A magnetic core material for electrophotographic developer, satisfying a value of Expression (1): a+b10+c+d+e+f, being from 300 to 1,300, 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 BET specific surface area being from 0.06 to 0.25 m.sup.2/g.

An object of the present invention is to provide ferrite particles having high saturation magnetisation and electrical resistivity, excellent in dispersibility in a resin, a solvent, or a resin composition; a rein composition containing the ferrite particles; and a resin molding composed of the resin composition. A Ni-Zn-Cu ferrite particle is in a single crystalline body having an average particle diameter of 1 to 2000 nm, has a polyhedral particle shape, and comprises 5 to 10 wt % of Ni, 15 to 30 wt % of Zn, 1 to 5 wt % of Cu, and 25 to 50 wt % of Fe.

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.

An electrophotographic image forming carrier includes core particles and a coating layer coating a surface of the core particles. The coating layer contains antimony-containing particles comprising inorganic fine particles A and antimony-doped tin oxide disposed on a surface of the inorganic fine particles A. The electrophotographic image forming carrier has an apparent density of 2.0 g/cm.sup.3 or more and 2.5 g/cm.sup.3 or less.

An electrostatic charge image developing carrier contains a magnetic particle and a resin coating layer coating the magnetic particle, in which the resin coating layer contains inorganic particles, a ratio B/A of a surface area B of the carrier to a plan view area A of the carrier that are obtained by three-dimensional analysis of a surface of the carrier is 1.020 or more and 1.100 or less, a volume average particle diameter of the magnetic particle is 25 ?m or more and 34 ?m or less, and a fluidity of the magnetic particle is 28 s/50 g or more and 36 s/50 g or less.

An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit that includes a first image holding member and a first developing unit, the first developing unit accommodating a first developer that includes a first toner and a first carrier; a first transfer unit; a second image forming unit that is disposed downstream of the first image forming unit in a traveling direction of the transfer medium and includes a second image holding member and a second developing unit, the second developing unit accommodating a second developer that includes a second toner and a second carrier; and a second transfer unit, in which a volume resistivity of the first carrier is lower than a volume resistivity of the second carrier, and a volume average particle diameter of the first carrier is less than a volume average particle diameter of the second carrier.

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.

Provided are a ferrite carrier core material for an electrophotographic developer having a full length L.sub.1 of grain boundary and a circumference length L.sub.2 of the core material in a cross-section of the core material, and satisfying a relationship of 2L.sub.1/L.sub.29; a carrier for an electrophotographic developer including the ferrite carrier core material and a coating layer containing a resin provided on a surface of the ferrite carrier core material; and an electrophotographic developer including the carrier and a toner.

A carrier core material includes ferrite particles, contains CaSiO3, and has a true density at least equal to 3.5 g/cm3 and at most equal to 4.5 g/cm3. A particle strength index calculated from formula (1) is preferably at most equal to 1.5% by volume. (1): Particle strength index=V2?V1 (In the formula, V1: cumulative value (% by volume) of particle size 22 ?m or less in cumulative particle size distribution of carrier core material before crushing test, and V2: cumulative value (% by volume) of particle size 22 ?m or less in cumulative particle size distribution of carrier core material after crushing test) Crushing test conditions: 30 g of carrier core material crushed using a sample mill for 60 seconds at a rotational speed of 14000 rpm.

An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit that includes a first image holding member and a first developing unit, the first developing unit accommodating a first developer that includes a first toner and a first carrier; a first transfer unit; a second image forming unit that is disposed downstream of the first image forming unit in a traveling direction of a transfer medium and includes a second image holding member and a second developing unit, the second developing unit accommodating a second developer that includes a second toner and a second carrier; and a second transfer unit, in which a volume resistivity of the first carrier is higher than a volume resistivity of the second carrier, and a volume average particle diameter of the first carrier is more than a volume average particle diameter of the second carrier.