Abstract: Concerned with a charging member in the conductive surface layer of which the conductive particles are so kept from agglomerating as to make charging performance not easily change even where the surface layer expands and contracts repeatedly in various environments. The charging member is a charging member having a conductive substrate and formed on the substrate a conductive elastic layer and a conductive surface layer. The elastic layer contains a polymer having a unit coming from ethylene oxide, and the surface layer contains a binder resin and graphitized particles. The binder resin contains a resin having in the molecule a urethane linkage or a siloxane linkage, or a urethane linkage and a siloxane linkage, and the graphitized particles have a graphite (002) plane lattice spacing of from 0.3362 nm or more to 0.3449 nm or less.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charging roller having a stable chargeability and capable of preventing occurrence of “fogging” on an electrophotographic image. The invention relates to a contact-charging type charging roller which includes a conductive support and a surface layer. The surface layer contains a binder, resin particles containing a carbon black dispersed in the binder, and graphitized particles dispersed in the binder; and the surface layer has, on its surface, convex portions derived from the resin particles, and convex portions derived from the graphitized particles. These convex portions have a specific relationship.

Abstract: A charging member is provided which can inhibit defective images due to poor charging and adhering substances from occurring even after being repeatedly used for a long time, and can inhibit deformation and defective images due to the C set, caused by a change in rotational speed accompanying such deformation even after being left standing in a stopping state for a long time. The charging member includes a conductive support and a surface layer. The surface layer includes a binder and resin particles dispersed in the binder, each resin particle having a depressed portion on its surface. Protrusions resulting from the resin particles are formed on the surface of the surface layer. The protrusions each have a depressed portion resulting from the depressed portion of the resin particle, and the surface of the resin particle is covered with the binder.

Abstract: A charging member is disclosed having a support and at least one cover layer provided on the support., The cover layer has an outermost layer of the cover layer placed at the outermost surface of the charging member; the outermost layer contains i) composite particles composed of first metal oxide particles coated with carbon black, ii) second metal oxide particles and iii) a binder.

Abstract: In a charging member having a support and one or more cover layer(s), the ten-point average surface roughness of the surface of the charging member, the height of a hill of the surface of the charging member, the area at the part of the hill, and the area of a region surrounded by hills each having the height H (?m) and other hills each having a height of not less than the height H (?m), and not including any hills having a height of more than 0.5H (?m) satisfy a specific relationship. Also, a surface layer of the charging member contains high-molecular compound particles whose average particle diameter is between 2 and 50 ?m and whose range of particle size distribution of average particle diameter is above 0?m and not greater than 7 ?m.

Abstract: A charging member is disclosed having a support and at least one cover layer provided on the support. The cover layer has an outermost layer of the cover layer placed at the outermost surface of the charging member; the outermost layer contains i) composite particles composed of first metal oxide particles coated with carbon black, ii) second metal oxide particles and iii) a binder.

Abstract: In a conductive member having a support and provided thereon at least one cover layer, the cover layer has a surface layer, and the surface layer contains fine particles. In the surface layer, fine particles present at the surface-layer lower part corresponding to a range within 30% of the total layer thickness from the lowermost plane have an average particle diameter which is larger than the average particle diameter of fine particles present at the surface-layer upper part corresponding to a range within 30% of the total layer thickness from the uppermost plane. A process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus have such a conductive member.

Abstract: In a charging member having a support and provided thereon one or more cover layer(s), where the ten-point average surface roughness of the surface of the charging member is represented by Rz (&mgr;m), the height of a hill of the surface of the charging member is represented by H (&mgr;m), the area at the part of the hill is represented by Sa (&mgr;m2), and the area of a region surrounded by hills each having the height H (&mgr;m) and other hills each having a height of not less than the height H (&mgr;m), and not including any hills having a height of more than 0.5H (&mgr;m) is represented by Sb (&mgr;m2), these Ra, H, Sa and Sb satisfy a specific relationship.

Abstract: In a conductive member having a support and provided thereon at least one cover layer, the cover layer has a surface layer, and the surface layer contains fine particles. In the surface layer, fine particles present at the surface layer lower part corresponding to a range within 30% of the total layer thickness from the lowermost plane have an average particle diameter which is larger than the average particle diameter of fine particles present at the surface layer upper part corresponding to a range within 30% of the total layer thickness from the uppermost plane. A process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus have such a conductive member.