Toner for electrostatic latent image development, production method thereof, and developer for electrostatic latent image development

Abstract

The invention provides a toner for electrostatic latent image development comprising a first component and a second component which are isolated from each other and capable of forming a color when the first component and the second component are brought into reaction with each other, and a photo-curable composition containing either the first component or the second component, the photo-curable composition not being capable of forming a color when the photo-curable composition is not cured, that is irreversibly controlled to a state of being capable of forming a color by irradiating light having a specific wavelength at which the photo-curable composition is cured.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view illustrating an example of the toner of the invention comprising a base material and color forming sections which are dispersed in the base material in the form of particles;

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view illustrating an example of the toner of the invention having a concentric structure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view illustrating an example of the toner of the invention having a stripe structure; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view illustrating an example of the toner of the invention having a radially-segmented structure.

Claims

1. A toner for electrostatic latent image development comprising a first component and a second component which are isolated from each other and capable of forming a color when the first component and the second component are brought into reaction with each other, and a photo-curable composition containing either the first component or the second component, the photo-curable composition not being capable of forming a color when the photo-curable composition is not cured, that is irreversibly controlled to a state of being capable of forming a color by irradiating light having a specific wavelength at which the photo-curable composition is cured.

2. The toner for electrostatic latent image development according to claim 1, wherein the photo-curable composition contains microcapsules which are dispersed therein, the first component is contained in the microcapsules and the second component is contained in the photo-curable composition.

3. The toner for electrostatic latent image development according to claim 2, wherein the microcapsules are thermo-reactive microcapsules which enables substance diffusion between inside and outside the microcapsules by a heating treatment.

4. The toner for electrostatic latent image development according to claim 2, wherein the microcapsules comprise a core part which contains the first component and an outer shell that coats the core part, the outer shell comprising a thermoplastic material.

5. The toner for electrostatic latent image development according to claim 2, wherein the second component and a photo-polymerizable compound are contained in the photo-curable composition.

6. The toner for electrostatic latent image development according to claim 1, wherein the first component and the second component are brought into reaction with each other to develop a color by heating after the photo-curable composition is irreversibly controlled so as to be capable of forming a color by irradiating the light having a specific wavelength to cure the photo-curable composition.

7. The toner for electrostatic latent image development according to claim 2, wherein the toner comprises two or more color forming sections comprising the photo-curable composition and microcapsules which are dispersed in the photo-curable composition.

8. The toner for electrostatic latent image development according to claim 7, wherein the two or more color forming sections comprise two or more kinds of color forming sections which are capable of forming different colors from each other.

9. The toner for electrostatic latent image development according to claim 8, wherein the two or more color forming sections comprise a yellow color forming section which is capable of forming yellow, a magenta color forming section which is capable of forming magenta, and a cyan color forming section which is capable of forming cyan.

10. The toner for electrostatic latent image development according to claim 7, wherein the toner comprises a base material comprising a bonding resin as a major component and each of the two or more color forming sections are dispersed in the base material in the form of particles.

11. The toner for electrostatic latent image development according to claim 10, wherein the color forming sections which are dispersed in the form of particles comprise a core part and an outer shell that coats the core part, the outer shell containing a material which is insoluble in water.

12. The toner for electrostatic latent image development according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the two or more color forming sections is in contact adjacently with at least one of the other color forming sections so as to form an interface.

13. The toner for electrostatic latent image development according to claim 12, wherein a layer comprising a non-water-soluble material is formed at the interface of the one color forming section and the other color forming sections.

14. The toner for electrostatic latent image development according to claim 4, wherein the thermoplastic material is an amorphous resin and the amorphous resin has a glass transition temperature of approximately 90 to approximately 200° C.

15. The toner for electrostatic latent image development according to claim 1, wherein the toner is produced by utilizing an emulsion aggregation method.

16. The toner for electrostatic latent image development according to claim 1, wherein the toner is produced by utilizing a wet method and the highest processing temperature in the wet method is approximately 90° C. or less.

17. A method of producing a toner utilizing a wet method, the toner comprising a first component and a second component which are isolated from each other and capable of forming a color when the first component and the second component are brought into reaction with each other, and a photo-curable composition containing either the first component or the second component, the photo-curable composition not being capable of forming a color when the photo-curable composition is not cured, that is irreversibly controlled to a state of being capable of forming a color by irradiating light having a specific wavelength at which the photo-curable composition is cured.

