Thermally assisted transfer process

Abstract

A method is provided for non-electrostatically transferring dry toner particles which comprise a toner binder and have a particle size of less than 8 micrometers from the surface of an element to a receiver. The element comprises a conductive substrate and a surface layer which contains an electrically insulating polymeric binder resin matrix which comprises a block copolyester or copolycarbonate having a fluorinated polyether block and the receiver comprises a substrate having a coating of a thermoplastic addition polymer on a surface of the substrate in which the Tg of the polymer is less than approximately 10.degree. C. above the Tg of the toner binder. The method involves contacting the toner particles with the receiver which is heated to a temperature such that the temperature of the thermoplastic polymer coating on the receiver substrate during transfer is at least approximately 15.degree. C. above the Tg of the thermoplastic polymer whereby virtually all of the toner particles are transferred from the surface of the element to the thermoplastic polymer coating on the receiver substrate and the thermoplastic polymer coating is prevented from adhering to the element surface during transfer in the absence of a layer of a release agent on the thermoplastic polymer coating or the element. After transfer, the receiver is separated from the element while the temperature of the thermoplastic polymer coating is maintained above the Tg of the thermoplastic polymer. The method is particularly well suited for providing images having high resolution and low granularity from very small size toner particles.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.