Imaging element for use in electrostatography

Claim 1

An electroconductive imaging element especially adapted for use in a high speed laser printing process which produces an image-bearing element suitable for use as a master in a UV-imaging process, said laser printing process comprising the steps of: (1) toner deposition in which a uniform layer of toner particles is deposited on the surface of said electroconductive imaging element, (2) partial fusion in which said toner particles are adhered to said electroconductive imaging element in an imagewise manner by laser exposure; (3) differential cleaning in which unfused toner particles are removed from the non-imaged areas of said electroconductive imaging element; and (4) final fusion in which toner particles in the image areas are permanently fused to said electroconductive imaging element; said electroconductive imaging element comprising: (a) an insulating support; (b) an electrically-conductive layer overlying said support, which is comprised of a colloidal gel of vanadium pentoxide dispersed in a polymeric binder, said vanadium pentoxide being present in said electrically-conductive layer in an amount of at least 3 milligrams per square meter and said electrically-conductive layer having a surface resistivity of 10 7 ohms/square or less, an internal resistivity of 10 7 ohms/square or less, a UV D min of less than 0.1 and a visible D min of less than 0.05; and (c) a thermoplastic dielectric imaging layer having a thickness of at least 0.2 micrometers overlying said electrically-conductive layer, said thermoplastic dielectric imaging layer having a surface resistivity of at least 10 13 ohms/square and being comprised of a thermoplastic polymer with a glass transition temperature of at least 20° C.