A conductive roller includes a support member, an elastic layer disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the support member, and a surface layer disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer. The elastic layer includes a cylindrical elastic foam and a conductive covering layer covering an exposed surface of the elastic foam and has a volume resistance value of 10.sup.5Ω or less at an applied voltage of 10 V. The elastic foam has a conductive particle content of 1% by mass or less based on the total mass of the elastic foam.

A unit includes: a developing device configured to develop an electrostatic charge image that is formed on a surface of an image carrier, as a toner image with a developer including a flat toner containing a flat pigment, the developer being accommodated in the developing device; and a transfer device including an intermediate transfer belt onto which the toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier is primarily transferred, a primary transfer device configured to primarily transfer the toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier to a surface of the intermediate transfer belt, and a secondary transfer device configured to secondarily transfer the toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt to a surface of a recording medium, wherein the intermediate transfer belt contains a resin and conductive carbon particles, and after the flat toner adheres to an outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt in a loading amount of 3 g/cm.sup.2, in a case where air is blown to the outer circumferential surface from an upper side of the outer circumferential surface while increasing a blowing pressure, all the flat toner adhering to the outer circumferential surface is separated from the outer circumferential surface at a blowing pressure of 25 kPa or less.

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearing members, a transfer unit including an intermediate transfer belt, a plurality of transferring members which sandwich the intermediate transfer belt between the plurality of image bearing members and themselves, a biasing member which biases each of the plurality of transferring members toward the plurality of image bearing members via the intermediate transfer belt, and a frame which supports the intermediate transfer belt, the plurality of transferring members, and the biasing member, and an apparatus main body which supports the plurality of image bearing members and the transfer unit. The apparatus main body includes a supporting portion which supports the transfer unit and a biasing force receiving portion of which a position is between the plurality of transferring members in a moving direction of the surface of the intermediate transfer belt and which is capable of supporting the transfer unit.

Provided is a semi electro-conductive film comprising a binder resin and electroconductive particles. The volume resistivity of the electroconductive layer is 1×10.sup.9 Ω.Math.cm or more and 1×10.sup.12 Ω.Math.cm or less. The electroconductive layer has a first phase containing a first resin and a second phase containing a second resin. The electroconductive layer further includes electroconductive particles. The electroconductive particles are unevenly present in the second phase. The first resin is a crystalline resin. The second resin is a noncrystalline resin with a thermal decomposition temperature of 400° C. or more.

There is described an intermediate transfer member for digital offset printing, comprising: a cured silicone release layer formed by curing a curable silicone release formulation comprising: a polyalkylsiloxane containing at least two vinyl groups having a weight average molecular weight of 60,000 g/mol or less; a polyalkylsiloxane containing two vinyl groups having a weight average molecular weight of at least 65,000 g/mol; a polyalkylsiloxane cross-linker containing at least two Si—H bonds; and a catalyst or a photoinitiator. There is also described a method of producing an intermediate transfer member, and a curable silicone release formulation for an intermediate transfer member.

A system (10, 110) includes: (i) a flexible intermediate transfer member (ITM) (44, 500, 600), including: a stack of: In (a) a first layer (602), located at an outer surface of the ITM (44, 500, 600), configured to receive ink droplets to form an ink image thereon, and to transfer the ink image to a target substrate (50, 51), and (b) a second layer (603) including a matrix holding particles (622), configured to receive optical radiation (99) passing through the first layer (602), and to heat the ITM (44, 500, 600) by absorbing the optical radiation (99); (ii) an illumination assembly (113), configured to dry the ink droplets by directing the optical radiation (99) to impinge on the particles (622); and (iii) a temperature control assembly (121), configured to control a temperature of the ITM (44, 500, 600) by directing a gas (101) to the ITM (44, 500, 600).

A conductive roll includes a support member, an elastic layer disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the support member, a surface layer disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the elastic layer, and an intermediate layer disposed between the elastic layer and the surface layer, the intermediate layer having a Poisson ratio of 0.40 or less.

An intermediate transfer body includes a base layer and a surface layer disposed on the base layer. The difference between the volume resistivity of the intermediate transfer body at an application voltage of 100 V, a temperature of 22° C., and a relative humidity of 55% and the volume resistivity of the intermediate transfer body at an application voltage of 500 kV, a temperature of 22° C., and a relative humidity of 55% is 2.0 log Ω.Math.cm or less. The difference between the volume resistivity of the intermediate transfer body at an application voltage of 500 kV, a temperature of 28° C., and a relative humidity of 85% and the volume resistivity of the intermediate transfer body at an application voltage of 500 kV, a temperature of 10° C., and a relative humidity of 30% is 1.0 log Ω.Math.cm or less.

An intermediate transfer body includes a base layer and a surface layer disposed on the base layer, in which surface layer includes a sea-island structure that includes a sea phase and an island phase, in which the sea phase includes a resin, the island phase including an organopolysiloxane.

Provided is an electrophotographic belt including at least: a base layer; and a surface layer containing the following A, B, and C:

A: a compound 1 having structures represented by formula (I) and formula (II):

##STR00001##

in the formula (I), R1 represents a linking group, and R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;

##STR00002##

in the formula (II), R3 represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, or a methyl ester group, R4 represents a linking group, R5 represents a methyl group or a tert-butyl group, and “m” represents an integer of from 25 to 100;
B: perfluoropolyether;
C: a binder resin.