Imaging processes

Abstract

The present disclosure provides processes for producing images with toner particles. In embodiments, toner particles of a certain diameter in size are applied to a substrate as an incomplete monolayer, and then fused to form an image that is a complete monolayer and possesses a thickness less than the diameter of the particles utilized to form the image.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A toner comprising low melt emulsion aggregation toner particles having a core and a shell, wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles comprise:
 a combination of amorphous polyester resins comprising a first amorphous polyester resin and second amorphous polyester resin, the first amorphous polyester resin comprising dodecenylsuccinic acid, the first and second amorphous polyester resins each having a number average molecular weight (M n ) of from about 2,000 to about 8,000, the combination of amorphous polyester resins having a melt viscosity of from about 10 to about 1,000,000 Pa*S at about 130° C;  
 a low molecular weight amorphous polyester resin which exhibits a glass transition temperature of from about 30° C. to about 120° C. and having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of from about 2,000 to about 8,000, the low molecular weight amorphous polyester resin comprises a combination of low molecular weight amorphous polyester resins, wherein the at least one of the amorphous polyester resin resins is present in an amount of from about 30% to about 45% by weight of the emulsion aggregation toner particles, and further wherein the combined amorphous polyester resins have a melt viscosity of from about 10 to about 1,000,000 Pa*S at about 130° C.; 
 a crystalline polyester resin which exhibits a melting temperature of from about 50° C. to about 90° C.; and 
 a pigment colorant present in an amount of from about 7% to about 40% by weight of the toner; 
 wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles have a volume average particle diameter of about 2 μm to about 7 μm; 
 further wherein the toner possesses a toner charge per mass ratio (Q/m) of from about −3 ρC μC/gram to about −90 ρC μC/gram. 
 
     
     
       2. The toner of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the amorphous polyester resin resins comprises the following a linear amorphous polyester having formula (I): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein m is from about 5 to about 1000. 
     
     
       3. The toner of  claim 1 , wherein the crystalline polyester resin is present in an amount of from 1% to about 15% by weight of the emulsion aggregation toner particles. 
     
     
       4. The toner of  claim 1 , wherein the crystalline polyester resin comprises the following formula a polyester having formula (II): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein b is from about 5 to about 2000;, and d is from about 5 to about 2000. 
     
     
       5. The toner of  claim 1 , wherein the colorant is a pigment is present in an amount of from about 10% to about 18% by weight of the toner. 
     
     
       6. The toner of  claim 1 , wherein the low melt emulsion aggregation toner particles are dry, and the dry emulsion aggregation toner particles, when dry, have a number average geometric standard deviation (GSDn) and/or volume average geometric standard deviation (GSDv) of from about 1.05 to about 1.55. 
     
     
       7. The toner of  claim 1 , wherein the low melt emulsion aggregation toner particles are dry, and the dry emulsion aggregation toner particles, when dry, have a glass transition temperature of from about 40° C. to about 65° C. 
     
     
       8. The toner of claim 1, wherein the colorant comprises a pigment, a dye, a mixture of pigment and dye, a mixture of pigments, or a mixture of dyes.  
     
     
       9. The toner of claim 1, wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles have a volume average particle diameter of from about 2 μm to about 5 μm.  
     
     
       10. The toner of claim 9, wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles have a volume average particle diameter of from about 3.5 μm to about 5 μm.  
     
     
       11. The toner of claim 1, wherein the combination of amorphous polyester resins has a glass transition temperature of from about 30° C. to about 80° C.  
     
     
       12. The toner of claim 1, wherein each amorphous polyester resin is present in an amount of from about 30% to about 45% by weight of the emulsion aggregation toner particles.  
     
     
       13. The toner of claim 1, wherein the first amorphous polyester resin has a weight average molecular weight (M w ) of from about 10,000 to about 30,000.  
     
     
       14. The toner of claim 13, wherein the first amorphous polyester resin has a molecular weight distribution (M w /M n ) of from about 2 to about 6.  
     
     
       15. The toner of claim 1, wherein the second amorphous polyester resin has a weight average molecular weight (M w ) of from about 55,000 to about 150,000.  
     
     
       16. The toner of claim 15, wherein the second amorphous polyester resin has a molecular weight distribution (M w /M n ) greater than about 4.  
     
     
       17. The toner of claim 1, wherein the first amorphous polyester resin has an acid value from about 9 mg KOH/g to about 16 mg KOH/g.  
     
     
       18. The toner of claim 1, wherein the second amorphous polyester resin has an acid value from about 9 mg KOH/g to about 16 mg KOH/g.  
     
     
       19. The toner of claim 1, wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles further comprise a wax present in an amount of from about 5% to about 20% by weight of the emulsion aggregation toner particles.  
     
