US5346797A — Toner processes

Claim 1

Independent Claim 116 words

A process for the preparation of toner compositions consisting essentially of (i) preparing a pigment dispersion in a solvent, which dispersion is comprised of a pigment, an ionic surfactant and optionally a charge control agent; (ii) shearing the pigment dispersion with a latex mixture comprised of a counterionic surfactant with a charge polarity of opposite sign to that of said ionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant and resin particles, thereby causing a flocculation or heterocoagulation of the formed particles of pigment, resin and charge control agent to form electrostatically bound toner size aggregates; and (iii) heating the statically bound aggregated particles to form said toner composition comprised of polymeric resin, pigment and optionally a charge control agent.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 116 words

A process for the preparation of toner compositions consisting essentially of (i) preparing a pigment dispersion in a solvent, which dispersion is comprised of a pigment, an ionic surfactant and optionally a charge control agent; (ii) shearing the pigment dispersion with a latex mixture comprised of a counterionic surfactant with a charge polarity of opposite sign to that of said ionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant and resin particles, thereby causing a flocculation or heterocoagulation of the formed particles of pigment, resin and charge control agent to form electrostatically bound toner size aggregates; and (iii) heating the statically bound aggregated particles to form said toner composition comprised of polymeric resin, pigment and optionally a charge control agent.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 33 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the surfactant utilized in preparing the pigment dispersion is a cationic surfactant, and the counterionic surfactant present in the latex mixture is an anionic surfactant.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 33 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the surfactant utilized in preparing the pigment dispersion is an anionic surfactant, and the counterionic surfactant present in the latex mixture is a cationic surfactant.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 55 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the dispersion of step (i) is accomplished by homogenizing at from about 1,000 revolutions per minute to about 10,000 revolutions per minute at a temperature of from about 25° C. to about 35° C. and for a duration of from about 1 minute to about 120 minutes.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 65 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the dispersion of step (i) is accomplished by an ultrasonic probe at from about 300 watts to about 900 watts of energy, at from about 5 to about 50 megahertz of amplitude, at a temperature of from about 25° C. to about 55° C., and for a duration of from about 1 minute to about 120 minutes.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 35 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the dispersion of step (i) is accomplished by microfluidization in a microfluidizer or in nanojet for a duration of from about 1 minute to about 120 minutes.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 43 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the homogenization of step (ii) is accomplished by homogenizing at from about 1,000 revolutions per minute to about 10,000 revolutions per minute, and for a duration of from about 1 minute to about 120 minutes.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 58 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the heating of the statically bound aggregate particles to form toner size composite particles comprised of pigment, resin and optional charge control agent is accomplished at a temperature of from about 60° C. to about 95° C., and for a duration of from about 1 hour to about 8 hours.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 48 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the resin particles are selected from the group consisting of poly(styrene-butadiene), poly(para-methyl styrene-butadiene), poly(meta-methyl styrene-butadiene), poly(alpha-methylstyrene-butadiene), poly(methylmethacrylate-butadiene), poly(ethylmethacrylate-butadiene), poly(propylmethacrylate-butadiene), poly(butylmethacrylate-butadiene), poly(methylacrylate-butadiene), poly(ethylacrylate-butadiene), poly(propylacrylate-butadiene), poly(butylacrylate-butadiene), poly(styrene-isoprene), poly(para-methyl styrene-isoprene), poly(metamethyl styrene-isoprene), poly(alpha-methylstyrene-isoprene), poly(methylmethacrylate-isoprene), poly(ethylmethacrylate-isoprene), poly(propylmethacrylate-isoprene), poly(butylmethacrylate-isoprene), poly(methylacrylate-isoprene), poly(ethylacrylate-isoprene), poly(propylacrylate-isoprene), and poly(butylacrylate-isoprene) terpolymers.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 38 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the resin particles are selected from the group consisting of poly(styrene-butadieneacrylic acid), poly(styrene-butadiene-methacrylic acid), poly(styrene-butyl methacrylate-acrylic acid), or poly(styrene-butyl acrylate-acrylic acid); PLIOTONE™, polyethylene-terephthalate, polypropylene-terephthalate, polybutylene-terephthalate, polypentylene-terephthalate, polyhexaleneterephthalate, polyheptadene-terephthalate, and polyoctalene-terephthalate.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 14 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the resin is comprised of poly(styrene-butadiene).

