Toner is a powder mixture used in laser printers and photocopiers to form the printed text and images on paper. It is essentially made of finely ground plastic and other specially formulated ingredients. Some of the common ingredients found in toner include:
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Plastic: Toner is mostly granulated plastic, which is melted onto the paper for crisp, smudge-proof images. The specific polymer used varies by manufacturer but can be a styrene acrylate copolymer, a polyester resin, a styrene butadiene copolymer, or a few other special polymers.
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Charge control agents: These are added to help maintain the charge of the particles. Ground iron, chromium, and zinc are some examples of charge control agents.
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Silica: This ingredient keeps the toner particles loose and free-flowing inside the cartridge. Fumed silica increases the flow capacity of solids within the toner cartridge, preventing clumping and improving the printing processs speed.
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Other additives: Depending on the manufacturer and the type of toner, other ingredients may be added to improve speed and image quality. For example, toners may contain minerals for triboelectrification, plant-derived plastic as an alternative to petroleum plastic, and essential oils.
Its worth noting that the ingredients in toner formulations can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and even from machine to machine.
