A polyarylate resin is represented by general formula (1) shown below. In general formula (1), R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each represent, independently of one another, a hydrogen atom or a methyl group. r and s each represent an integer of at least 0 and no greater than 49. t and u each represent an integer of at least 1 and no greater than 50. r+s+t+u=100. r+t=s+u. X and Y each represent, independently of one another, a divalent group represented by chemical formula (1-1), chemical formula (1-2), chemical formula (1-3), or chemical formula (1-4). X and Y are different from one another. ##STR00001##

An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a conductive substrate, a charge-generating layer disposed on the conductive substrate, and a charge-transporting layer as an outermost layer disposed on the charge-generating layer and containing a binder resin and a charge-transporting material, wherein the average particle size of the crystal of the charge-transporting material is approximately from 0.1 m to 5.0 m.

An electrophotographic image forming system forms an electrostatic latent image on at least a photoreceptor, develops an image using an electrostatic charge image developing toner, and removes the toner using a cleaning blade. A tip ridge of the cleaning blade is pressed against a surface of the photoreceptor. The system includes a photosensitive layer of the photoreceptor and a surface protecting layer that is provided on a surface of the photosensitive layer. The surface protecting layer includes a polymerizable monomer having at least two polymerizable groups in a molecule and a polymer of a hole transporting compound having a polymerizable group represented by General formula (1). The tip ridge of the cleaning blade has an edge angle that is obtuse and less than 120? and is pressed against the surface of the photoreceptor at an effective contact angle that is in a range of 8 to 20?. ##STR00001##

The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising: a conductive support; and a photosensitive layer on the conductive support, wherein the photosensitive layer contains a charge transport substance, a binder resin, and a compound which has a molecular weight of equal to or less than 350, and is represented by General Formula (1).

An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer. The photosensitive layer is a single-layer photosensitive layer. The photosensitive layer contains a charge generating material, a hole transport material, an electron transport material, and a binder resin. The binder resin contains a polyarylate resin. The polyarylate resin is represented by general formula (1). The hole transport material contains a compound represented by general formula (HTM1), (HTM2), (HTM3), (HTM4), (HTM5), (HTM6), or (HTM7). The photosensitive layer has a scratch resistance depth of no greater than 0.50 m. The photosensitive layer has a Vickers hardness of at least 17.0 HV. ##STR00001## ##STR00002##

An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor having a photosensitive layer that includes at least one of a hindered phenol antioxidant and a benzophenone ultraviolet absorber, a charging device, an electrostatic latent image forming device, a developing device, and a transfer device that includes an intermediate transfer belt whose electric field dependence of a volume resistivity is 0.003 or less (log .Math.cm)/V in a voltage range of from 500 V to 1,000 V, and transfers a toner image formed on a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor onto a recording medium through the intermediate transfer belt and erases charges from the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor by applying current to the electrophotographic photoreceptor after the toner image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor has been transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt.

Provided is a positively charged electrophotographic photoconductor that provides a stable high-quality image in any environment, a manufacturing method thereof, and an electrophotographic apparatus using the same. The positively charged electrophotographic photoconductor includes an electroconductive support; and a single layer-type photosensitive layer provided on the electroconductive support and including a charge generation material, a hole transport material, an electron transport material and a binder resin. Alternately, the positively charged electrophotographic photoconductor includes an electroconductive support; a charge transport layer provided on the electroconductive support and containing at least a hole transport material and a binder resin; and a charge generation layer provided on the charge transport layer and including at least a charge generation material, a hole transport material, an electron transport material and a binder resin. In either embodiment, the binder resin contains a polycarbonate-based resin and has a water vapor permeability ranging from 5 to 13 g/m.sup.2.Math.day.

An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer having a single-layer structure. The photosensitive layer contains a charge generating material, an electron transport material, a polycarbonate resin, and a hole transport material. The electron transport material includes a compound having a halogen atom and represented by general formula (1), (2), (3), (4), or (5). The polycarbonate resin has a terminal group having a fluoro group and represented by general formula (10). The hole transport material includes a compound represented by general formula (20), (21), (22), (23), (24), (25), (26), or (27). A charge of calcium carbonate as measured by charging the calcium carbonate through friction with the photosensitive layer is at least +6.5 C/g. The photosensitive layer has a Vickers hardness of at least 17.0 HV at 45 C.

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An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer having a single-layer structure. The photosensitive layer contains a charge generating material, an electron transport material, a polycarbonate resin, and a hole transport material. The electron transport material includes a compound having a halogen atom and represented by general formula (1), (2), (3), (4), or (5). The hole transport material includes a compound represented by general formula (20), (21), (22), (23), (24), (25), (26), or (27). A charge of calcium carbonate as measured by charging the calcium carbonate through friction with the photosensitive layer is at least +6.5 C/g. A Vickers hardness of the photosensitive layer at 45 C. is at least 17.0 HV.

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An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer of a single-layer type disposed on the conductive substrate. The photosensitive layer has an absorption coefficient of 0.008 or less at a wavelength of 1000 nm and contains a binder resin, a charge generating material, an electron transporting material, and a hole transporting material. The charge generating material is at least one selected from a hydroxygallium phthalocyanine pigment and a chlorogallium phthalocyanine pigment and is contained in an amount of 0.9% by weight or more and 1.8% by weight or less relative to the binder resin.