Global Chemicals Japan

日本語| English

Kao Chemicals Global

Open

(Case study) Toner for copiers and printers

Kao’s low-temperature fixing toner contributes to reducing electricity consumption by fixing toner to paper at lower temperatures than those previously possible.

Powdered ink with particles 1/100th of a millimeter in size is used as toner in office copiers and laser printers. Toner is comprised of a resin called toner binder, which has colorants and lubricants dispersed throughout. By applying heat, the toner binder melts and affixes to the paper, forming the copy/print image.

Contributing to eco-printing in the office

More than half of the electric power used by copy machines is consumed in generating heat to melt the toner. To reduce the environmental impact of copiers and printers, it is important to develop toner binders that can be melted and fixed at lower temperatures. Kao’s crystalline polyester toner binder resin was developed to meet these requirements. Compared with conventional toners, Kao’s crystalline toner uses polyester binder resin that can melt at temperatures as lower as 30°C than the conventional styrene/acryl resin toners. This toner is highly effective in affixing to paper, and it enables both high-speed printing and energy conservation.
 
 Furthermore, by applying Kao’s surface chemistry technology, Kao designed a toner binder with a fundamental feature; it contains a polyester that can highly disperse important colorants and surface lubricants. In addition, by designing a toner with high chromogenic properties and durability, stable high-definition printing over long periods of
time was made possible. Thus, we are contributing to the reduction of environmental impact by developed low-temperature fixing toner with unprecedented high-performance and eco-friendly properties.

オフィスでのエコ印刷に貢献

Contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions through further lower-temperature fixing toner

As a countermeasure against global warming, the ability of copier/printer in handling energy conservation is an
important topic, and toner that can melt at lower temperatures is desirable. For this reason, Kao is working on to develop a new toner which melt and fix at even lower temperature by designing capsule structure with a low-temperature melting soft core covered by a durable thin shell. In addition, we are developing a system which reuses recycled plastics as raw materials for toner binders in order to take another step toward the reduction of CO2 emissions.
 
 From this point, Kao is focused on providing sustainable toner and toner binders that are friendly to individuals, society, and the environment.

Page Top