Phase inversed resin emulsions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9798255-B1
Application number	US-201615177706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 9, 2016
Priority date	Jun 9, 2016
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A process is provided comprising forming a phase inversed resin emulsion comprising a resin, water, and an organic solvent, wherein the process excludes subjecting the phase inversed resin emulsion to an organic solvent removal technique, thereby retaining the organic solvent in the phase inversed resin emulsion. The phase inversed resin emulsion may be formed by dissolving a resin in an organic solvent to form a resin mixture; optionally, adding a neutralizing agent to the resin mixture to neutralize acid groups on the resin; and adding a sufficient amount of water to the resin mixture to emulsify and induce phase inversion in the resin mixture. Also provided are processes for preparing particles and processes for preparing toners utilizing the phase inversed resin emulsions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for preparing particles comprising:
employing a mixture to form particles wherein the mixture comprises (i) an optional wax, (ii) an optional colorant, and (iii) a phase inversed resin emulsion comprising a resin, water, and an organic solvent, wherein the process for preparing the phase inversed resin emulsion excludes subjecting the phrase inversed resin emulsion to an organic solvent removal technique, thereby retaining the organic solvent in the phase inversed resin emulsion;
aggregating the particles to a predetermined size; and
coalescing the particles of the predetermined size,
wherein the level of organic solvent in the coalesced particles, exclusive of external additives, is less than about 50 ppm of the coalesced particles.

2. The process of claim 1 , further comprising preparing the phase inversed resin emulsion by:
dissolving the resin in the organic solvent to form a resin mixture;
optionally, adding a neutralizing agent to the resin mixture to neutralize acid groups on the resin; and
adding a sufficient amount of water to the resin mixture to emulsify and induce phase inversion in the resin mixture to form the phase inversed resin emulsion comprising the resin, water, and the organic solvent.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the level of organic solvent in the phase inversed resin emulsion is at least 20 pph of the phase inversed resin emulsion.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the level of organic solvent in the phase inversed resin emulsion is in the range of from about 20 pph to about 80 pph of the phase inversed resin emulsion.

5. The process of claim 2 , wherein any additional steps of the process for preparing the phase inversed resin emulsion prior to use of the phase inversed resin emulsion in the method for preparing particles do not substantially reduce the level of organic solvent in the phase inversed resin emulsion.

6. The process of claim 2 , further comprising cooling the phase inversed resin emulsion immediately after formation of the phase inversed resin emulsion, or further comprising diluting the phase inversed resin emulsion immediately after formation of the phase inversed resin emulsion and immediately cooling the diluted phase inversed resin emulsion.

7. The process of claim 2 , wherein the resin is a polyester resin or a combination of polyester resins.

8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the resin is an amorphous polyester resin, a crystalline polyester resin, or a combination thereof.

9. The process of claim 7 , wherein the resin is poly(propoxylated-ethoxylated bisphenol-co-terephthalate-dodecenylsuccinate-trimellitic anhydride), poly(propoxylated bisphenol-co-terephthlate-fumarate-dodecenylsuccinate), poly(1,6-hexylene-1,12-dodecanoate), or a combination thereof.

10. A process for preparing a toner comprising:
forming a mixture comprising (i) an optional wax, (ii) a colorant, and (iii) a phase inversed resin emulsion comprising a resin, water, and an organic solvent, wherein the process for preparing the phase inversed resin emulsion excludes subjecting the phrase inversed resin emulsion to an organic solvent removal technique, thereby retaining the organic solvent in the phase inversed resin emulsion;
aggregating particles in the mixture to a predetermined size;
optionally, adding a second phase inversed resin emulsion to the aggregated particles to form a shell thereover; and
coalescing the particles of the predetermined size to form the toner,
wherein the level of organic solvent in the coalesced particles, exclusive of external additives, is less than about 50 ppm of the coalesced particles.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the level of organic solvent in the phase inversed resin emulsion is at least 20 pph of the phase inversed resin emulsion.

12. The process of claim 10 , wherein the process for preparing each of the phase inversed resin emulsions utilized in the toner excludes subjecting each phase inversed resin emulsion to an organic solvent removal technique, thereby retaining each organic solvent in each phase inversed resin emulsion.

13. The process of claim 10 , wherein the process comprises adding the second phase inversed resin emulsion to the aggregated particles to form a shell thereover, wherein the second phase inversed resin emulsion is an organic solvent-stripped phase inversed resin emulsion.

14. The process of claim 10 , wherein the level of organic solvent in the toner is substantially the same as the level of organic solvent of a comparative toner prepared utilizing an organic solvent-stripped phase inversed resin emulsion in the step of forming the mixture.

15. The process of claim 10 , wherein the toner is characterized by an A-zone Q/D value, an A-zone Q/M value, a J-zone Q/D value, a J-zone Q/M value, an onset blocking temperature value, or a combination thereof which is substantially the same as the respective value of a comparative toner prepared utilizing an organic solvent-stripped phase inversed resin emulsion in the step of forming the mixture.

16. A process for preparing particles comprising:
employing a mixture to form particles wherein the mixture comprises (i) an optional wax, (ii) an optional colorant, and (iii) a phase inversed resin emulsion comprising a resin, water, and an organic solvent, wherein the process for preparing the phase inversed resin emulsion excludes subjecting the phrase inversed resin emulsion to an organic solvent removal technique, thereby retaining the organic solvent in the phase inversed resin emulsion;
aggregating the particles to a predetermined size; and
coalescing the particles of the predetermined size, wherein the mixture comprises at least three phase inversed resin emulsions, each phase inversed resin emulsion comprising a resin, water, and an organic solvent, wherein the phase inversed resin emulsion is one of the at least three phase inversed resin emulsions.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein a first phase inversed resin emulsion of the at least three phase inversed resin emulsions comprises a crystalline polyester resin, a second phase inversed resin emulsion of the at least three phase inversed resin emulsions comprises a first amorphous polyester resin, and a third phase inversed resin emulsion of the at least three phase inversed resin emulsions comprises a second amorphous polyester resin.

18. The process of claim 17 , wherein the crystalline polyester resin is poly(1,6-hexylene-1,12-dodecanoate), the first amorphous polyester resin is poly(propoxylated-ethoxylated bisphenol-co-terephthalate-dodecenylsuccinate-trimellitic anhydride), and the second amorphous polyester resin is poly(propoxylated bisphenol-co-terephthlate-fumarate-dodecenylsuccinate).

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Wang Yulin
• Qiu Shigang S
• Cheng Chieh-Min
• Brockman Kathryne S

Classifications

• G03G9/0804 Primary

  whereby the components are brought together in a liquid dispersing medium · CPC title

• G03G9/0802

  Preparation methods · CPC title

• C08J2367/06

  Unsaturated polyesters · CPC title

• C08J3/16

  by coagulating dispersions {(C08J3/122 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C08J3/09 Primary

  in organic liquids · CPC title