The present invention provides a method for producing an aqueous dispersion of
thermoplastic resin microparticles containing considerably less residual solvent
remaining in resin particles, and a toner for electrophotography containing considerably
less residual solvent. A self-water-dispersible thermoplastic resin is swollen
using an organic solvent having a boiling point lower than 100 C., which
does not dissolve but can swell the self-water-dispersible thermoplastic resin,
to produce a swollen material and the resulting swollen material is dispersed into
an aqueous medium in the form of microparticles to produce an initial aqueous dispersion,
and then the organic solvent is removed from the initial aqueous dispersion to
prepare a dispersion. A toner for electrophotography contains microparticles obtained
by separating microparticles of the self-water-dispersible thermoplastic resin
from the aqueous dispersion of thermoplastic resin microparticles and drying the microparticles.
