Abstract: Provided are an electrophotographic toner and a method for producing the electrophotographic toner that satisfy high image quality, cleaning stability, and high productivity. The electrophotographic toner is produced by spray-drying a toner ingredient-containing liquid, wherein the toner ingredient-containing liquid dissolves or disperses at least a resin, a low molecular mass organic material, and a colorant in an organic solvent, the resin is soluble in the organic solvent, the low molecular mass organic material is a crystalline compound or a composition of crystalline compounds that is soluble in the organic solvent, the toner ingredient-containing liquid contains substantially no particles having a particle diameter of 500 nm or more, the crystalline compound or the composition of crystalline compounds crystallizes upon spray-drying to deform toner particles into a circularity of 0.93 or higher to 0.98 or less, and volume average particle diameter of the toner particles is 3.

Abstract: A method of preparing a toner, including periodically dripping and discharging droplets of a toner constituent liquid comprising a resin and a colorant with a dripper comprising a thin film comprising plural nozzles configured to discharge the droplets, and an electromechanical converter configured to oscillate the thin film; and solidifying the droplets to form toner particles, wherein the nozzle has an aperture discharging the droplet, having a circular or an ellipsoidal cross-sectional shape and cross-sectional area smaller than a cross-sectional area of another aperture contacting the toner constituent liquid.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a toner, including periodically forming liquid droplets of a toner constituent liquid comprising a resin and a colorant by vibrating a thin film having a plurality of holes provided on a retention part thereof to discharge the liquid droplets of the toner constituent liquid from the plurality of holes and forming toner particles by solidifying the liquid droplets discharged from the plurality of holes. In periodically forming the liquid droplets of the toner constituent liquid, a flow of gas in a direction of discharge of the liquid droplets is formed by a gas flow generation unit provided downstream from the thin film relative to the direction of discharge of the liquid droplets, including a tapered part forming an aperture corresponding to a hole formation area of the thin film.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member; a charger; a light irradiator; a developing device; a transfer device; an imagebearingmember's cleaner; and a fixing device, wherein the fixing device includes a fixing member configured to fix a toner image upon application of heat and pressure thereto; a pressing member configured to press the recording material toward the fixing member; and a cleaning member configured to clean a surface of the fixing member and/or the pressing member, wherein the cleaning member has an outermost layer including a reactive material which increases viscoelasticity of a binder resin of the toner by reacting with the binder resin.

Abstract: A method of preparing a toner, including periodically dripping and discharging a droplet of a toner constituent liquid including a resin and a colorant; and solidifying and granulating the droplet, wherein the dripper includes a thin film including plural nozzles; and an oscillator including an oscillation generator generating an oscillation; and an oscillation amplifier, including an oscillation surface facing the thin film in parallel therewith, amplifying the oscillation, and wherein the toner constituent liquid is fed between the thin film and the oscillation surface.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing toner includes steps of supplying, periodically dispensing, and solidifying. The supply step supplies a liquid to be atomized, which includes at least a resin and a colorant. The periodic dispensation step periodically dispenses droplets of the liquid through an atomizing unit. The solidification step solidifies the dispensed droplets into toner particles. The atomizing unit includes a thin film, a vibration actuator, and multiple holes. The thin film has a relatively stiff portion and a relatively elastic portion, and is configured to contact the liquid. The vibration actuator is connected to and supports a periphery of the thin film, and is configured to induce vibration of the thin film. The multiple holes are formed in the relatively stiff portion, and are configured to discharge droplets therethrough when the thin film vibrates.

Abstract: A toner including a binder resin, a colorant, and a silicon-containing polymer, which is manufactured by a method including: discharging a toner constituent liquid including toner constituents including the binder resin, the colorant, and the silicon-containing polymer, from at least one discharge opening to form liquid droplets thereof; and converting the liquid droplets into solid toner particles in a granulation space.

Abstract: A method for preparing a functional particulate organic material, including providing a suspension of a particulate organic material having an acid group on a surface thereof; reacting a metal cation with tri- or more-valence with the acid group; and reacting at least one of an organic acid and an organic acid salt with the metal cation. A toner prepared by the method mentioned above. An image forming method including developing a latent image with the toner; transferring the toner image on a receiving material optionally via an intermediate transfer medium, and fixing the toner image on the receiving material. A process cartridge including a developer container containing a developer including the toner mentioned above, and at least one of an image bearing member; a charger; a developing device; and a cleaner.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a toner, including: dissolving or dispersing toner constituents including a resin, a colorant, a release agent, and a graft polymer including a polyolefin resin unit and a vinyl resin unit in a solvent, to prepare a toner constituent liquid; supplying the toner constituent liquid to a retention part configured to retain the toner constituent liquid; discharging the toner constituent liquid from the retention part to a granulation space through plural holes arranged on the retention part, while exciting the toner constituent liquid by a vibration means in contact with a part of the retention part, so that the discharged columnar toner constituent liquid is constricted to form liquid droplets; and converting the liquid droplets into solid toner particles; together with a toner manufactured by the above method.

