An object of the present invention is to provide ferrite particles for supporting a catalyst having a small apparent density, various properties are maintained in a controllable state and a specified volume is filled with a small weight, and a catalyst using the ferrite particles for supporting a catalyst. To achieve the object, ferrite particles for supporting a catalyst provided with an outer shell structure containing Ti oxide, a catalyst using the ferrite particles for supporting a catalyst are employed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a carrier low in specific gravity and less in both environmental fluctuation and change of the charge amount after aging, an electrophotographic developer using the carrier, and a method of manufacturing the carrier. To achieve the object, the carrier is manufactured by coating a core material composed of a magnetic component and a non-magnetic component with a resin, and the carrier is characterized in that water content is 200 ppm or less and cyclic siloxane content is 100 ppb or less. Further, an electrophotographic developer containing the carrier is provided.

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.

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.

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 Si localized in the surface thereof is used.

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 carrier core material formed with ferrite particles, the skewness Rsk of the particle is equal to or more than 0.40 but equal to or less than 0.20, and the kurtosis Rku of the particle is equal to or more than 3.20 but equal to or less than 3.50. Here, the maximum height Rz of the particle is equal to or more than 2.20 m but equal to or less than 3.50 m. Moreover, the ferrite particle contains at least either of Mn and Mg elements. In this way, cracking or chipping in a concave-convex portion of a particle surface is unlikely to occur, and moreover, the amount of coating resin used can be reduced without properties such as electrical resistance being lowered.

The positively-chargeable black toner includes colored resin particles containing a binder resin, carbon black and, as a charge control resin, a quaternary ammonium salt group-containing copolymer, wherein the quaternary ammonium salt group-containing copolymer is a styrene acrylic polymer containing a quaternary ammonium salt group-containing (meth)acrylate monomer unit; wherein a copolymerization ratio of the quaternary ammonium salt group-containing (meth)acrylate monomer in the quaternary ammonium salt group-containing copolymer, is in a range of from 0.1% by mass to 2.5% by mass. A content of the carbon black is in a range of from 10 parts by mass to 15 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the binder resin. A blow-off charge amount of the colored resin particles measured by a specific charge amount measuring method, is in a range of from 5 C/g to 60 C/g.

A carrier core material is provided that is formed with ferrite particles which can uniformly adhere a coupling agent to the entire surface. A carrier core material is formed with ferrite particles, and the powder pH of the ferrite particles is equal to or more than 9. Here, the ferrite particles are preferably formed of Mn ferrite or MnMg ferrite. The ferrite particles preferably contain 45 wt % or more but 65 wt % or less of Fe, 15 wt % or more but 30 wt % or less of Mn and 5 wt % or less of Mg.

There is provided a toner set including a yellow toner, a cyan toner and a magenta toner, the toners each comprising an external additive and colored resin particles comprising a binder resin, a colorant and a charge control agent. An absolute value of an average of q/d for any of the yellow, cyan and magenta toners is expressed by charge amount q (fC) and particle diameter d (m). It is obtained by measurement using an electric field detachment-type charge amount distribution measurement device. It is in a range of 2.0 to 6.5 fC/10 m, and a standard deviation (SD) of q/d is 13 fC/10 m or less. A difference between average values of q/d for any two of the yellow, cyan and magenta toners is 2.0 fC/10 m or less. A difference (SD) between standard deviations of q/d for the two toners is 5.0 fC/10 m or less.