# US 9,751,976 B2 · Toner binder and toner

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 9,751,976 B2
- Document ID: US9751976B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/906,756
- Filed: 2014-07-22
- Published: 2016-06-09
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2013-07-23
- Assignees: Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd.
- Applicants: Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd.
- Inventors: Takashi Ono; Kazuki Sugiyama; Takaaki Bando; Yasuaki Ota; Takahiro Tanaka; Taiji Yamashita; Kakuhiro Kawaguchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751976B2

## CPC

- C08G 63/46: Polyesters chemically modified by esterification (C08G63/20 takes precedence; by after-treatment C08G63/91)
- C08G 63/668: derived from polycarboxylic acids and polyhydroxy compounds
- G03G 9/08755: {Polyesters}
- G03G 9/08795: {characterised by their chemical properties, e.g. acidity, molecular weight, sensitivity to reactants}
- G03G 9/08797: {characterised by their physical properties, e.g. viscosity, solubility, melting temperature, softening temperature, glass transition temperature}
- C08G: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

A toner binder comprising a polyester, the end of which is partially esterified with a monocarboxylic acid and/or a monohydric alcohol, the polyhydric alcohol component of which comprises a C3 alkylene glycol (a21) and an aromatic-ring-bearing diol (a22) at an (a21)/(a22) molar ratio of 5/95 to 70/30, and which has an ester group concentration of 16 to 30 wt % and satisfies a specific relationship between the ester group concentration and the hydroxy value. The toner binder combines low-temperature fixability and storage stability under high-temperature conditions or heat-temperature and -humidity conditions, and exhibits excellent durability.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A toner binder comprising a polyester resin (A) having, as constitutional units, a polycarboxylic acid (a1) as a polycarboxylic acid component and a polyhydric alcohol (a2) as a polyhydric alcohol component and being esterified with a monocarboxylic acid (a3) and/or a monohydric alcohol (a4) at a part of the terminals thereof, wherein the ester group concentration of (A) based on the weight of (A) is 16 to 30% by weight, the polyhydric alcohol (a2) comprises an alkylene glycol (a21) having three carbon atoms and a diol (a22) having an aromatic ring, the molar ratio of (a21) to (a22) is (a21)/(a22)=5/95 to 70/30, and (A) fulfills the following condition 1:
229×(ECON)+90×(OHV)≦12,000 [Condition 1]
wherein (ECON) denotes a value representing the ester group concentration of (A) expressed by the unit of % by weight, and (OHV) denotes a value representing the hydroxy value of (A) expressed by the unit of mgKOH/g.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The toner binder according to claim 1, wherein the polyester resin (A) is a polyester resin esterified at a part of the terminals thereof with the monocarboxylic acid (a3) and the monocarboxylic acid (a3) is an aromatic monocarboxylic acid (a31).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The toner binder according to claim 1, wherein the acid value of the polyester resin (A) is 40 mgKOH/g or less, and the amount of water in (A) after storing (A) under conditions of 40° C. and a relative humidity of 80% for 20 hours is 12,000 ppm or less based on the weight of (A).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The toner binder according to claim 1, wherein the absolute value of the difference between a ½ falling temperature (T1) and a ½ falling temperature (T0) is 8° C. or less as measured with a flow tester at a temperature ramp-up rate of 6° C./min and a load of 1.96 MPa, wherein the ½ falling temperature (T1) is a temperature at which half of a measurement sample of the polyester resin (A) flows out during extrusion of 1 g of the measured resin (A) through a nozzle having a diameter of 1 mm and a length of 1 mm after subjecting the (A) to storage under conditions of 40° C. and a relative humidity of 80% for 20 hours, and the ½ falling temperature (T0) is a temperature measured for (A) before the storage under conditions of 40° C. and a relative humidity of 80% for 20 hours.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The toner binder according to claim 1, wherein the diol (a22) having an aromatic ring is an alkylene oxide adduct of bisphenol A.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The toner binder according to claim 2, wherein the aromatic monocarboxylic acid (a31) is benzoic acid.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The toner binder according to claim 1, wherein the glass transition temperature of the polyester resin (A) is 40 to 80° C.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The toner binder according to claim 1, wherein the hydroxy value of the polyester resin (A) is 30 mgKOH/g or less.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The toner binder according to claim 1, wherein the number average molecular weight of the polyester resin (A) is 500 to 4000.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A toner comprising the toner binder according to claim 1, a colorant, and a mold release agent.