Abstract: Provided is highly elastic polymer composite binder composition for use in an anode or cathode of a lithium battery, the composition comprising a polymerizing or cross-linking liquid precursor and a 0.01%-50% by weight of a conductive reinforcement material dispersed in the liquid precursor, wherein the liquid precursor is capable of chemically bonding to an anode active material or cathode active material in the lithium battery upon completion of polymerization or cross-linking reactions to form a high-elasticity polymer and the resulting high-elasticity polymer has a recoverable tensile strain from 5% to 700% when measured without the conductive reinforcement dispersed in the polymer.

Abstract: Provided is an anode particulate for a lithium battery, the particulate comprising a polymer foam material having pores and a single or a plurality of primary particles of an anode active material embedded in or in contact with said polymer foam material, wherein said primary particles of anode active material have a total solid volume Va, and said pores have a total pore volume Vp, and the volume ratio Vp/Va is from 0.1/1.0 to 10/1.

Abstract: Provided is an anode active material layer for a lithium battery. The anode active material layer comprises multiple anode active material particles and an optional conductive additive that are bonded together by a binder comprising a high-elasticity polymer having a recoverable or elastic tensile strain no less than 5% when measured without an additive or reinforcement in the polymer. The high-elasticity polymer contains a cross-linked network of polymer chains. The anode active material preferably has a specific lithium storage capacity greater than 372 mAh/g (e.g. Si, Ge, Sn, SnO2, Co3O4, etc.).

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing graphene-metal nanowire hybrid material, comprising: (A) preparing a catalyst metal-coated mixture mass, which includes mixing graphene sheets with source metal particles to form a mixture and depositing a nanoscaled catalytic metal onto surfaces of the graphene sheets and/or metal particles; and (B) exposing the catalyst metal-coated mixture mass to a high temperature environment (preferably from 100° C. to 2,500° C.) for a period of time sufficient to enable a catalytic metal-catalyzed growth of multiple metal nanowires using the source metal particles as a feed material to form the graphene-metal nanowire hybrid material composition. An optional etching or separating procedure may be conducted to remove catalytic metal or graphene from the metal nanowires.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing multiple particulates, the method comprising: (a) dispersing multiple primary particles of an anode active material, having a particle size from 2 nm to 20 ?m, and particles of a polymer foam material, having a particle size from 50 nm to 20 ?m, and an optional adhesive or binder in a liquid medium to form a slurry; and (b) shaping the slurry and removing the liquid medium to form the multiple particulates having a diameter from 100 nm to 50 ?m; wherein at least one of the multiple particulates comprises a polymer foam material having pores and a single or a plurality of the primary particles embedded in or in contact with the polymer foam material, wherein the primary particles have a total solid volume Va, and the pores have a total pore volume Vp, and the volume ratio Vp/Va is from 0.1/1.0 to 10/1.

Abstract: Provided is a battery charging system, comprising (a) at least one charging circuit to charge at least one rechargeable battery cell; and (b) a heating device to provide heat that is transported through a heat spreader element, implemented fully outside the battery cell, to heat up the battery cell to a desired temperature Tc before or during battery charging. The system may further comprise (c) a cooling device in thermal contact with the heat spreader element configured to enable transporting internal heat of the battery cell through the heat spreader element to the cooling device when the battery cell is discharged. Charging the battery at Tc enables completion of the charging of the battery in less than 15 minutes, typically less than 10 minutes, and more typically less than 5 minutes without adversely impacting the battery structure and performance. Also provided is a battery module or pack working with such a system.

Abstract: An electrode for a rechargeable lithium battery, the electrode comprising an electrode active material layer comprising an electrode active material that is in physical contact with or mixed with a quasi-solid or solid-state electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte comprises a polymer, which is a polymerization or crosslinking product of a reactive additive (reactive liquid electrolyte) comprising (i) a first liquid solvent that is polymerizable, (ii) an initiator and/or curing agent, (iii) a lithium salt, and (iv) an optional second liquid solvent; wherein the first liquid solvent occupies from 1% to 99% by weight and the second solvent, if present, occupies from 0.1% to 99% by weight based on the total weight of the reactive additive; wherein the first liquid solvent has a lower flash point, a higher vapor pressure, a higher dielectric constant, or a higher solubility of the lithium salt as compared with the second liquid solvent.

Abstract: Provided is method of producing graphene-embraced anode particulates for a lithium battery, the method comprising: (A) providing anode active material-decorated carbon or graphite particles, wherein the carbon or graphite particles have a diameter or thickness from 500 nm to 50 ?m and the anode active material, in a form of particles or coating having a diameter or thickness from 0.5 nm to 2 ?m, is bonded to surfaces of the carbon or graphite particles; and (B) embracing the anode active material-decorated carbon or graphite particles with a shell comprising multiple graphene sheets to produce the graphene-embraced anode particulates.