Toner, developer, image forming apparatus, process cartridge and image forming process

A two-component developer for developing a latent electrostatic image comprising:

• a toner, and
• a carrier,
• wherein the toner comprises a binder resin, a colorant and a wax,
• wherein the amount of the wax in terms of the mass of the wax which is converted from an endotherm of the wax which is measured according to the DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) method is 3% by mass to 21% by mass, based on the total mass of the toner;
• the ratio (P2850/P828) of the strength of the peak (at 2850 cm−1) ascribed to the wax to the strength of the peak (at 828 cm−1) ascribed to the binder resin is in the range of from 0.01 to 0.40, wherein the ratio between the two peak strengths which is measured according to the FTIR-ATR (Fourier Transform Infrared Attenuated Total Reflectance Spectroscopy) is the value defining the amount of the wax which is present in the portion of the toner particle which is in the range of from the outermost surface to the depth of 0.3 μm in the toner particle;
• and at least a part of the wax is present as plural individual wax dispersion particles involved in the toner particle.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a photoconductor,
• a charging unit configured to charge the photoconductor,
• an exposing unit configured to expose the photoconductor for forming a latent electrostatic image,
• a developing unit configured to develop the latent electrostatic image using a toner for forming a toner image, which is supplied with the toner,
• a transferring unit configured to transfer the toner image carried on the photoconductor to a recording medium, and
• a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image carried on the recording medium,
• wherein the toner is a toner comprising a binder resin, a colorant and a wax, wherein the amount of the wax in terms of the mass of the wax which is converted from an endotherm of the wax which is measured according to the DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) method is 3% by mass to 21% by mass, based on the total mass of the toner;
• the ratio (P2850/P828) of the strength of the peak (at 2850 cm−1) ascribed to the wax to the strength of the peak (at 828 cm−1) ascribed to the binder resin is in the range of from 0.01 to 0.40, wherein the ratio between the two peak strengths which is measured according to the FTIR-ATR (Fourier Transform Infrared Attenuated Total Reflectance Spectroscopy) is the value defining the amount of the wax which is present in the portion of the toner particle which is in the range of from the outermost surface to the depth of 0.3 μm in the toner particle;
• and at least a part of the wax is present as plural individual wax dispersion particles involved in the toner particle.

A process cartridge comprising:

• a photoconductor, and
• at least one unit selected from the group consisting of:
• a charging unit configured to charge the photoconductor,
• a developing unit configured to develop a latent electrostatic image using a toner for forming a toner image, which is supplied with the toner, and
• a cleaning unit configured to clean the toner remained on the photoconductor by using a blade after transferring the toner image,
• wherein the process cartridge is an integrated unit of the photoconductor and at least one unit selected from the group consisting of the charging unit, the developing unit and the cleaning unit and is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus in an attachable and detachable manner;
• and the toner comprises a binder resin, a colorant and a wax, wherein the amount of the wax in terms of the mass of the wax which is converted from an endotherm of the wax which is measured according to the DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) method is 3% by mass to 21% by mass, based on the total mass of the toner;
• the ratio (P2850/P828) of the strength of the peak (at 2850 cm−1) ascribed to the wax to the strength of the peak (at 828 cm−1) ascribed to the binder resin is in the range of from 0.01 to 0.40, wherein the ratio between the two peak strengths which is measured according to the FTIR-ATR (Fourier Transform Infrared Attenuated Total Reflectance Spectroscopy) is the value defining the amount of the wax which is present in the portion of the toner particle which is in the range of from the outermost surface to the depth of 0.3 μm in the toner particle;
• and at least a part of the wax is present as plural individual wax dispersion particles involved in the toner particle.

An image forming process comprising:

• charging a photoconductor,
• exposing the photoconductor for forming a latent electrostatic image,
• developing the latent electrostatic image using a toner for forming a toner image,
• transferring the toner image carried on the photoconductor to a recording medium, and
• fixing the toner image carried on the recording medium,
• wherein the toner comprises a binder resin, a colorant and a wax,
• wherein the amount of the wax in terms of the mass of the wax which is converted from an endotherm of the wax which is measured according to the DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) method is 3% by mass to 21% by mass, based on the total mass of the toner;
• the ratio (P2850/P828) of the strength of the peak (at 2850 cm−1) ascribed to the wax to the strength of the peak (at 828 cm−1) ascribed to the binder resin is in the range of from 0.01 to 0.40, wherein the ratio between the two peak strengths which is measured according to the FTIR-ATR (Fourier Transform Infrared Attenuated Total Reflectance Spectroscopy) is the value defining the amount of the wax which is present in the portion of the toner particle which is in the range of from the outermost surface to the depth of 0.3 μm in the toner particle;
• and at least a part of the wax is present as plural individual wax dispersion particles involved in the toner particle.