A carrier for developing an electrostatic charge image has magnetic particles and a resin coating that covers the magnetic particles and contains at least one lubricant. The resin coating has a dispersed phase of the lubricant and meets requirement (1).

Requirement (1): the lubricant content in a top layer>the lubricant content in a middle layer>the lubricant content in a bottom layer

The top, middle, and bottom layers are of the resin coating divided into three in the direction of thickness, and the lubricant content is the percentage area of the dispersed phase of the lubricant in a cross-section of the layer taken along the thickness thereof.

An electrostatic charge image developing carrier includes: magnetic particles; and a resin layer coating the magnetic particles and containing inorganic particles, in which an average particle diameter of the inorganic particles is 5 nm or more and 90 nm or less, an average thickness of the resin layer is 0.6 μm or more and 1.4 μm or less, and a ratio B/A of a surface area B of the electrostatic charge image developing carrier to a plan view area A of the electrostatic charge image developing carrier is 1.020 or more and 1.100 or less when a surface of the electrostatic charge image developing carrier is three-dimensionally analyzed.

Provided are a magnetic core material for electrophotographic developer and a carrier for electrophotographic developer, which are excellent in charge characteristics and strength and with which a satisfactory image free from defects can be obtained, and a developer containing the carrier. A magnetic core material for electrophotographic developer, having a sulfur component content of from 50 to 700 ppm in terms of a sulfate ion and a BET specific surface area of from 0.06 to 0.25 m.sup.2/g.

Provided are a magnetic core material for electrophotographic developer and a carrier for electrophotographic developer, which are excellent in charging characteristics and strength with low specific gravity and with which a satisfactory image free of defects can be obtained, and a developer containing the carrier. A magnetic core material for electrophotographic developer, having a sulfur component content of from 60 to 800 ppm in terms of a sulfate ion and a pore volume of from 30 to 100 mm.sup.3/g.

A magnetic core material for electrophotographic developer, satisfying a value of Expression (1): a+b×10+c+d+e+f, being from 200 to 1,400, when an amount of fluorine ion is denoted by a (ppm), an amount of chlorine ion is denoted by b (ppm), an amount of bromide ion is denoted by c (ppm), an amount of nitrite ion is denoted by d (ppm), an amount of nitrate ion is denoted by e (ppm), and an amount of sulfate ion is denoted by f (ppm), which are measured by combustion ion chromatography; and having a pore volume of from 30 to 100 mm.sup.3/g.

Provided is a magnetic toner having a toner particle containing a binder resin and a magnetic body, wherein the binder resin contains a polymer A having a first monomer unit and a second monomer unit, the first polymerizable monomer is at least one selected from the group consisting of the (meth)acrylic acid esters having C.sub.18-36 alkyl groups, a content of the first monomer unit and a content of the second monomer unit based on the total moles of all monomer units in the polymer A are respectively 5.0 to 60.0 mol % and 20.0 to 95.0 mol %, and assuming that an SP value of the first monomer unit and the second monomer unit are taken as SP.sub.11 (J/cm.sup.3).sup.0.5 and SP.sub.21(J/cm.sup.3).sup.0.5, respectively, 3.00≤(SP.sub.21−SP.sub.11)≤25.00 is satisfied, and an oil absorption of the magnetic body is 5 to 40 ml/100 g.

A magnetic carrier including a magnetic carrier particle having a magnetic core particle and a coating layer of an organosilicon polymer on a surface of the magnetic core particle, wherein the organosilicon polymer has the structure given by formula (T3) below; in .sup.29Si-NMR measurement of the THF-insoluble matter of the organosilicon polymer, the ratio ST3 of the peak area for the structure given by formula (T3) to the total peak area for the organosilicon polymer is at least 0.05; and in the roughness curve measured on the magnetic carrier particle, the mean width (RSm) of the roughness curve elements of the magnetic carrier particle, and the ratio (/RSm) to this RSm of the standard deviation of the width of the region where one period of a protrusion and a recess occurs, are in prescribed ranges.

RSi(O.sub.1/2).sub.3(T3)

R in the formula represents a prescribed substituent.

A toner is provided. The toner comprises colored particles and external additives present on surfaces of the colored particles. The colored particles each comprise a core and a shell layer. The core contains a crystalline resin, a non-crystalline resin, and a colorant. The shell layer contains a resin and has a thickness of from 30 to 130 nm. The external additives comprise a metal oxide and a silicon compound. An electronegativity X(A) of the metal oxide and an electronegativity X(Si) of the silicon compound satisfy a relation 0.5X(A)/X(Si)0.8. A proportion of an amount of the metal oxide directly adhered to the surfaces of the colored particles to a total amount of the metal oxide present on the colored particles is from 60% to 90% by mass.

A decolorizable toner allows for easy distinguishing between a sheet which can be reused and a sheet which is hardly able to be reused from each other. The decolorizable toner includes a color developable compound, a color developing agent, a decolorizing agent, a magnetic material, and a binder resin. The color developable compound is a precursor compound of a dye. The color developing agent is an electron accepting compound which donates a proton to the color developable compound. The decolorizing agent is a compound which inhibits a coloring reaction between the color developable compound and the color developing agent.

A decolorizable toner allows for easy distinguishing between a sheet which can be reused and a sheet which is hardly able to be reused from each other. The decolorizable toner includes a color developable compound, a color developing agent, a decolorizing agent, a magnetic material, and a binder resin. The color developable compound is a precursor compound of a dye. The color developing agent is an electron accepting compound which donates a proton to the color developable compound. The decolorizing agent is a compound which inhibits a coloring reaction between the color developable compound and the color developing agent.