US Patent 7462389 Transfer belt and image forming apparatus

A transfer belt composed of a single layer or a plurality of layers is disclosed in which the single layer or the outermost layer of the layers constituting the transfer belt is a layer formed from a polymer composition. The polymer composition contains particles having an average particle diameter of 20 nm or less and a refractive index of 2.3 or more with respect to light of 800 nm in wavelength. The transfer belt has a surface roughness having a maximum height Rz of 0.3 μm or less according to JIS B 0601, 2001.