An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor that includes a conductive substrate, a photosensitive layer, and an inorganic surface layer containing a group 13 element and oxygen in this order, a charging device that charges a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, an electrostatic charge image forming device that forms an electrostatic charge image on the charged surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, a developing device that accommodates an electrostatic charge image developer containing a toner and a carrier with a volume resistance value of 1?10.sup.9? or greater and 1?10.sup.16? or less, supplies the electrostatic charge image developer, and develops the electrostatic charge image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor as a toner image, and a transfer device that transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to a surface of a recording medium.

A fixing device includes a rotator, an endless belt, and a nip formation pad. The endless belt contacts the rotator and rotates in a direction of rotation. The nip formation pad contacts an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the rotator that presses the endless belt against the nip formation pad. The nip formation pad includes a slide layer, a base layer, and a lubricant holding layer. The slide layer contacts the endless belt. The base layer is disposed away from the endless belt. The lubricant holding layer is interposed between the slide layer and the base layer to hold a lubricant inside the lubricant holding layer and supply the lubricant to the slide layer. The slide layer has a porous structure including a plurality of through holes in a thickness direction of the slide layer.

A cylindrical film used in an image heating device heating a recording material, on which an image has been formed, has a resin layer, this resin layer being made from a resin in which a crystalline resin and an amorphous resin having a higher glass transition temperature than the crystalline resin are blended, wherein a volume ratio of the crystalline resin with respect to the amorphous resin in the resin layer is 70/30 to 99/1.

A resin belt for an image forming apparatus includes a resin base layer containing a filler. The exposed area of the filler on an inner circumferential surface side of the resin base layer is 0.1% or less.

A heating device includes a rotator, a heating source, a rotator holder, and a liquid or semi-solid substance. The rotator is rotatably held. The heating source heats the rotator. The rotator holder holds a longitudinal end portion of the rotator. The rotator holder includes a reflector disposed at least at a portion to be irradiated with radiant heat emitted from the heating source to reflect the radiant heat. The reflector has a reflectance of not less than 60%. The liquid or semi-solid substance has lubricity and adheres to the rotator holder.

An example fixing unit includes a flexible fixing belt, a backup member located outside the fixing belt to form a fixing nip, and a plate heater in contact with the fixing belt to heat the fixing belt in the fixing nip, wherein the fixing belt includes a first abrasion prevention layer disposed on a surface facing the plate heater and including polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and the plate heater includes a second abrasion prevention layer in contact with the first abrasion prevention layer and including glass.

A tubular film used for a fixing apparatus, including: a heat generating layer; a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer provided respectively at one end and another end of the film in a longitudinal direction of the film so as to contact the heat generating layer, the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer both having a lower volume resistivity than the heat generating layer; and a low-resistance layer formed in an area of the heat generating layer between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer in the longitudinal direction so as not to contact the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, the low-resistance layer having a lower volume resistivity than the heat generating layer and extending in a circumferential direction of the heat generating layer.

A fixing apparatus comprising: a fixing film having an endless shape, a pressurizing member disposed to face the fixing film and configured to form a nip with the fixing film, and a heating member disposed inside of the fixing film, having a facing surface facing an inner circumferential surface of the fixing film, and configured to bias the fixing film against the pressurizing member, and a fluorine grease interposed between the inner circumferential surface and the facing surface, wherein the fixing film has at least a base layer, an elastic layer, and a surface layer in this order, the surface layer comprises a PFA, the surface layer comprises a plurality of spherulites of the PFA, and in an endothermic curve measured with a specific condition by a DSC, using a sample sampled from the surface layer, an endothermic quantity in a temperature rising process is 21 J/g or more.

An example fixing unit includes a flexible fixing belt, a backup member located outside the fixing belt to form a fixing nip, and a plate heater in contact with the fixing belt to heat the fixing belt in the fixing nip, wherein the fixing belt includes a first abrasion prevention layer disposed on a surface facing the plate heater and including polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and the plate heater includes a second abrasion prevention layer in contact with the first abrasion prevention layer and including glass.

A fixing member including a surface layer having high resistance to wear is provided. The fixing member includes a surface layer containing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and a fluorine resin having a melting point lower than that of the PTFE. In the DSC (endothermic) curve obtained by heating a sample of the surface layer at a temperature raising rate of 20 C./min with a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), an endothermic peak 1 having a peak top in the temperature range of 330 C. or more and 340 C. or less, and an endothermic peak 2 having a peak top in the temperature range lower than that of the endothermic peak 1 are present, and the sum H of the amount of heat of fusion based on the endothermic peak 1 and the amount of heat of fusion based on the endothermic peak 2 is 40 J/g or more and 55 J/g or less.