Electrostatic proximity force, toner adhesion, and a new electrophotographic development system

Abstract

It has recently been shown that the electrostatic adhesion of a discrete distribution of charge points that are uniformly distributed around a sphere in contact with a conductive plane is larger than the conventional result, (1/4 πε 0)( Q 2/4 r 2), by (1+4/ π), where Q is the total charge and r is the radius of the spherical particle. This new electrostatic force, the 4/ π term, is due to discrete nature of charge and is called the electrostatic proximity force. This electrostatic proximity force is active at every contact point between a real, charged insulating particle and a conductive plane. By minimizing the number of contact points, the adhesion of electrophotographic toner particles to a conductive surface has been reduced by at least a factor of 10 compared to commercially available toners, allowing the viability of a new electrophotographic development system: a dc-jump, non-magnetic, monocomponent development system.