Patent ID: 8142933

Claim:
A battery comprising: a carbonaceous anode comprising graphite particles selected from the group consisting of synthetic graphite particles, carbon-coated graphite particles, carbonized petroleum coke particles, carbon-coated coke particles and mixtures thereof; and a lithium manganese oxide spinel cathode with a valence above 3.5, wherein the carbonaceous anode is obtained by: a) determining the initial coulombic efficiency and the specific capacity of the lithium manganese oxide spinel cathode in a cell against lithium metal; b) selecting a desired mixture of the graphite particles; c) comparing the initial coulombic efficiency of the graphite particles to that of the lithium manganese oxide spinel cathode; and d) selecting the appropriate amount and mixture of the graphite particles so that the initial coulombic efficiency of the carbonaceous anode is lower than that of the lithium manganese oxide spinel cathode wherein the cathode is not fully discharged at the cut-off cell voltage and wherein the initial coulombic efficiency of the anode is at least 2% lower than that of the cathode when each electrode is evaluated against a Li metal and wherein the initial coulombic efficiency of the carbonaceous anode is evaluated in a half cell against lithium metal, and the useable specific capacity of the anode is greater than 250 mAh/g measured in a cell against the Li metal at a cut-off voltage of 1.5 volts.