Electrophotographic photoreceptor, electrophotographic member, process cartridge and image forming apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides an electrophotographic photoreceptor and an electrophotographic member, which have superior mold releasing and sliding properties and are able to maintain these properties over long periods of time, the photoreceptor comprising a first layer and a second layer, which includes a fluororesin layer, externally disposed on the first layer to form an outermost layer, the electrophotographic member comprising a first layer and a second layer, which includes a fluororesin layer, externally disposed on the first layer to form an outermost layer and filling voids in the first layer, and further provides a process cartridge equipped with said electrophotographic photoreceptor or said electrophotographic member, and an image forming apparatus.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to xerographic photoreceptors, xerographic components, developing toner cartridges, and image forming apparatuses usable in xerographic apparatus such as copiers, printers, and facsimiles employing xerographic processes. Background technique [0002] In a typical electrophotographic process, after uniformly charging the surface of an electrophotographic photoreceptor formed by using a photoconductive substance (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as a photoreceptor), a latent image is formed by exposure, and the latent image thus formed is passed through a The toner is developed to form a toner image, and after the toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor is transferred to the surface of a transfer material such as paper by using or not using an intermediate transfer member, the transferred image is heated, pressed, or Heating while pressing, or performing processes such as solvent vapor treatment to fix it; s...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0004] However, since the fluororesin particles used in the aforementioned resin layer are insufficient in water repellency, and the binder resin is exposed on the surface of the resin layer, it is impossible to exhibit sufficient mold release performance.

In addition, a method of polishing the resin layer in which fluororesin particles are dispersed to expose more parts of the fluororesin particles has also been proposed; however, the resulting effect is not large compared to its increased cost

Also, in some cases, in the range of fluororesin content actually used, only a contact angle equivalent to that obtained when using a single binder resin

[0005] In addition, in an attempt to increase the release performance by adding fluororesin particles, mist droplets are generated on the surface of the photoreceptor, resulting in a decrease in its photosensitivity, resulting in a decrease in image quality

For the electrophotographic photoreceptor, the smaller the contact angle, the larger the subsequent surface free energy; as a result, there tends to be problems of reduced release performance and increased residual toner from the transfer process (decreased transfer efficiency), increased due to NO x etc., reduced cleaning performance due to reduced surface slip properties and reduced adhesion of toner to photoreceptors

However, cleaning blades such as those prepared from urethane rubber obtained by adding powder molding lubricants become hard and tend to damage photoreceptors

In addition, the use of a cleaning blade prepared from urethane rubber obtained by adding a liquid lubricant is prone to another problem: the liquid lubricant seeps out on the surface of the cleaning blade and contaminates the photoreceptors

[0021] When the surface releasability of the charging member placed adjacent to the surface of the photoreceptor or placed close to the surface of the photoreceptor for charging the surface of the photoreceptor is low, residual toner and external additives and additional paper powder, etc. tend to tend to When adhered and difficult to remove, therefore, it is difficult to maintain a uniform charge state on the photoreceptor surface, resulting in defective images due to insufficient charging process

[0022] When the surface of the transfer member for transferring the toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor to the transfer material and the transfer member for transferring the toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer member to the transfer material When the release performance is low, when the toner and external additives and additional paper powder etc. tend to stick over time and are difficult to remove, therefore, a sufficient transfer electric field cannot be formed, resulting in tape due to defective transfer process. defect image

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