Abstract: A method for preparing a toner including toner particles, including granulating a toner constituent mixture to prepare toner constituent particles having a polar group with a first polarity on a surface thereof; and mixing a surfactant having a second polarity different from the first polarity and a particulate material with the toner constituent particles to prepare the toner particles. A toner prepared by the method mentioned above. An image forming method including developing a latent image with the toner; transferring the toner image on a receiving material optionally via an intermediate transfer medium, and fixing the toner image on the receiving material. A process cartridge including a developer container containing a developer including the toner mentioned above, and at least one of an image bearing member; a charger; a developing device; and a cleaner.

Abstract: A toner, a method of and an apparatus for preparing a permanently-charged electret toner, including discharging a solution or dispersion including a resin and a colorant through a nozzle vibrating at a constant frequency to form a droplet; applying a direct potential to an electrode facing the nozzle to positively or negatively charge the droplet by an induction phenomenon to form a charged droplet; and drying and solidifying the charged droplet to be permanently charged.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a toner which includes ejecting a toner composition fluid containing a toner composition which contains a toner and a colorant, from a nozzle vibrated at a constant frequency to make the toner composition fluid into droplets, and solidifying the droplets to be made into particles, in which the toner composition fluid comprises a toner composition, and the toner composition contains a resin, and a colorant.

Abstract: A method of preparing a toner in an aqueous medium, including: preparing a dispersion or an emulsion of a toner composition comprising a resin including a carboxyl group and a colorant; and mixing an aromatic compound having a carboxyl group with the dispersion or emulsion, such that the carboxyl group on a surface of the toner is connected with the carboxyl group of the aromatic compound by hydrogen bonding.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member; a charger; a light irradiator; a developing device; a transfer device; an imagebearingmember's cleaner; anda fixing device, wherein the fixing device includes a fixing member configured to fix a toner image upon application of heat and pressure thereto; a pressing member configured to press the recording material toward the fixing member; and a cleaning member configured to clean a surface of the fixing member and/or the pressing member, wherein the cleaning member has an outermost layer including a reactive material which increases viscoelasticity of a binder resin of the toner by reacting with the binder resin.

Abstract: An image forming method including forming an electrostatic latent image on an image bearing member; developing the electrostatic latent image with a developer including a toner to prepare a toner image on the image bearing member; transferring the toner image onto a receiving material; and cleaning the surface of the image bearing member with a cleaning blade; wherein a surface of the image bearing member has a friction coefficient of from 0.10 to 0.40, and wherein the toner has an average circularity of from 0.97 to 1.00 and includes toner particles and a particulate material having an average particle diameter of from 0.03 to 1 ?m, wherein the particulate material is externally added to the toner particles by a wet method.

Abstract: A method for preparing a toner including toner particles, including granulating a toner constituent mixture to prepare toner constituent particles having a polar group with a first polarity on a surface thereof; and mixing a surfactant having a second polarity different from the first polarity and a particulate material with the toner constituent particles to prepare the toner particles. A toner prepared by the method mentioned above. An image forming method including developing a latent image with the toner; transferring the toner image on a receiving material optionally via an intermediate transfer medium, and fixing the toner image on the receiving material. A process cartridge including a developer container containing a developer including the toner mentioned above, and at least one of an image bearing member; a charger; a developing device; and a cleaner.

Abstract: A method for preparing a functional particulate organic material, including providing a suspension of a particulate organic material having an acid group on a surface thereof; reacting a metal cation with tri- or more-valence with the acid group; and reacting at least one of an organic acid and an organic acid salt with the metal cation. A toner prepared by the method mentioned above. An image forming method including developing a latent image with the toner; transferring the toner image on a receiving material optionally via an intermediate transfer medium, and fixing the toner image on the receiving material. A process cartridge including a developer container containing a developer including the toner mentioned above, and at least one of an image bearing member; a charger; a developing device; and a cleaner.