Toner aggregation processes

Abstract

A process for the preparation of toner compositions consisting essentially of (i) preparing a pigment dispersion, which dispersion is comprised of a pigment, an ionic surfactant, and optionally a charge control agent; (ii) shearing said pigment dispersion with a latex or emulsion blend comprised of resin, a counterionic surfactant with a charge polarity of opposite sign to that of said ionic surfactant, and a nonionic surfactant; (iii) heating the above sheared blend below about the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the resin to form electrostatically bound toner size aggregates with a narrow particle size distribution; (iv) subsequently adding further anionic or nonionic surfactant solution to minimize further growth in the coalescence (v); and (v) heating said bound aggregates above about the Tg of the resin and wherein said heating is from a temperature of about 103.degree. to about 120.degree. C., and wherein said toner compositions are spherical in shape.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.