates; vinyl esters like the esters of monocarboxylic acids including methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, n-butyl-acrylate, isobutyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, pentyl acrylate, dodecyl acrylate, n-octyl acrylate, 2-chloroethyl acrylate, phenyl acrylate, methylalphachloracrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, propyl methacrylate, and pentyl methacrylate; styrene butadienes; vinyl chloride; acrylonitrile; acrylamide; alkyl vinyl ether and the like. Further examples include p-chlorostyrene vinyl naphthalene, unsaturated mono-olefins such as ethylene, propylene, butylene and isobutylene; vinyl halides such as vinyl chloride, vinyl bromide, vinyl fluoride, vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl benzoate, and vinyl butyrate; acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, acrylamide, vinyl ethers, inclusive of vinyl methyl ether, vinyl isobutyl ether, and vinyl ethyl ether; vinyl ketones inclusive of vinyl methyl ketone, vinyl hexyl ketone and methyl isopropenyl ketone; vinylidene halides such as vinylidene chloride and vinylidene chlorofluoride; N-vinyl indole, N-vinyl pyrrolidone; and the like
Illustrative examples of the dicarboxylic acid units in the polyester resins suitable for use in the toner compositions of the present invention include phthalic acid, terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, pimelic acid, suberic acid, azelaic acid, sebacic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, dimethyl glutaric acid, bromoadipic acids, dichloroglutaric acids, and the like; while illustrative examples of the diol units in the polyester resins include ethanediol, propanediols, butanediols, pentanediols, pinacol, cyclopentanediols, hydrobenzoin, bis(hydroxyphenyl)alkanes, dihydroxybiphenyl, substituted dihydroxybiphenyls, and the like.
In one toner resin, there are selected polyester resins derived from a dicarboxylic acid and a diphenol. These resins are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,000, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference. Also, polyester resins obtained from the reaction of bisphenol A and propylene oxide, and in particular including such polyesters followed by the reaction of the resulting product with fumaric acid, and branched polyester resins resulting from the reaction of dimethylterephthalate with 1,3-butanediol, 1,2-propanediol, and pentaerythritol may also preferable be used. Further, low melting polyesters, especially those prepared by reactive extrusion, reference U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,460, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, can be selected as toner resins. Other
Baer Geraldine
Casalmir D. Paul
Kumar Samir
Molisani Ying S.
Morales-Tirado Juan A.
Soohoo Tony G.
Spooner Richard F.
Xerox Corporation
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