Patent ID: 10008723

Abstract:
Provided is a simple, fast, scalable, and environmentally benign method of producing graphene-embraced or encapsulated particles of a battery electrode active material directly from a graphitic material, the method comprising: a) mixing graphitic material particles, multiple particles of an electrode active material, and non-polymeric particles of milling media to form a mixture in an impacting chamber, wherein the graphitic material has never been intercalated, oxidized, or exfoliated and the chamber contains therein no previously produced graphene sheets; b) operating the energy impacting apparatus with a frequency and an intensity for a length of time sufficient for peeling off graphene sheets from the graphitic material and transferring graphene sheets to surfaces of electrode active material particles to produce graphene-embraced active material particles; and c) recovering the graphene-embraced particles from the impacting chamber. Also provided is a mass of the graphene-embraced particles, electrode containing such particles, and battery containing this electrode.