Abstract: To provide a method capable of easily and efficiently removing a 2-alkoxyethanol from a mixture containing the 2-alkoxyethanol and a (2-alkoxyethyl) vinyl ether while suppressing a decrease in the yield of (2-alkoxyethyl) vinyl ether. A method for removing a 2-alkoxyethanol, including the step of adding one or more azeotropic solvents selected from the group consisting of alkanes having 7 to 8 carbon atoms and cycloalkanes having 7 to 8 carbon atoms to a mixture containing the 2-alkoxyethanol represented by the following formula (1) R—O—CH2CH2OH??(1) where R represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and a (2-alkoxyethyl) vinyl ether represented by the following formula (2) R—O—CH2CH2O—CH?CH2??(2) where R has the same meaning as R in the formula (1), and subjecting the resulting mixture to azeotropic distillation.

Abstract: To provide a method capable of easily and efficiently removing a 2-alkoxyethanol from a mixture containing the 2-alkoxyethanol and a (2-alkoxyethyl) vinyl ether while suppressing a decrease in the yield of (2-alkoxyethyl) vinyl ether. A method for removing a 2-alkoxyethanol, including the step of adding one or more azeotropic solvents selected from the group consisting of alkanes having 7 to 8 carbon atoms and cycloalkanes having 7 to 8 carbon atoms to a mixture containing the 2-alkoxyethanol represented by the following formula (1) R—O—CH2CH2OH??(1) where R represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and a (2-alkoxyethyl) vinyl ether represented by the following formula (2) R—O—CH2CH2O—CH?CH2??(2) where R has the same meaning as R in the formula (1), and subjecting the resulting mixture to azeotropic distillation.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for producing silica gel-immobilized phosphonium salt catalysts including the steps of (a) reacting a silane compound with a silica gel in the presence of xylene, to obtain a catalyst precursor having a haloalkyl group or a haloaryl group, wherein the silane compound has a haloalkyl group or a haloaryl group, and a proportion of the silane compound is from 0.001 to 0.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for easily and inexpensively producing a heterogeneous catalyst used to synthesize a cyclic carbonate by reacting an epoxide with carbon dioxide and having excellent catalyst activity; a catalyst obtained using said manufacturing method; and a method for synthesizing a cyclic carbonate using said catalyst. A method for producing a catalyst that is used for the purpose of synthesizing a cyclic carbonate by subjecting to a reaction an epoxide with carbon dioxide, said method comprising the following steps (a) and (b): (a) a step of obtaining a catalyst precursor having a haloalkyl group or a haloaryl group by reacting a silane compound with a silica gel in the presence of xylene, the silane compound having a haloalkyl group or a haloaryl group and (b) a step of obtaining a catalyst for synthesizing a cyclic carbonate by reacting the catalyst precursor obtained in step (a) with a tertiary phosphine.

Abstract: A toner image fixing method reduces energy consumed in a fixing step in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. A photopolymerization composition is coated on an unfixed toner image formed on a recording medium. Then, the photopolymerization composition is irradiated with light, which does not have an emission wavelength band in a far infrared range and which has a maximum emission wavelength of 360 nm or longer to 420 nm or shorter, by using an LED, whereby the photopolymerization composition is cured and the unfixed toner image is fixed to the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a rotatable developing member having a plurality of developing devices for developing an image bearing member at a first developing station, and a second single developing device arranged upstream of the rotatable developing member for developing the image bearing member exclusively at a second developing station different from the first developing station. The second developing device has a cover portion covering the rotatable developing member, and a portion of the cover portion is disposed at a position spaced apart from a rotation axis of the rotatable developing member by a predetermined length in a horizontal direction away from the image bearing member. The rotatable developing member rotates in an opposite direction with respect to the direction of rotation of the image bearing member to prevent toner from scattering toward the optical system.

