Method for manufacturing toner and toner

Abstract

Resin particles containing at least binding resin and wax particles having a diameter of 30 to 600 nm are coagulated, and a resulting coagulated product is heated. Such wax particles are manufactured, for example, by way of a coarse particle preparing step, a slurry preparing step, a pulverizing step, a cooling step, and a depressurizing step. Slurry of wax coarse particles obtained by way of the coarse particle preparing step and the slurry preparing step is directed under heat and pressure through a pressure-resistant nozzle whereby the wax coarse particles are pulverized into the wax particles at the pulverizing step. The cooling step and the depressurizing step are disposed just after the pulverizing step to prevent the wax particles from coarsening.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other and further objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be more explicit from the following detailed description taken with reference to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a toner according to a first embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a section view schematically illustrating a configuration of a pressure-resistant nozzle.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a toner, comprising: coagulating resin particles including at least binder resin, and wax particles having a diameter in a range of 30 to 600 nm obtained from slurry containing wax coarse particles by a high-pressure homogenizer method; andheating a resulting coagulated product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the high-pressure homogenizer method includes a pulverizing step for obtaining heated and pressurized slurry containing wax particles by passing the slurry containing wax coarse particles through a pressure-resistant nozzle under heat and pressure and pulverizing the wax coarse particles; a cooling step for cooling down the slurry obtained at the pulverizing step; and a depressurizing step for gradually depressurizing the slurry cooled down at the cooling step to a pressure level at which no bubbling is caused.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the slurry containing wax coarse particles is slurry prepared by dispersing the wax coarse particles into water.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the slurry containing wax coarse particles is slurry prepared by dispersing the wax coarse particles into a mixture of water and a dispersion stabilizer.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the slurry is pressurized at a pressure in a range from 50 MPa to 250 MPa, and heated to 50° C. or more at the pulverizing step.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the slurry is pressurized at a pressure in a range from 50 MPa to 250 MPa, and heated to a melting point of the wax or more at the pulverizing step.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the pressure-resistant nozzle is a multiple nozzle.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the pressure-resistant nozzle is a nozzle having a liquid flowing passage therein provided with at least one collision wall against which a liquid flowing through the liquid flowing passage collides.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein at the depressurizing step, a pressure on the slurry is gradually reduced to a level at which no bubbling is caused by passing the pressurized slurry containing wax particles, which is cooled down at the cooling step, through a multistage depressurization apparatus for performing stepwise depressurization.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the multistage depressurization apparatus comprises: an inlet passage for leading the pressurized slurry containing wax particles into the multistage depressurization apparatus;an outlet passage in communication with the inlet passage, for discharging the slurry containing wax particles to outside of the multistage depressurization apparatus; anda multistage depressurizing section disposed between the inlet passage and the outlet passage, to which two or more depressurizing members are coupled via coupling members, for performing stepwise depressurization.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the binder resin is acrylic resin.

12. A toner manufactured by the method for manufacturing a toner of claim 1.