Patent ID: 8501312

Claim:
A charging member comprising: an electrically conductive support; and an electrically conductive elastic layer; wherein: the elastic layer comprises a vulcanized rubber, and the vulcanized rubber is a vulcanized product of a mixture which comprises i) a binder polymer containing a polymer having a butadiene skeleton; and ii) carbon black, and wherein: the polymer having a butadiene skeleton stands modified at the molecular terminal(s) thereof with at least one of the groups represented by the following formulas (1) and (2): wherein R 1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atom(s) or a phenyl group which may be substituted with an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atom(s); R 2 represents an alkylene group having 1 to 6 carbon atom(s); M 1 represents a hydroxyl group; X 1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atom(s), a phenyl group which may be substituted with an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atom(s), or an alkoxyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atom(s); and an asterisk * represents the position of bonding with a carbon atom at the terminal end of the polymer having a butadiene skeleton; wherein R 3 's each represent an alkylene group having 1 to 6 carbon atom(s); M 2 's each represent a hydroxyl group; X 2 's each represent an alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atom(s), a phenyl group which may be substituted with an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atom(s), or an alkoxyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atom(s); and asterisks *'s represent the position of bonding with carbon atoms at the terminal end of the polymer having a butadiene skeleton.