The present disclosure is drawn to apparatuses and methods that include a coated photoconductive substrate. The coated photoconductive substrate can include a photo-conductive substrate with a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer, and can also have a coating adhered to the photoconductive substrate. The coating can comprise a polymer and can be devoid of charge transport materials.

A photoconductor including: a conductive support; an undercoat layer; and a photoconductive layer, the undercoat layer being disposed over the conductive support, the photoconductive layer being disposed over the undercoat layer, wherein the undercoat layer includes zinc oxide particles, wherein when a film thickness of the undercoat layer is 20 μm, the undercoat layer has transmittance of 50% or more to light having a wavelength in a range of 500 nm or more but 800 nm or less, wherein a lowest transmittance of light is 85% or less in the range, and wherein when an electric field of 5 V/μm is applied to the undercoat layer, volume resistivity of the undercoat layer is 1.0×10.sup.7 Ω.Math.cm or more but 5.0×10.sup.8 Ω.Math.cm or less at an environment of 23° C. and 55% RH.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a charging roller that charges a circumferential surface of the image bearing member to a positive polarity. The image bearing member includes a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer of a single layer, and satisfies formula (1) shown below. The photosensitive layer contains a charge generating material, a hole transport material, an electron transport material, and a binder resin. $\begin{array}{cc}0.60\leqq \frac{V}{\left(Q/S\right)\times \left(d/{\mathrm{.Math.}}_r.Math.{\mathrm{.Math.}}_0\right)}& \left(1\right)\end{array}$
In formula (1), Q represents a charge amount [C] of the circumferential surface of the image bearing member, S represents a charge area [m.sup.2] of the charged circumferential surface of the image bearing member, d represents a film thickness [m] of the photosensitive layer, co represents vacuum permittivity [F/m], and V represents a value calculated in accordance with formula V=V.sub.0−V.sub.r.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus in which streak-like banding to be formed in an electrophotographic photosensitive member is suppressed. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member, which has a protective layer, and a developer carrying member for supplying a developer. The protective layer contains a cured product containing an aromatic ring and an ester group, by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, when a peak area based on C═C stretching vibration of the aromatic ring is represented by S1, and a peak area based on C═O stretching vibration of the ester group is represented by S2, an area ratio S1/S2 is 0.10 to 0.27, and a rotation speed ratio D1/D2 of a rotation speed D1 of the developer carrying member to a rotation speed D2 of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is 0.80 to 1.20.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus in which streak-like banding to be formed in an electrophotographic photosensitive member is suppressed. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprises an electrophotographic photosensitive member, which has a protective layer, and a developer carrying member for supplying a developer. The protective layer contains a cured product containing an aromatic ring and an ester group, by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, when a peak area based on C═C stretching vibration of the aromatic ring is represented by S1, and a peak area based on C═O stretching vibration of the ester group is represented by S2, an area ratio S1/S2 is 0.10 to 0.27, and a rotation speed ratio D1/D2 of a rotation speed D1 of the developer carrying member to a rotation speed D2 of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is 0.80 to 1.20.

The object of the present invention is to provide a positive charging electrophotographic photoreceptor having high sensitivity, low residual potential, and excellent chargeability, and relates to a positive charging electrophotographic photoreceptor including a conductive support, a photosensitive layer, and a protective layer in this order, the photosensitive layer containing a charge generation substance, a positive hole transport substance, and an electron transport substance in the same layer, in which the positive hole transport substance includes at least one of the compounds represented by any one of the following formulas (1) to (5), and a binder resin of the protective layer is an alcohol-soluble thermoplastic resin, providing that the symbols in the formula are defined in the specification. ##STR00001##

Provided is an electrophotographic member in which the increase in tackiness is small even in an environment of high temperature and high humidity. The electrophotographic member includes an electroconductive substrate and a surface layer, the surface layer contains resin including at least one of a urethane bond and an amide bond, the resin includes a cationic structure and an anionic structure in a molecule, and also includes a particular main-chain structure with hydrophobicity.

An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support, an undercoat layer, a photosensitive layer, and a surface layer, the undercoat layer containing a binder resin and strontium titanate particles, the surface layer being a cured film of a composition containing at least one compound selected from a guanamine compound and a melamine compound, and a charge transport material having at least one substituent selected from OH, OCH.sub.3, NH.sub.2, SH, and COOH.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a charging roller that charges a circumferential surface of the image bearing member to a positive polarity. The image bearing member includes a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer of a single layer, and satisfies formula (1) shown below. The photosensitive layer contains a charge generating material, a hole transport material, an electron transport material, and a binder resin.

[00001]$\begin{array}{cc}0.60\frac{V}{\left(Q/S\right)\left(d/{\mathrm{.Math.}}_r.Math.{\mathrm{.Math.}}_0\right)}& \left(1\right)\end{array}$

In formula (1), Q represents a charge amount [C] of the circumferential surface of the image bearing member, S represents a charge area [m.sup.2] of the charged circumferential surface of the image bearing member, d represents a film thickness [m] of the photosensitive layer, co represents vacuum permittivity [F/m], and V represents a value calculated in accordance with formula V=V.sub.0V.sub.r.

An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support, an undercoat layer, a photosensitive layer, and a surface layer, the undercoat layer containing a binder resin and strontium titanate particles, the surface layer being a cured film of a composition containing at least one compound selected from a guanamine compound and a melamine compound, and a charge transport material having at least one substituent selected from OH, OCH.sub.3, NH.sub.2, SH, and COOH.