18. The method of producing a toner according to claim 17, wherein the photo-curable composition contains microcapsules which are dispersed therein, the first component is contained in the microcapsules and the second component is contained in the photo-curable composition.

19. The method of producing a toner according to claim 17, wherein the wet method includes an emulsion aggregation method.

20. The method of producing a toner according to claim 17, wherein the highest processing temperature in the wet method is approximately 90° C. or less.

21. The method of producing a toner according to claim 18, wherein the method comprises a process to prepare two or more photosensitive/thermosensitive capsule dispersions which are capable of forming different colors from each other, each dispersion being formed by a process comprising: a first aggregating process wherein first aggregated particles are formed in a raw material dispersion comprising a microcapsule dispersion in which microcapsules containing a first component are dispersed and a photo-curable composition dispersion in which a photo-curable composition containing a second component is dispersed;an attaching process wherein resin particles are attached to the surface of the first aggregated particles by adding a first resin particle dispersion in which the resin particles are dispersed to the raw material dispersion in which the first aggregated particles are formed; anda first fusing process wherein the raw material dispersion containing the first aggregated particles having the resin particles which are attached to the surface thereof is heated to fuse the first aggregated particles,and the method further comprising:a second aggregating process wherein second aggregated particles are formed in a mixed solution in which the two or more photosensitive/thermosensitive capsule dispersions and a second resin particle dispersion in which resin particles are dispersed are mixed; anda second fusing process in which a second fused particles are obtained by heating the mixed solution containing the second aggregated particles, thereby forming the toner.

22. The method of producing a toner according to claim 18, wherein the method comprises a process to prepare a photosensitive/thermosensitive capsule dispersion, the process comprising: a first aggregating process wherein first aggregated particles are formed in a raw material dispersion comprising a first microcapsule dispersion in which microcapsules containing a first component are dispersed and a first photo-curable composition dispersion in which a photo-curable composition containing a second component is dispersed;an attaching process wherein resin particles are attached to the surface of the first aggregated particles by adding a first resin particle dispersion in which the resin particles are dispersed to the raw material dispersion in which the first aggregated particles are formed; anda first fusing process wherein photosensitive/thermosensitive capsules are obtained by heating the raw material dispersion containing the first aggregated particles having the resin particles which are attached to the surface thereof to fuse the first aggregated particles,and the method further comprising:a photosensitive/thermosensitive layer forming process wherein a photosensitive/thermosensitive layer capable of forming a color which is different from the color of the photosensitive/thermosensitive capsules is formed on the surface of the photosensitive/thermosensitive capsules by adding a raw material dispersion comprising a second microcapsule dispersion in which microcapsules containing a first component is dispersed and a second photo-curable composition dispersion in which a photo-curable composition containing a second component, to the photosensitive/thermosensitive capsule dispersion;a coating layer forming process wherein the resin particles are attached to the surface of the photosensitive/thermosensitive layer to form a coating layer by adding a second resin particle dispersion in which resin particles are dispersed to the raw material dispersion which has undergone the photosensitive/thermosensitive layer forming process; anda second fusing process in which fused particles are obtained by heating the raw material dispersion containing a second aggregated particles on which the coating layer is formed by attaching the resin particles to the surface of the photosensitive/thermosensitive layer, thereby forming the toner.

23. The method of producing a toner according to claim 22, wherein the process in which the photosensitive/thermosensitive layer forming process, the coating layer forming process and the second fusing process are conducted in this order is further repeated one or more times, and the colors of the two or more photosensitive/thermosensitive layers which are formed by respective photosensitive/thermosensitive layer forming processes and the photosensitive/thermosensitive capsules are different from each other.

24. A method of producing a toner containing a color-changeable substance wherein the toner is produced by utilizing a wet method.

25. The method of producing a toner according to claim 24, wherein the toner containing the color-changeable substance changes the color thereof by being applied at least one stimulation selected from light and heat.

26. The method of producing a toner according to claim 24, wherein the wet method includes an emulsion aggregation method.

27. The method of producing a toner according to claim 26, wherein the highest processing temperature in the wet method is approximately 90° C. or less.

28. A developer for electrostatic latent image development containing a toner comprising a first component and a second component which are isolated from each other and capable of forming a color when the first component and the second component are brought into reaction with each other, and a photo-curable composition containing either the first component or the second component, the photo-curable composition not being capable of forming a color when the photo-curable composition is not cured, that is irreversibly controlled to a state of being capable of forming a color by irradiating light having a specific wavelength at which the photo-curable composition is cured.