Thermally assisted method of transferring small electrostatographic toner particles to a thermoplastic bearing receiver.

摘要

The invention provides a method of non-electrostatically transferring dry toner particles which comprise a toner binder and which have a particle size of less than 8 micrometers from the surface of an element to a receiver which comprises a substrate having a coating of a thermoplastic polymer on a surface of the substrate characterized in (A) contacting the toner particles on the surface of an element which has a surface layer which comprises a film-forming, electrically insulating polyester or polycarbonate thermoplastic polymeric resin matrix and a surface energy of not greater than 47 dynes/cm, preferably from 40 to 45 dynes/cm, with said thermoplastic polymer coating on the receiver wherein the thermoplastic polymer is a thermoplastic condensation polymer having a Tg which is less than 10 DEG C above the Tg of the toner binder and the surface energy of the thermoplastic polymer coating is 38 to 43 dynes/cm. (B) heating the receiver to a temperature such that the temperature of the thermoplastic polymer coating on the receiver during the transferring is at least 5 DEG C above the Tg of the thermoplastic polymer; and (C) separating the receiver from the element at a temperature above the Tg of the thermoplastic polymer, whereby virtually all of the toner particles are transferred from the surface of the element to the thermoplastic polymer coating on the receiver in the sence of a layer or a coating of a release agent on the thermoplastic polymer coating or on the element. The method is particularly well suited for providing image having high resolution and low ganularity from very small size toner particles.