A mesoporous silicon compound includes a mesoporous silicon phase, a metal silicide phase, and a carbon phase. The metal silicide is embedded in mesoporous silicon particles, the surfaces of which are coated with a carbon layer. A weight ratio of elemental silicon to the metal element is from 2:3 to 900:1. The pores of the mesoporous silicon particles have a size distribution from two nanometers to eighty nanometers.

A coated cutting tool has a substrate and a coating layer. At least one layer of the coating layer is a coarse grain layer with an average layer thickness of 0.2 to 10 μm and an average grain diameter in excess of 200 nm measured at the direction parallel to the interface of the coating layer. A composition of the layer is represented by (Al.sub.aTi.sub.bM.sub.c)X, wherein M represents at least one of Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Y, B and Si, X represents at least one of C, N and O, and a, b and c represents atomic ratios of Al, Ti and M relative to one another such that 0.30≦a≦0.65, 0.35≦0.70, 0≦c≦0.20 and a+b+c=1.

A coated cutting tool has a substrate and a coating layer. At least one layer of the coating layer is a coarse grain layer with an average layer thickness of 0.2 to 10 μm and an average grain diameter in excess of 200 nm measured at the direction parallel to the interface of the coating layer. A composition of the layer is represented by (Al.sub.aTi.sub.bM.sub.c)X, wherein M represents at least one of Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Y, B and Si, X represents at least one of C, N and O, and a, b and c represents atomic ratios of Al, Ti and M relative to one another such that 0.30≦a≦0.65, 0.35≦0.70, 0≦c≦0.20 and a+b+c=1.

The present invention relates to a fluidized bed reactor, comprising a reaction tube, a distributor and a heating device, the reaction tube and the distributor at the bottom of the reaction tube composing a closed space, the distributor comprising a gas inlet and a product outlet, and the reaction tube comprising a tail gas outlet and a seed inlet at the top or upper part respectively, characterized in that the reaction tube comprises a reaction inner tube and a reaction outer tube, and the heating device is an induction heating device placed within a hollow cavity formed between the external wall of the reaction inner tube and the internal wall of the reaction outer tube, wherein the hollow cavity is filled with hydrogen, nitrogen or inert gas for protection, and is able to maintain a pressure of about 0.01 to about 5 MPa; and also to a process of producing high purity granular polysilicon using the reactor. The fluidized bed reactor according to the present invention uses induction heating to heat directly the silicon particles inside the reaction chamber, such that the temperature of the reaction tube is lower than that inside the reaction chamber, which accordingly avoids deposition on the tube wall and results in more uniform heating, and thus is useful for large diameter fluidized bed reactors with much increased output for a single reactor.

A SiOC composite material in microparticulate form, wherein the microparticles are formed, in whole or in part, of an amorphous SiOC matrix with Si ranging from 20 wt % to 60 wt %, O from 20 wt % to 40 wt % and C from 10 wt % to 50 wt %, based on the total weight of the SiOC matrix, wherein amorphous or crystallized silicon particles are embedded within the SiOC matrix and wherein the microparticles are of core/coating structure with a core formed of the amorphous SiOC matrix and coated with at least one amorphous carbon layer; and to a method for producing such SiOC composite material. It also relates to an electrode active material, an electrode and a battery, especially a lithium-ion battery, including the aforementioned SiOC composite material.

A SiOC composite material in microparticulate form, wherein the microparticles are formed, in whole or in part, of an amorphous SiOC matrix with Si ranging from 20 wt % to 60 wt %, O from 20 wt % to 40 wt % and C from 10 wt % to 50 wt %, based on the total weight of the SiOC matrix, wherein amorphous or crystallized silicon particles are embedded within the SiOC matrix and wherein the microparticles are of core/coating structure with a core formed of the amorphous SiOC matrix and coated with at least one amorphous carbon layer; and to a method for producing such SiOC composite material. It also relates to an electrode active material, an electrode and a battery, especially a lithium-ion battery, including the aforementioned SiOC composite material.

The present invention provides an energy storage device comprising a cathode region or other element. The device has a major active region comprising a plurality of first active regions spatially disposed within the cathode region. The major active region expands or contracts from a first volume to a second volume during a period of a charge and discharge. The device has a catholyte material spatially confined within a spatial region of the cathode region and spatially disposed within spatial regions not occupied by the first active regions. In an example, the catholyte material comprises a lithium, germanium, phosphorous, and sulfur (“LGPS”) containing material configured in a polycrystalline state. The device has an oxygen species configured within the LGPS containing material, the oxygen species having a ratio to the sulfur species of 1:2 and less to form a LGPSO material. The device has a protective material formed overlying exposed regions of the cathode material to substantially maintain the sulfur species within the catholyte material. Also included is a novel dopant configuration of the Li.sub.aMP.sub.bS.sub.c (LMPS) [M=Si, Ge, and/or Sn] containing material.

The present invention provides an energy storage device comprising a cathode region or other element. The device has a major active region comprising a plurality of first active regions spatially disposed within the cathode region. The major active region expands or contracts from a first volume to a second volume during a period of a charge and discharge. The device has a catholyte material spatially confined within a spatial region of the cathode region and spatially disposed within spatial regions not occupied by the first active regions. In an example, the catholyte material comprises a lithium, germanium, phosphorous, and sulfur (“LGPS”) containing material configured in a polycrystalline state. The device has an oxygen species configured within the LGPS containing material, the oxygen species having a ratio to the sulfur species of 1:2 and less to form a LGPSO material. The device has a protective material formed overlying exposed regions of the cathode material to substantially maintain the sulfur species within the catholyte material. Also included is a novel dopant configuration of the Li.sub.aMP.sub.bS.sub.c (LMPS) [M=Si, Ge, and/or Sn] containing material.

The present invention relates to a reduced-graphene-oxide/silicon-metal-particle composite, a method of manufacturing the composite and an electrode for a secondary battery including the composite. The method of manufacturing the reduced-graphene-oxide/silicon-metal-particle composite includes preparing a reduced-graphene-oxide dispersion solution by reducing graphene oxide formed through cation-pi interaction, preparing a reduced-graphene-oxide/silicon-metal-particle dispersion solution by mixing the reduced-graphene-oxide dispersion solution with silicon metal particles, and manufacturing a composite powder having a core-shell structure by drying the reduced-graphene-oxide/silicon-metal-particle dispersion solution. Thereby, reduced graphene oxide can be formed using the graphene oxide dispersion solution having few defects and high purity obtained through cation-pi interaction, and dried to afford a composite powder having a core-shell structure, which is applicable to an electrode for a secondary battery.

Silicon-carbon composite materials and related processes are disclosed that overcome the challenges for providing amorphous nano-sized silicon entrained within porous carbon. Compared to other, inferior materials and processes described in the prior art, the materials and processes disclosed herein find superior utility in various applications, including energy storage devices such as lithium ion batteries.