An object is to provide the ferrite particles used as a magnetic filler or a raw material for a molded product excellent in dispersibility as a powder and excellent in uniformity after molding and result the surface with small unevenness; and a method of manufacturing the particles. To achieve the object, MnMg ferrite particles having an average particle size of 1 to 2000 nm and having a spherical shape are employed. It is preferable that the ferrite particles are produced by a method including subjecting of a ferrite raw material obtained through preparation of a ferrite composition to flame-spraying in air for ferritization followed by rapid cooling for solidifying of the ferrite.

An object of the present invention is to provide a ferrite particle having a low apparent density, filling a specified volume with a low weight with various properties maintained in a controllable state, a ferrite carrier core material composed of the ferrite particle, and a ferrite carrier using the ferrite core material and an electrophotographic developer. To achieve the object, the ferrite particle having the outer shell structure containing the Ti oxide for the ferrite carrier core material, and the ferrite carrier using the ferrite particle as the ferrite carrier core material and the electrophotographic developer are employed.

The present invention provides: a ferrite carrier core material for an electrophotographic developer, the material having a mesh passing amount of 3 wt % or less as indicated by the ratio of the weight of particles passing through a 16 m-mesh to the weight of whole particles constituting a powder, and having a particle strength index of 2 wt % or less as indicated by a difference between the mesh passing amounts before and after crushing; a ferrite carrier which is for an electrophotographic developer and in which the surface of the ferrite carrier core material is coated with a resin; and an electrophotographic developer which includes the ferrite carrier and a toner.

An object of the present invention is to provide a ferrite carrier core material for an electrophotographic developer having desired resistance properties and charging properties with small environmental variation of resistivity and charge amount while maintaining the advantages of ferrite carriers, a ferrite carrier for an electrophotographic developer, an electrophotographic developer using the ferrite carrier, and a method for manufacturing the ferrite carrier core material for an electrophotographic developer. In order to solve the problem, a ferrite carrier core material comprising ferrite particles containing 15 mass % or more and 25 mass % or less of Mn, 0.5 mass % or more and 5.0 mass % or less of Mg, 0.05 mass % or more and 4.0 mass % of Sr, and 45 mass % or more and 55 mass % or less of Fe, with Zr localized in the surface thereof is used.

A magnetic carrier including a magnetic carrier particle having a magnetic carrier core and a resin coating layer formed on a surface of the magnetic carrier core, wherein the resin coating layer includes a resin component including a resin A and a resin B, the resin A is a copolymer of monomers including (a) a (meth)acrylic acid ester monomer having an alicyclic hydrocarbon group and (b) a specific macromonomer, the resin B is a copolymer of monomers including (c) a styrene-based monomer and (d) a specific (meth)acrylic acid ester monomer, and based on the resin components of the resin coating layer, the amount of the resin A is from 20% by mass to 99% by mass, and the amount of the resin B is from 1% by mass to 80% by mass.

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+b10+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.

A carrier core material is represented by a composition formula M.sub.XFe.sub.3-XO.sub.4 (where M is at least one type of metal element selected from Mg, Mn, Ca, Ti, Cu, Zn and Ni, 0<X<1), in which part of M and/or Fe is substituted with Sr and formed of ferrite particles, and in the carrier core material, a Sr content is equal to or more than 2500 ppm but equal to or less than 12000 ppm, the amount of Sr eluted with pure water at a temperature of 25 C. is equal to or less than 50 ppm, an apparent density is equal to or more than 1.85 g/cm.sup.3 but equal to or less than 2.25 g/cm.sup.3 and magnetization .sub.1k when a magnetic field of 79.5810.sup.3 A/m (1000 oersteds) is applied is equal to or more than 63 Am.sup.2/kg but equal to or less than 75 Am.sup.2/kg.

A developer set includes a first developer and a second developer. The first developer includes a first toner and a first carrier. The second developer includes a second toner and a second carrier. The second toner is a toner that includes a flaky brilliant pigment, a toner that includes a white pigment, or a transparent toner. The second carrier has a higher volume resistivity than the first carrier and has a larger volume average particle diameter than the first carrier.

An electrostatic image developer includes: toner particles; silica particles that are externally added to the toner particles and include an elemental nitrogen-containing compound containing elemental molybdenum and in which the ratio (Mo/Si) of a Net intensity of elemental molybdenum that is measured by X-ray fluorescence analysis to a Net intensity of elemental silicon in the silica particles that is measured by the X-ray fluorescence analysis is from 0.035 to 0.45 inclusive; and a carrier having a relative dielectric loss factor of from 0.5 to 2.0 inclusive.