Electrophotographic member, process cartridge, and electrophotographic image forming apparatus

An electrophotographic process cartridge removably mountable onto a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the electrophotographic process cartridge comprising:

• an electrophotographic member, the electrophotographic member comprising an electroconductive substrate and an elastic layer on the substrate, the elastic layer being a single layer and containing a silicone rubber having a dimethylsiloxane structure, wherein
• when a side of the elastic layer facing the substrate is defined as a second surface, and a surface of the elastic layer opposite the second surface is defined as a first surface, and a peak top temperature of an ion thermogram is derived from the dimethylsiloxane structure, T1>T2 when T1 (° C.) is an ion thermogram measured from a first sample sampled from a first region having a thickness of 0.5 μm from the first surface toward the second surface, the first sample containing a polymer that is an epoxy resin, and T2 (° C.) is an ion thermogram measured from a second sample sampled from a second region corresponding to a thickness of 1.0 to 1.5 μm from the second surface of the elastic layer toward the first surface, the second sample not containing the polymer, and
• when a peak top temperature of an ion thermogram is derived from the polymer, C1>C2 when C1 (° C.) is an ion thermogram measured from the first sample, and C2 (° C.) is an ion thermogram measured from a third sample obtained by decomposing the silicone rubber in the first sample.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an image-bearing member configured to bear an electrostatic latent image;
• a charging device configured to charge the image-bearing member;
• an exposing device configured to form an electrostatic latent image on the charged image-bearing member;
• a developing member configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with toner to form a toner image;
• and
• a transferring device configured to which can transfer the toner image onto a transfer material;
• the developing member being an electrophotographic member comprising an electroconductive substrate and a monolayer elastic layer on the substrate, the elastic layer containing a silicone rubber containing a dimethylsiloxane structure, wherein
• when a side of the elastic layer facing the substrate is defined as a second surface, and a surface of the elastic layer opposite the second surface is defined as a first surface, and a peak top temperature of an ion thermogram is derived from the dimethylsiloxane structure, T1>T2 when T1 (° C.) is an ion thermogram measured from a first sample sampled from a first region having a thickness of 0.5 μm from the first surface toward the second surface, the first sample containing a polymer that is an epoxy resin, and T2 (° C.) is an ion thermogram measured from a second sample sampled from a second region corresponding to a thickness of 1.0 to 1.5 μm from the second surface of the elastic layer toward the first surface, the second sample not containing the polymer, and
• when a peak top temperature of an ion thermogram is derived from the polymer, C1>C2 when C1 (° C.) is an ion thermogram measured from the first sample, and C2 (° C.) is an ion thermogram measured from a third sample obtained by decomposing the silicone rubber in the first sample.