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 59 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the nonionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, methalose, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, propyl cellulose, hydroxy ethyl cellulose, carboxy methylcellulose, polyoxyethylene cetyl ether, polyoxyethylene lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene octyl ether, polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ether, polyoxyethylene oleyl ether, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate, polyoxyethylene stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether, and dialkylphenoxy poly(ethyleneoxy)ethanol.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 25 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the anionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of sodium dodecylsulfate, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfate and sodium dodecylnaphthalenesulfate.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 16 words

A process in accordance with claim 2 wherein the cationic surfactant is a quaternary ammonium salt.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 31 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the pigment is carbon black, magnetite, or mixtures thereof; cyan, yellow, magenta, or mixtures thereof; or red, green, blue, brown, or mixtures thereof.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 26 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the resin particles formed in step (ii) are from about 0.01 to 3 microns in average volume diameter.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 23 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the pigment particles are from about 0.01 to about 3 microns in volume average diameter.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 35 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the toner particles isolated are from about 3 to 15 microns in average volume diameter, and the geometric size distribution is from about 1.15 to about 1.35.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 29 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the statically bound aggregate particles formed in step (iii) are from about 1 to about 10 microns in average volume diameter.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 24 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the nonionic surfactant concentration is about 0.1 to about 5 weight percent of the toner components.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 24 words

A process in accordance with claim 2 wherein the anionic surfactant concentration is about 0.1 to about 5 weight percent of the toner components.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 23 words

A process in accordance with claim 2 wherein the cationic surfactant concentration is about 0.1 to about 5 weight percent of the toner.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 52 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein there is added to the surface of the isolated toner particles surface additives of metal salts, metal salts of fatty acids, silicas, metal oxides, or mixtures thereof, in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 10 weight percent of the obtained toner particles.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 30 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein diluting the flocculated mixture of step (iii) is accomplished with water of from about 50 percent solids to about 15 percent solids.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 27 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the toner is washed with warm water and the surfactants are removed from the toner surface, followed by drying.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 12 words

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the solvent is water.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 58 words

An in situ process for the preparation of toner particles which comprises mixing a dispersion of pigment, ionic surfactant, and optional additives with a latex mixture comprised of a counterionic surfactant with a charge of opposite polarity of said ionic surfactant, resin, and nonionic surfactant, which mixing results in flocculation of pigment, resin, and optional additives; and heating.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 58 words

An in situ process for the preparation of toner particles which comprises mixing a dispersion of pigment, ionic surfactant, and optional additives with a latex mixture comprised of a counterionic surfactant with a charge of opposite polarity of said ionic surfactant, resin, and nonionic surfactant, which mixing results in flocculation of pigment, resin, and optional additives; and heating.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 112 words

An in situ process for the preparation of toner particles comprising (i) preparing a pigment dispersion in a solvent, which dispersion is comprised of a pigment, an ionic surfactant and optionally a charge control agent; (ii) shearing the pigment dispersion with a latex mixture comprised of a counterionic surfactant with a charge polarity of opposite sign to that of said ionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant and resin particles, thereby causing a flocculation or heterocoagulation of the formed particles of pigment, resin and charge control agent to form electrostatically bound toner size aggregates; and (iii) heating the statically bound aggregated particles to form said toner composition comprised of polymeric resin particles and pigment.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 112 words

An in situ process for the preparation of toner particles comprising (i) preparing a pigment dispersion in a solvent, which dispersion is comprised of a pigment, an ionic surfactant and optionally a charge control agent; (ii) shearing the pigment dispersion with a latex mixture comprised of a counterionic surfactant with a charge polarity of opposite sign to that of said ionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant and resin particles, thereby causing a flocculation or heterocoagulation of the formed particles of pigment, resin and charge control agent to form electrostatically bound toner size aggregates; and (iii) heating the statically bound aggregated particles to form said toner composition comprised of polymeric resin particles and pigment.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1997-09-12	1998-03-14	1998-09-13	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2001-09-12	2002-03-14	2002-09-13	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2005-09-12	2006-03-14	2006-09-13	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Toner processes

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