Patent ID: 8709659

Claim:
A composition for use in an electrochemical cell, the composition comprising: a clean metal produced from removal of particles from a metal surface wherein the clean metal is characterized by carbon content that is less than 20% carbon and/or oxygen content that is less than 10% oxygen; and a layer of protective material in direct contact with the clean metal, wherein the protective material comprises a protective metal component, a multi-component material, a multi-layered component or a combination thereof, wherein the protective metal component is selected from the group consisting of scandium (Sc), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), tantalum (Ta), silver (Ag), silicon (Si), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), an alloy thereof, an oxide thereof, a sulfide thereof, a nitride thereof, and a combination thereof, wherein the protective material layer has a thickness greater than 10 microns.