Abstract: A heat fixable toner comprises a binder resin and a release agent. The binder resin comprises a polyester resin, and the release agent comprises a graft-modified polyolefin. A recording medium containing a toner image of said heat fixable toner is heat-fixed by contacting the recording medium with a heater element through a film interposed therebetween. After the heat-fixing step, the film is peeled from the fixed toner image while the film surface temperature is higher than the endothermic peak temperature of the toner.

Abstract: A developer is carried on a developer-carrying member and conveyed to a developing region to be used for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrostatic latent image-bearing member. The developer includes a non-magnetic toner, and the toner includes toner particles containing 5-30 wt. % of a low-softening compound and having a shape factor SF-1 of 100-130. The developer-carrying member has a developer-carrying surface satisfying the conditions of:0.2 .mu.m.ltoreq.Ra.ltoreq.5.0 .mu.m,10 .mu.m.ltoreq.Sm.ltoreq.80 .mu.m,and0.05 .ltoreq.Ra/Sm.ltoreq.0.5,wherein Ra denotes a center line-average roughness, and Sm denotes an average spacing between unevennesses. The toner shows good fixability and fluidity and is yet uniformly applied and conveyed to be used for developing because of the appropriate surface roughness of the developer-carrying member. The developed toner image can be transferred at a high transfer ratio.

Abstract: An image forming method, comprising the steps of forming an electrostatic image on a electrostatic image-bearing member, developing the electrostatic image with toner particles having a first shape factor (SF-1) of 100-150 and containing a low-softening point substance to form a toner image on the electrostatic image-bearing member, transferring the toner image on the electrostatic image-bearing member to an intermediate transfer member which has been voltage-applied, transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer member to a transfer-receiving material by a transfer means which has been voltage-applied, and heat-fixing the toner image on the transfer-receiving material. The toner particles may preferably have a second shape factor (SF-2) of 100-140. The total of SF-1 and SF-2 may preferably at most 275, particularly at most 240, for improving transfer efficiency of the toner particles. The low-softening point substance may preferably be an ester wax having a long-chain (e.g., .gtoreq.C.sub.

Abstract: This invention relates to a color image forming apparatus for forming a color image with dry developer, capable of preventing deterioration of image quality, resulting from contamination of optical components by the non-magnetic developer scattered from the developing unit. For this purpose there are provided, along the moving direction of an image bearing member effecting endless movement, charging means, optical means, first developing means utilizing developer containing a magnetic component, second developing means utilizing non-magnetic developer of a color different from that of the developer of the first developing means, and transfer means maintained in contact with or close to the image bearing member for transferring a developed image from the image bearing member to a recording material such as paper. A space containing the second developing means is enclosed by the shape of the first developing means, transfer means and image bearing member.

Abstract: A heat fixable toner comprises a binder resin and a release agent. The binder resin comprises a polyester resin, and the release agent comprises a graft-modified polyolefin.

Abstract: A microcapsule toner is produced through the steps of: passing resinous base particles (A1) comprising at least a binder resin and modifier particles (B) having a particle size ratio of 0.2 or less with respect to the base particles (A1) through an impact zone having a minimum clearance of 0.5-5 mm between a rotating member and a fixed member or between at least two rotating members at an ambient temperature of 10.degree.-90.degree. C. thereby to fix the modifier particles (B) onto the surfaces of the base particles (A1) under the action of a mechanical impact force to form particles (A2), the modifier particles (B) being particles selected from the group consisting of charge-controlling particles releasing particles, colored particles, charge-suppressing particles and abrasive particles; and passing the particles (A2) and shell-forming resin particles (C) having a particle size ratio of 0.2 or less with respect to the particles (A2) through an impact zone having a minimum clearance of 0.

Abstract: A method of heat fixing a toner image comprises heat fixing a toner image on a recording material with a heating member fixed and supported and a pressurizing member which is opposed to, in pressure contact with said heating member and adapted to bring said recording material into pressure contact with said heat member through a film, wherein said toner image is formed of a toner, said toner comprises a binder resin and a colorant, said binder resin has a melt viscosity of 0.1 to 10.sup.7 centipoise at 140.degree. C. and the gradient (.theta.) of the straight line represented by the following formula comprising the reciprocal number (1/T) of the absolute temperature when the toner is melted by heating with the heating member and the logarithm (log .eta.) of the melt viscosity of the binder resin at this time is 10.sup.2 to 3.times.10.sup.3 :log .eta.=.theta..multidot.

