Colored toner for developing electrostatic images

Claim 2

A colored toner for developing electrostatic images which has a degree of gelation of 2.0% or less and comprises an association of secondary particles containing polymer particles having acidic polar groups or basic polar groups and an organic pigment and/or an organic dye treated with a surface active agent which has the same ionic character as the polymer particles so that the absolute value of ζ-potential in the state of aqueous dispersion at pH 5 becomes 10 to 100 mV.

Claim 3

The colored toner for developing electrostatic images according to claim 1 wherein the shape factor S value of the toner particles is 100.5 to 160.0.

Claim 4

The colored toner for developing electrostatic images according to claim 1 or 2 wherein when the mean diameter of the toner particles obtained from the distance between circumscribed parallel lines is expressed as rm, the mean minimal value of the radius of curvature, on the surface of the toner particles, of each associated particle constituting the toner is expressed as rn, and V is assumed to be rm/rn, V, rm and rn have the following values: 1.01≦V≦320 2.5 μm≦rm≦16 μm 0.05 μm≦rn<rm.

Claim 5

A developer for electrostatic images which comprises the colored toner of claim 1 or claim 2 for developing electrostatic images and a carrier.

Claim 6

A colored toner for developing electrostatic images which has a degree of gelation of 2.0% or less and comprises an association of secondary particles, wherein said secondary particles comprise an aggregation of a mixture of (1) primary polymer particles of polymer having acidic polar groups or basic polar groups and (2) an organic colorant selected from the group consisting of organic pigment, organic dye and mixture thereof; wherein said organic colorant has been contacted with a surface active agent selected from the group consisting of (i) anionic surface active agents and dispersants, (ii) nonionic surface active agents and dispersants, and (iii) cationic surface active agents and dispersants, said agent having the same ionic character as that of the primary polymer particles, such that the absolute value of ζ-potential in an aqueous dispersion at pH 5 becomes 10 to 100 mV.

Claim 7

A colored toner for developing electrostatic images which has a degree of gelation of 2.0% or less and comprises an association of secondary particles, wherein said secondary particles comprise an aggregation of a mixture of (1) primary polymer particles of polymer having acidic polar groups or basic polar groups and (2) an organic colorant selected from the group consisting of organic pigment, organic dye and mixture thereof; wherein said organic colorant has been contacted with a surface active agent selected from the group consisting of (i) anionic surface active agents and dispersants, (ii) nonionic surface active agents and dispersants, and (iii) cationic surface active agents and dispersants, said agent having the same ionic character as that of the primary polymer particles, such that the absolute value of ζ-potential in an aqueous dispersion at pH 5 becomes 10 to 100 mV.

Claim 8

A colored toner according to claim 5 wherein said toner has a degree of gelation of no more than 0.50%.

Claim 9

A colored toner according to claim 5 wherein said association of secondary particles has a shape factor S of from 100.5 to 160.0.

Claim 10

A colored toner according to claim 5 wherein said association of secondary particles has a shape factor S of from 105.0 to 155.

Claim 11

A colored toner according to claim 5 which comprises from about 40 to 99.9% by weight of primary polymer particles and from about 60 to 0.1% by weight of organic colorant.

Claim 12

A colored toner according to claim 5 wherein the mean particle size of the primary polymer particles is from 0.01 to 10 μm, the mean particle size of the secondary particles is from 0.05 to 12 μm, and the particle size of the associated particles is from 2.5 to 12 μm.

Claim 13

A colored toner according to claim 5 wherein the mean particle size of the primary polymer particles is from 0.01 to 5 μm; the mean particle size of the secondary particles is from 0.2 to 8 μm; and the particle size of the associated particles is from 2.5 to 11 μm.

Claim 14

A colored toner according to claim 1 or claim 5 wherein the surface active agent is selected from the group consisting of mixed fatty acid sodium or potassium soaps, semi-hardened beef tallow fatty acid sodium or potassium soaps, sodium stearate soap, potassium oleate soap, castor oil potassium soap, lauryl sulfate sodium, potassium, ammonium or triethanolamine salt, sodium higher alcohol sulfate salts, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, sodium or potassium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate, sodium or potassium dialkylsulfonesuccinate, sodium alkyl diphenyl ether disulfonate, sodium alkyl diphenyl ether disulfonate, alkyl phosphate diethanolamine salts or potassium salts, polyoxyethylene lauryl ether sulfate sodium or triethanolamine salts, polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ether sulfate sodium salts, sodium alkanesulfonates, sodium salts of aromatic sulfonic acid-formalin condensates, polycarboxylic acid type high molecular surface active agents, anionic silicone surface active agents, anionic fluorine surface active agents, polyoxyethylene lauryl ethers, polyoxyethylene cetyl ethers, polyoxyethylene stearyl ethers, polyoxyethylene oleyl ethers, polyoxyethylene higher alcohol ethers, polyoxyethylene octylphenylethers, polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ethers, oxyethylene-oxypropylene block copolymers, sorbitan monolaurylate or monopalmitate or monostearate or tristearate or monooleate or trioleate or sesquioleate or distearate, polyoxyethylenesorbitan monolaurylate or monopalmitate or monostearate or tristearate or monooleate or trioleate or sesquioleate or distearate, nonionic silicone surface active agents, nonionic fluorine surface active agents, tetraoleic acid polyoxyethylenesorbitol esters, coconut amine acetate, stearylamine acetate, coconut amine hydrochloride, stearylamine hydrochloride, stearylamine oleate, lauryltrimethylammonium chloride, stearyltrimethylammonium chloride, distearyldimethylammonium chloride, alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chloride, laurylbetaine, stearylbetaine, lauryldimethylamine oxide, laurylcarboxymethylhydroxyethylimidazoliniumbetaine, cationic silicone surface active agents, and cationic fluorine surface active agents.