Electrophotographic photoreceptor, process cartridge, image forming apparatus, and image forming method

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an electrophotographic photoreceptor including a conductive substrate, a photosensitive layer, and a surface layer that is provided on the photosensitive layer or is contained in the photosensitive layer, wherein, the surface layer includes a cross-linked component which is a reaction product of compound A and compound B, wherein the compound A is at least one compound selected from guanamine compounds and melamine compounds, and the compound B is a charge-transporting material having at least one substituent selected from —OH, —OCH3, —NH2, —SH, and —COOH, a structure derived from at least one compound selected from the guanamine compounds and the melamine compounds included in the surface layer amounts for 0.1% by weight to 5% by weight, a structure derived from the charge-transporting material included in the surface layer amounts for 85% by weight or greater, and a surface of the surface layer has surface roughness Rz of from 0.1 μm to 0.3 μm;
• a charging unit that charges a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor;
• an electrostatic latent image forming unit that forms an electrostatic latent image on a charged surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor;
• a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor with an electrostatic latent image developer to form a toner image;
• a transfer unit that transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor onto a transfer member;
• and
• a supply unit that supplies a compound selected from at least one of fatty acid metal salt and fluorine resin particles to the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor after transfer of the toner image onto the transfer member,
• wherein in the supply unit, the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor satisfies the relationships represented by the following Expressions (1) and (2):
• Y≦−5X+150 Expression (1)
• Y≧−0.75X+30 Expression (2)
• wherein Y represents a coverage of the fatty acid metal salt, and X represents a coverage of the fluorine resin particles.

An image forming method comprising:

• charging a surface of an electrophotographic photoreceptor including a conductive substrate, photosensitive layer, and a surface layer that is provided on the photosensitive layer or is contained in the photosensitive layer, wherein, the surface layer includes a cross-linked component which is a reaction product of compound A and compound B, wherein the compound A is at least one compound selected from guanamine compounds and melamine compounds, and the compound B is a charge-transporting material having at least one substituent selected from —OH, —OCH, —NH2, —SH, and —COOH, a structure derived from at least one compound selected from the guanamine compounds and the melamine compounds included in the surface layer amounts for 0.1% by weight to 5% by weight, a structure derived from the charge-transporting material included in the surface layer amounts for 85% by weight or greater, and a surface of the surface layer has surface roughness Rz of from 0.1 μm to 0.3 μm;
• forming an electrostatic latent image on a charged surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor;
• developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor with an electrostatic latent image developer to form a toner image;
• transferring the toner image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor onto a transfer member;
• and
• supplying a compound selected from at least one of fatty acid metal salt and fluorine resin particles to the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor after the transferring,
• wherein the supplying is carried out so that the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor satisfies the relationships represented by the following Expressions (1) and (2):
• Y≦−5X+150 Expression (1)
• Y≧−0.75X+30 Expression (2)
• wherein Y represents a coverage of the fatty acid metal salt, and X represents a coverage of the fluorine resin particles.