Abstract: An encapsulated toner for electrophotography is produced through a process, comprising: preparing a solution of a shell material resin set to an acidic (or basic) pH region; dispersing solid core particles in the solution to form a dispersion; changing the pH of the dispersion to a pH region, which is preferably a basic (or acidic) pH region, where the shell material resin is precipitated from the dispersion; and coating the solid core particles with the precipitated shell material resin. The shell material is preferably a proton-attracting basic (or dissociative acidic) vinyl-type copolymer and is dissolved in a pH-adjusted aqueous medium comprising water and a polar solvent, such as a lower alcohol. Thus, an encapsulated toner with excellent triboelectric chargeability and environmental characteristic is prepared without coalescence of capsules or formation of free shells.

Abstract: A mixture of a colorant, and a binder compound having an aliphatic hydrocarbon long chain and having a relatively low melt viscosity, is kneaded in a molten state in the presence of solid media such as balls or beads to form a uniform mixture in which the colorant particles or aggregates have been disintegrated to a size of 5 .mu. or below. Solid particles which may be used as a toner are formed from the uniform mixture and may be encapsulated, as desired, to provide a capsule toner.

Abstract: An encapsulated toner is provided by coating core particles with an outer shell. The outer shell comprises, as predominant components thereof, vinyl polymers A and B of different molecular weights. More specifically, the ratio of the number-average molecular weight of the vinyl polymer A (Mn.sub.A) to that of the vinyl polymer B (Mn.sub.B) is in the range of 2 to 15. The vinyl polymers A and B respectively have a ratio of weight-average molecular weight to number-average molecular weight of 5 or less. Because of these specific molecular weight characteristics of the shell-constituting polymers, the durability and triboelectric charging characteristics of the encapsulated toner are improved. These effects are enhanced particularly when inorganic fine particles are attached to embedded in the surface or surface layer of the core particles.

Abstract: An encapsulated toner for development of electrical latent images comprises a core particle containing a colorant and a soft solid material, inorganic fine particles attached to the vicinity of the surface of the core particle, and a shell coating the core particle and the inorganic fine particles. The inorganic fine particles function to, e.g., reinforce the encapsulated toner with a thin shell and may be attached to the core particles through dry-mixing. The core particles with the attached inorganic particles may be coated with a shell resin through phase separation.

Abstract: A developing method, which comprises arranging a latent image-bearing member which bears a latent image on the surface and a toner-carrying member which carries an insulating non-magnetic toner at the developing section with a certain gap provided therebetween, coating the toner-carrying member with the insulating non-magnetic toner, conveying the resultant coated layer to the developing section while regulating the thickness thinner than said gap and developing the latent image on the latent image-bearing member under the application of an alternate electric field on the toner. Since the toner has a form of a microcapsule comprising a soft core material and a hard shell material and also contains a colorant in addition to the core material, adequate discharging can be effected during triboelectric charging to give an image with a constant density through stably charged state.

Abstract: A pressure-fixable toner comprising a combination of a compound A having a hydrocarbon chain and a compound B having an amino group in addition to a hydrocarbon chain is excellent in dispersibility of colorant, pressure fixing characteristic and developing characteristic. Further, an encapsulated pressure-fixable toner comprising a core of the pressure-fixable toner particles and a shell encapsulating the core is also excellent in these properties.

Abstract: A core material comprising a binder mixture of a long chain organic compound and an ester of a higher alcohol and a higher carboxylic acid is encapsulated with a thin shell material to give an encapsulated toner. The encapsulated toner has a uniform structure and a narrow particle size distribution and is excellent in developing and fixation characteristics, when used in electrophotography, etc.