     
       20. A toner comprising emulsion aggregation toner particles having a core and a shell, wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles comprise:
 a combination of amorphous polyester resins comprising a first amorphous polyester resin and a second amorphous polyester resin, the first amorphous polyester resin comprising trimellitic acid, the first and second amorphous polyester resins each having a number average molecular weight (M n ) of from about 2,000 to about 8,000, the combination of amorphous polyester resins having a melt viscosity of from about 10 to about 1,000,000 Pa*S at about 130° C. and a glass transition temperature of from about 30° C. to about 80° C.;
 wherein at least one of the first and second amorphous polyester resins is present in an amount of from about 30% to about 45% by weight of the emulsion aggregation toner particles; 
   a crystalline polyester resin which exhibits a melting temperature of from about 50° C. to about 90° C.;
 wherein the crystalline polyester resin is present in an amount of from 1% to about 15% by weight of the emulsion aggregation toner particles; and 
   a colorant present in an amount of from about 7% to about 40% by weight of the toner;
 wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles have a volume average particle diameter of about 4 μm to about 6 μm, and 
   wherein the toner possesses a toner charge per mass ratio (Q/m) of from about −3 μC/gram to about −90 μC/gram.    
     
     
       21. The toner of claim 20, wherein each amorphous polyester resin is present in an amount of from about 30% to about 45% by weight of the emulsion aggregation toner particles.  
     
     
       22. The toner of claim 20, wherein the colorant comprises a pigment, a dye, a mixture of pigment and dye, a mixture of pigments, or a mixture of dyes.  
     
     
       23. The toner of claim 20, wherein the colorant is a pigment present in an amount of from about 10% to about 18% by weight of the toner.  
     
     
       24. The toner of claim 20, wherein the first amorphous polyester resin has a weight average molecular weight (M w ) of from about 10,000 to about 30,000.  
     
     
       25. The toner of claim 24, wherein the first amorphous polyester resin has a molecular weight distribution (M w /M n ) of from about 2 to about 6.  
     
     
       26. The toner of claim 20, wherein the second amorphous polyester resin has a weight average molecular weight (M w ) of from about 55,000 to about 150,000.  
     
     
       27. The toner of claim 26, wherein the second amorphous polyester resin has a molecular weight distribution (M w /M n ) greater than about 4.  
     
     
       28. The toner of claim 20, wherein the first amorphous polyester resin has an acid value from about 9 mg KOH/g to about 16 mg KOH/g.  
     
     
       29. The toner of claim 20, wherein the second amorphous polyester resin has an acid value from about 9 mg KOH/g to about 16 mg KOH/g.  
     
     
       30. The toner of claim 20, wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles further comprise a wax present in an amount of from about 5% to about 20% by weight of the emulsion aggregation toner particles.  
     
     
       31. A toner comprising emulsion aggregation toner particles having a core and a shell, wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles comprise:
 a combination of amorphous polyester resins comprising a first amorphous polyester resin and a second amorphous polyester resin, the first amorphous polyester resin comprising dodecenylsuccinic acid, the second amorphous polyester resin comprising trimellitic acid, the first and second amorphous polyester resins each having a number average molecular weight (M n ) of from about 2,000 to about 8,000, the combination of amorphous polyester resins having a melt viscosity of from about 10 to about 1,000,000 Pa*S at about 130° C. and a glass transition temperature of from about 30° C. to about 80° C.;
 wherein the second amorphous polyester resins is present in an amount of from about 35% to about 45% by weight of the emulsion aggregation toner particles; 
   a crystalline polyester resin which exhibits a melting temperature of from about 50° C. to about 90° C.; and   a colorant present in an amount of from about 7% to about 40% by weight of the toner;
 wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles have a volume average particle diameter of about 2 μm to about 7 μm, and the toner possesses a toner charge per mass ratio (Q/m) of from about −3 μC/gram to about −90 μC/gram.  
   
     
     
       32. The toner of claim 31, wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles have a volume average particle diameter of from about 2 μm to about 5 μm.  
     
     
       33. The toner of claim 32, wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles have a volume average particle diameter of from about 3.5 μm to about 5 μm.  
     
     
       34. The toner of claim 31, wherein the crystalline polyester resin is present in an amount of from 1% to about 15% by weight of the emulsion aggregation toner particles.  
     
     
       35. The toner of claim 31, wherein each amorphous polyester resin is present in an amount of from about 35% to about 45% by weight of the emulsion aggregation toner particles.  
     
     
       36. The toner of claim 31, wherein the colorant is a pigment present in an amount of from about 10% to about 18% by weight of the toner.  
     
     
       37. The toner of claim 31, wherein the colorant comprises a pigment, a dye, a mixture of pigment and dye, a mixture of pigments, or a mixture of dyes.  
     
     
       38. The toner of claim 31, wherein the first amorphous polyester resin has a weight average molecular weight (M w ) of from about 10,000 to about 30,000.  
     
     
       39. The toner of claim 31, wherein the first amorphous polyester resin has a molecular weight distribution (M w /M n ) of from about 2 to about 6.  
     
     
       40. The toner of claim 31, wherein the second amorphous polyester resin has a molecular weight distribution (M w /M n ) greater than about 4.  
     
     
       41. The toner of claim 31, wherein the first amorphous polyester resin has an acid value from about 9 mg KOH/g to about 16 mg KOH/g.  
     
     
       42. The toner of claim 31, wherein the second amorphous polyester resin has an acid value from about 9 mg KOH/g to about 16 mg KOH/g.  
     
     
       43. The toner of claim 31, wherein the emulsion aggregation toner particles further comprise a wax present in an amount of from about 5% to about 20% by weight of the emulsion aggregation toner particles.