Electrophotographic member and method of producing the member, process cartridge, and electrophotographic image forming apparatus

A method of producing an electrophotographic member, the electrophotographic member comprising a substrate having electroconductivity and a monolayer surface layer formed on the substrate, the surface layer having a matrix containing a crosslinked resin as a binder, the surface layer comprising at least one particle containing an inorganic layered compound having an ion exchange capacity, with at least a part of the particle being exposed from an outer surface of the surface layer, the method comprising the steps:

• (i) applying onto the substrate a coating material for forming a crosslinked polyurethane resin layer containing a polyol, an isocyanate compound, and the particle, followed by drying solidification or thermal curing of the coating material to form a crosslinked polyurethane resin layer;
• (ii) impregnation treating crosslinked polyurethane resin layer with a liquid containing a (meth)acrylic monomer, followed by polymerization and curing of the (meth)acrylic monomer to form a surface layer having an interpenetrating polymer network structure in which a crosslinked acrylic resin interpenetrates a crosslinked polyurethane resin;
• and
• (iii) performing UV irradiation treatment to expose at least a part of the particle to an outer surface of the surface layer, wherein
• an elastic modulus of the matrix is at least 200 MPa, measured in a thickness direction of the surface layer from the outer surface to a depth of 0.1 μm,
• the inorganic layered compound is a hydrotalcite-like compound, and
• θA≥95.0
• θB≤83.2 and
• θA−θB≥10.0
• when θA and θB (°) are respectively contact angles one second and 60 seconds after impingement in contact angle measurement when a 1-microliter droplet of 0.1 mol/L aqueous sodium nitrate solution is caused to impinge on the outer surface.

A process cartridge detachably attachable to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the process cartridge comprising:

• an electrophotographic member, the electrophotographic member comprising a substrate having electroconductivity, the substrate bearing a monolayer surface layer formed thereon;
• the surface layer having a matrix containing a crosslinked resin as a binder,
• the surface layer comprising at least one particle containing an inorganic layered compound having an ion exchange capacity, with at least a part of the particle being exposed from an outer surface of the surface layer;
• and
• an elastic modulus of the matrix being at least 200 MPa, measured in a thickness direction of the surface layer from the outer surface to a depth of 0.1 μm, wherein
• the inorganic layered compound is a hydrotalcite-like compound, and
• θA≥95.0
• θB≤83.2 and
• θA−θB≥10.0
• when θA and θB (°) are respectively contact angles one second and 60 seconds after impingement in contact angle measurement when a 1-microliter droplet of 0.1 mol/L aqueous sodium nitrate solution is caused to impinge on the outer surface.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image bearing member configured to bear an electrostatic latent image;
• and
• an electrophotographic a member configured to be brought into abutment with the image bearing member;
• the electrophotographic member comprising a substrate having electroconductivity, the substrate bearing a monolayer surface layer formed thereon;
• the surface layer having a matrix containing a crosslinked resin as a binder,
• the surface layer comprising at least one particle containing an inorganic layered compound having an ion exchange capacity, with at least a part of the particle being exposed from an outer surface of the surface layer;
• and
• an elastic modulus of the matrix being at least 200 MPa, measured in a thickness direction of the surface layer from the outer surface to a depth of 0.1 μm, wherein
• the inorganic layered compound is a hydrotalcite-like compound, and
• θA≥95.0
• θB≤83.2 and
• θA−θB≥10.0
• when θA and θB (°) are respectively contact angles one second and 60 seconds after impingement in contact angle measurement when a 1-microliter droplet of 0.1 mol/L aqueous sodium nitrate solution is caused to impinge on the outer surface.