What are OPC drums, and why are they the most commonly used photoreceptors in office equipment today?
“OPC” stands for organic photoconductor. The term “organic” indicates that the photoreceptor’s coating was manufactured from carbon-based chemical compounds — specifically, photoconductive polymers synthesized from raw materials, that are obtained by refining fossil fuels such as petroleum. OPC drums are generally considered the most “environmentally friendly” photoreceptors available today — primarily because their designers and manufacturers consciously utilize nonhazardous raw materials. In fact, all materials must pass strict material safety tests before they can be used in OPC manufacturing. This ensures that OPC drums are, in fact, environmentally friendly alternatives to more hazardous photoreceptors such as arsenic triselenide (As2Se3) and selenium tellurium (SeTe) drums. OPC Physical Characteristics The most commonly utilized OPC drums in today’s Japanese-designed copiers are manufactured to receive a negative charge. From innermost to outermost layer, they typically consist
