Toner, image forming method and process-cartridge

A process-cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus for forming an image by developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an image-bearing member,

• wherein said process-cartridge includes at least one means selected from the group consisting of (i) a photosensitive member, (ii) a vessel containing a toner, and (iii) a developing means for developing an electrostatic latent image carried on the photosensitive member with a toner to form a toner image on the photosensitive member, the members (i), (ii) and (iii) being integrally supported with each other;
• and
• the toner comprises at least a binder resin, a colorant, a charge control agent and a wax, wherein
• (a) the binder resin comprises a hybrid resin component having a polyester unit and a vinyl polymer unit,
• (b) the toner exhibits a loss tangent (tan δ) of 1.0 at a temperature in a range of 80-160° C.,
• (c) the toner provides a DSC curve showing a heat-absorption peak in a temperature range of 85-130° C. on temperature increase as measured according to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC),
• (d) the toner exhibits a ratio (Mw/Mn) of 40-100 between a between a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) and a number-average molecular weight (Mn), and
• (e) the toner has an acid value of 5-25 mgKOH/g.

An image forming method, comprising:

• (a) a developing step of developing an electrostatic image carried on an image-bearing member with a toner to form a toner image;
• (b) a transfer step of transferring the toner image on the image-bearing member onto a recording material via or without via an intermediate transfer member;
• and
• (c) a fixing step of heat-fixing the toner image onto the recording material;
• wherein the toner comprises at least a binder resin, a colorant, a charge control agent and a wax, wherein
• (a) the binder resin comprises a hybrid resin component having a polyester unit and a vinyl polymer unit,
• (b) the toner exhibits a loss tangent (tan δ) of 1.0 at a temperature in a range of 80-160° C.,
• (c) the toner provides a DSC curve showing a heat-absorption peak in a temperature range of 85-130° C. on temperature increase as measured according to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC),
• (d) the toner exhibits a ratio (Mw/Mn) of 40-100 between a between a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) and a number-average molecular weight (Mn), and
• (e) the toner has an acid value of 5-25 mgKOH/g.