CHEMICALS

Process technologies for tomorrow.

PROCESS SYSTEMS FOR PIGMENTS & TONER

The Hosokawa Micron Group has been a trusted supplier of toner systems to renowned manufacturers worldwide for many years. Initially, printer toner consisted of simple carbon powder. To enhance quality, the carbon was later melt-mixed with a polymer. Traditionally, toner production involved compounding the ingredients, followed by breaking, milling, classifying, and post-blending.

This process results in toner granules with varied sizes and non-spherical shapes. More recently, the development of chemically produced toners (CPT) introduced different processing requirements. The Nauta vacuum dryer and Cyclomix high-shear mixer are two Hosokawa powder processing solutions that correspond perfectly with the latest demands.

VACUUM DRYING

Nauta® vacuum dryer Nauta® vacuum dryer

The Nauta vacuum dryer is able to dry large batches of Chemically Produced Toner to the desired moisture level. Because of the high level of vacuum the product can be dried at low temperatures, avoiding the product to melt or agglomerate in the dryer.

Due to the design and our experience, we can build the dryers up to 22 m³ in cantilevered execution. This means that no additional uncontrolled heat is being developed by a support of the screw since the drive design is strong and the screw does not need to be supported.

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Drying inorganic pigments

DMR flash dryer DMR flash dryer

An inorganic pigment is a natural or synthetic metal oxide, sulfide or other salt used as a colouring agent for paints, plastics, and inks. Critical in the extrusion of coloured polymers is the extrusion pressure (must be low) and the moisture content of the pigment powder has to be as low as possible. The extrusion pressure is related to the fineness of the dry powder; the finer it is, the better!

The pigment pastes are very viscous and sticky. Present production lines for ultra-fine inorganic pigments usually consist of a centrifuge, fluidized paddle dryer and mill. Hosokawa Micron's solution combines a centrifuge and a DMR flash mill dryer, with a multi-blade rotor and high speed classifier.

The DMR flash dryer is a reliable machine for drying sticky inorganic pigment pastes. It is a very stable process resulting in a very fine and dry product in a one step process. The controlled high outlet temperature at 175°C ensures a high colour strength.

MIXING

Cyclomix high-shear impact mixer Cyclomix high-shear impact mixer

The post blending can be done efficiently in the Cyclomix, mixing the dried, cohesive toner with the flow adding agent and a charge control agent. These additives coat the base toner particles as the high shear forces in the Cyclomix rolls the toner particles around the mixer and through the additives.

The Cyclomix is equipped with a cooling jacket on the vessel and on the cover to avoid the material heating up during mixing. It also has a special seal design to avoid small particles melting in the seal area. This results in particles with equal flow and conductivity behavior in the printer.

MILLING & CLASSIFYING

TFG Fluidized Bed Opposed Jet Mill TFG Fluidized Bed Opposed Jet Mill

Hosokawa Alpine's product range includes process equipment but also complete systems for conventional toner product lines. For chemically produced toners, Hosokawa Alpine offers classifiers that can also be arranged after the drying stage if required.

The TFG jet mill, for example, has been adapted to the special requirements of toner, powder coating and pigment production. The TFG offers the best accessibility and cleaning, allowing quick product changes. The flat bottom of the grinding bowl means that only a small amount of unground product remains in the machine at the end of production.

The TSP and TTSP ultra-fine classifiers are specially designed for demanding classifying tasks, such as toner and pigment classification and dedusting of powder coatings containing titanium dioxide. The hinged housing allows optimum access for fast, thorough cleaning and minimises downtime.

TESTING & PROCESS DEVELOPMENT

Our test and process development centre in the Netherlands offers unique possibilities for testing your product to determine the most efficient process, system or plant prior to final design. We can provide laboratory-level as well as production-sized trials.

Whether you wish to test a single machine or a complete powder processing system, the same skilled and experienced staff are here to help ensure that your requirements are met, and that you are entirely satisfied with the results.

We offer process equipment and technologies from individual units to large scale bespoke system solutions. Our principle is to deliver high performance yet affordable solutions that meet our customers' demands and long term challenges.

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?

To learn more about our powder processing equipment and systems for the production of printer toner, contact us:

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SUSTAINABLE PROCESSING SYSTEMS

Hosokawa Micron B.V. is certified according to ISO 14001. Our certification covers all environmental themes of ISO 14001: air, soil, energy, waste, water, noise and hazardous substances. In addition, Hosawa Micron was awarded an EcoVadis Silver Medal for its sustainability achievements. EcoVadis determined that the company was among the top 15% of companies rated by EcoVadis in the special machinery industry.

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