トナー濃度計測技術検討

抄録

Toner concentration (toner content) is one of the quantities tested to evaluate dual-component toner used for electrophotography. Measurement of toner concentration is extremely simple: water and an activating agent are used for wet separation of the toner and carrier, which are then dried, and the value is calculated from the difference between their dry weight. During the drying process, the water is replaced with methanol. Although only a small amount of methanol is used, because methanol is a dangerous and highly toxic substance, a study was made to find the most stable conditions for measurement without using methanol. In this study, the measurement conditions were optimized through use of an L18×L9 orthogonal array, resulting in the discovery of conditions for making the measurement with better accuracy than by present methods, without methanol replacement. Measurement without use of methanol also benefits the environment.