APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FINE PARTICLE, METHOD FOR PRODUCING FINE PARTICLE, AND TONER OBTAINED BY THE METHOD

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method for producing fine particles in which discharged droplets are prevented from coalescing and thereby the fine particles have a narrow particle diameter distribution in a method for producing fine particles by a spray granulation method, and to provide a toner produced by using the apparatus or the method for producing fine particles.SOLUTION: The apparatus for producing fine particles includes: droplet discharge means that discharges a liquid containing a component for forming fine particles or a melt liquid of a component for forming fine particles to form droplets; droplet solidification means that solidifies the droplets to form fine particles; and air flow generating means 1 that carries the droplets discharged from the droplet discharge means to the droplet solidification means by a first air flow. The apparatus further includes air flow generating means 2 that imparts a second air flow to the droplets immediately after discharged by the droplet discharge means. The air flow generating means 2 generates the second air flow by supplying pressurized air through a slit; and the droplets are discharged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the first air flow.