The effects of paper structure on electrophotography /

We study the effects of paper structure on electrophotography using a phase-field type continuum model of electrostatic transfer. This model is implemented in C++ using the finite element method and allows us to solve for the electric field for a system of any dielectric configuration. We show that average toner transfer forces increase as a function of paper filler particle density, through direct coupling of filler to local paper dielectric. Specifically, fluctuations in surface fillers produce "hot spots" in the field near the surface, while those in the bulk have longer reaches. We also show that rapid fluctuations of the dielectric constant produce smaller transfer force variations than longer dielectric constant wavelength variations.We simulate the electrostatic fields in a real cross-section of filled paper and we show that the factors that, affects the toner transfer of the system at a fixed voltage are the thickness variations, surface fillers, bulk filler content and the surface profile variations. (Abstract shortened by UMI.