Electrophotographic photoconductor, image forming apparatus, and process cartridge
An electrophotographic photoconductor is provided that includes a conductive substrate, an undercoat layer overlying the conductive substrate, and a photosensitive layer overlying the undercoat layer. The undercoat layer contains zinc oxide particles and a binder resin and has a volume resistivity of 0.03×10 6 Ω·cm or less in an electrical field of 5 V/μm at a temperature of 23 degrees C. and a relative humidity of 55%. The photosensitive layer contains a compound represented by the following general formula (1): where each of R 1 to R 3 independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms which may have a substituent, or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms.
1. An electrophotographic photoconductor comprising:
a conductive substrate;
an undercoat layer overlying the conductive substrate, the undercoat layer containing zinc oxide particles and a binder resin and having a volume resistivity of 0.03×10 6 Ω·cm or less in an electrical field of 5 V/μm at a temperature of 23 degrees C. and a relative humidity of 55%; and
a photosensitive layer overlying the undercoat layer, the photosensitive layer containing a compound represented by the following general formula (I):
where each of R 1 to R 3 independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms which may have a substituent, or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms.
2. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1 , wherein the compound represented by the formula (I) is a compound represented by the following formula (Ia).
3. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1 , wherein the binder resin comprises an alkyd melamine resin.
4. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 3 , wherein a mass ratio of the zinc oxide particles to the alkyd melamine resin is from 84.6/15.4 to 86.7/13.3.
5. An image forming apparatus comprising:
the electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1 ;
a charger configured to charge a surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor;
an irradiator configured to irradiate the charged surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor with light to form an electrostatic latent image;
a developing device containing a toner, configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with the toner to form a visible image; and
a transfer device configured to transfer the visible image onto a recording medium.
6. A process cartridge comprising:
the electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1 ; and
at least one member selected from:
a charger configured to charge a surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor;
an irradiator configured to irradiate the charged surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor with light to form an electrostatic latent image;
a developing device containing a toner, configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with the toner to form a visible image; and
a transfer device configured to transfer the visible image onto a recording medium.