Toner adhesion, surface energy effect

Mechanical force and surface chemical finesse must be used to overcome van der Waals forces, which may account for as much as 75% of the total adhesion ( 3, 4) (Figure 16). A rapidly rotating fiber brush is often used to produce a local cloud of toner, which is then drawn away through a vacuum filter. The bristle tips may be "flicked" against a bar or edge to free them of dust. Teflon fiber brushes ( 5), stearate wax dispensers ( 6), and fluorocarbon powder ( 7.) have been effectively used to deposit thin low-energy films on the photoconductor surface to facilitate release. 

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