IMAGE CARRIER PROTECTING AGENT, PROTECTION LAYER FORMING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lubricant which exhibits sufficient protection effects on a deterioration in the surface of an image carrier due to stress in an electrostatic charging process and a cleaning process by solving the following problem: in electrophotographic image formation, it remains possible that the surface of the image carrier is coated with the lubricant in order to protect the image carrier surface against stress during cleaning of residual toner or physical stress and electric stress exerted on the image carrier surface, however the purpose can not sufficiently be achieved depending on the composition of the lubricant. SOLUTION: A protecting agent having a lubricating function is applied onto or stuck on the image carrier surface. The protecting agent is powder of at least two of organic compounds. Those organic compounds are preferably solidified and made into powder after being fused and mixed. More preferably, at least one of the organic compounds is a thermoplastic resin. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT