Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoconductor that includes an outermost surface layer containing a binder resin having a structural unit represented by general formula (A) below and a charge transporting material having a butadiene trimer structure in a single molecule, a charging unit that charges the electrophotographic photoconductor, an electrostatic latent image forming unit that forms an electrostatic latent image, a toner image forming unit that forms a toner image, and a transfer unit that transfers the toner image formed on the electrophotographic photoconductor onto a transfer-receiving body, where R11 and R12 each independently represent a halogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having 5 to 7 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms; and a and b each independently represent an integer of 0 to 4.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor includes a base, an undercoat layer that contains a metal oxide and an electron-accepting material and has a thickness of about 3 ?m or more and about 15 ?m or less, and a photosensitive layer containing a polymer having a repeating unit represented by general formula (1) where R1 and R2 each independently represent a halogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having 5 to 7 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms; and m and n each independently represent an integer of 0 to 4.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor, includes: a conductive support; and a photosensitive layer provided on or above the conductive support, the photosensitive layer including an outermost surface layer at the farthest location from the conductive support, wherein the outermost surface layer contains: coated insulating inorganic particles obtained by subjecting insulating inorganic particles having a specific surface area of not more than about 300 m2/g to a coating treatment with an aromatic functional group-containing compound; and fluorine-containing organic particles.

Abstract: A charging roller including: a support; an elastic layer provided on the outer peripheral surface of the support, and having a ground-finished outer peripheral surface; and a surface layer formed to cover the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer and that has a thickness of about 2 ?m to about 10 ?m from the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer, and a proportion of water absorbed in the total of the elastic layer and the surface layer, after storage for 48 hours in an environment having a temperature of 10° C. and a humidity of 15% RH, and after storage for 48 hours in an environment having a temperature of 28° C. and a humidity of 85% RH, being about 2% to about 8% by weight, being about 2% to about 8% by weight.

Abstract: A charging roller including: a support; an elastic layer provided on the outer peripheral surface of the support, and having a ground-finished outer peripheral surface; and a surface layer formed to cover the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer and that has a thickness of about 2 ?m to about 10 ?m from the outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer, and a proportion of water absorbed in the total of the elastic layer and the surface layer, after storage for 48 hours in an environment having a temperature of 10° C. and a humidity of 15% RH, and after storage for 48 hours in an environment having a temperature of 28° C. and a humidity of 85% RH, being about 2% to about 8% by weight, being about 2% to about 8% by weight.

Abstract: A dip coating method, in which a cylindrical member is dipped in a coating solution in a coating solution tank and the coating solution is coated on an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member by the cylindrical member being raised, includes the steps of: making the coating solution always overflow from the coating solution tank; dipping the cylindrical member into the coating solution through an opening portion of a cover which is provided above a surface of the coating solution in the coating solution tank, and which has the opening portion through which the cylindrical member can pass, and which has a plurality of plates which are disposed at intervals in a vertical direction; and raising the cylindrical member.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of an electrophotographic photoreceptor having a high sensitivity and stability and an excellent product quality stability without being affected by the production environment is disclosed, which comprises coating on a substrate a functional layer-forming coating solution containing a compound which undergoes polycondensation upon hydrolysis, adjusting a temperature of said substrate having the coated layer such that relationship (1) is satisfied, and then moistening said coated layer at a temperature of 30.degree. C. to 180.degree. C. in an atmosphere of a dew point of 25.degree. C. to 80.degree. C.:DP.ltoreq.ST.ltoreq.DP+40.degree. C. (1)wherein DP represents the dew point upon said moistening and ST represents the temperature of the substrate just before said moistening.

Abstract: An abrasive suspension for wet honing for surface treatment of an electrically conductive substrate for an electrophotographic photoreceptor, the suspension comprising pure water having suspended therein at least 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the abrasive suspension, of an abrasive and having an electrical conductivity of not more than 10 .mu.s/cm. A conductive substrate having its surface roughened by using the abrasive suspension is free from impurities.

Abstract: A novel electrophotographic photoreceptor is disclosed, comprising an undercoating layer provided on an electrically conductive substrate having thereon a light-sensitive layer, wherein the undercoating layer is obtained by coating a solution of a composition comprising zirconium and silicon or a solution of a mixture of a zirconium acetyl acetonate compound and a silane coupling agent, the silicon content in the composition comprising zirconium and silicon is in the range of 5 to 35 mol % based on the total amount of zirconium and silicon, and the hardened undercoating layer obtained from the zirconium acetyl acetonate compound and silane coupling agent is a layer having a hardening degree of 1.2 or less.