Resin particle, toner, and image forming method and process cartridge using the same

A toner obtained by dissolving and/or dispersing a toner material containing at least a binder resin and a colorant in an organic solvent to prepare a solution and/or dispersion liquid of the toner material;

• adding the solution and/or dispersion liquid of the toner material to an aqueous medium for emulsification and/or dispersion to prepare an emulsion and/or dispersion liquid;
• and removing the organic solvent from the emulsion and/or dispersion liquid,
• wherein a resin particle is added in the aqueous medium in the preparation of the emulsion and/or dispersion liquid or removal of the organic solvent from the emulsion and/or dispersion liquid, and
• wherein the resin particle has a volume average particle diameter of 10 nm to 500 nm and is obtained by polymerizing an addition polymerizable monomer comprising a silsesquioxane (a) represented by Formula (I) or by copolymerizing the silsesquioxane (a) with an addition polymerizable monomer (b),
• where R1 to R7 each independently represent a group selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 40 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, and substituted or unsubstituted arylalkyl;
• any hydrogen in the alkyl group is optionally substituted by fluorine and any —CH2— is optionally substituted by —O—, —CH═CH—, cycloalkylene or cycloalkenylene;
• any hydrogen in alkylene in the arylalkyl group is optionally substituted by fluorine and any —CH2— is optionally substituted by —O— or —CH═CH—;
• and A1 represents an addition polymerizable functional group.

A full-color image forming method comprising:

• charging a surface of an electrophotographic photoconductor by a charging unit;
• exposing the charged surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor by an exposing unit to form a latent electrostatic image on the electrophotographic photoconductor;
• developing the latent electrostatic image, which has been formed on the electrophotographic photoconductor, by a developing unit including therein a toner to form a toner image;
• primarily transferring the toner image, which has been formed on the electrophotographic photoconductor, onto an intermediate transfer member by a primary transfer unit;
• secondarily transferring the toner image, which has been transferred onto the intermediate transfer member, onto a recording medium by a secondary transfer unit;
• fixing the toner image, which has been transferred onto the recording medium, by action of heat and a fixing unit including a pressure fixing member;
• and
• removing, by cleaning unit, toner remaining untransferred and adhered onto the surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor, from which the toner image has been transferred onto the intermediate transfer member by the primary transfer unit,
• wherein the toner present in the development is obtained by dissolving and/or dispersing a toner material containing at least a binder resin and a colorant in an organic solvent to prepare a solution and/or dispersion liquid of the toner material;
• adding the solution and/or dispersion liquid of the toner material to an aqueous medium for emulsification and/or dispersion to prepare an emulsion and/or dispersion liquid;
• and removing the organic solvent from the emulsion and/or dispersion liquid,
• wherein a resin particle is added in the aqueous medium in the preparation of the emulsion and/or dispersion liquid or removal of the organic solvent from the emulsion and/or dispersion liquid, and
• wherein the resin particle has a volume average particle diameter of 10 nm to 500 nm and is obtained by polymerizing an addition polymerizable monomer comprising a silsesquioxane (a) represented by Formula (I) or by copolymerizing the silsesquioxane (a) with an addition polymerizable monomer (b),
• where R1 to R7 each independently represent a group selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 40 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, and substituted or unsubstituted arylalkyl;
• any hydrogen in the alkyl group is optionally substituted by fluorine and any —CH2— is optionally substituted by —O—, —CH═CH—, cycloalkylene or cycloalkenylene;
• any hydrogen in alkylene in the arylalkyl group is optionally substituted by fluorine and any —CH2— is optionally substituted by —O— or —CH═CH—;
• and A1 represents an addition polymerizable functional group.