▎ 摘　　要

NOVELTY - Composite particulate has a diameter 10 nm to 50 mu m, and comprises one or more anode active material particles (34) that are dispersed in a high-elasticity polymer matrix (32) or encapsulated by a high-elasticity polymer shell. The high-elasticity polymer matrix or shell has a recoverable tensile strain no less than 5%, when measured without an additive or reinforcement dispersed therein, and a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10-8 S/cm at room temperature and the high-elasticity polymer comprises at least a crosslinked polymer network of chains from at least one polymer containing carboxylic and/or hydroxyl groups or from at least one polymer that is water-soluble prior to crosslinking. USE - The composite particulate is used in an anode for a lithium battery including a lithium-ion battery, lithium metal battery, lithium-sulfur battery, lithium-selenium battery, or lithium-air battery (all claimed). ADVANTAGE - The composite particulate reduces size of the active material particle, presumably for the purpose of reducing the total strain energy that can be stored in a particle, which is a driving force for crack formation in the particle, has a reduced particle size implies a higher surface area available for potentially reacting with the liquid electrolyte. DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for the following: (1) an anode comprising multiple composite particulates as an anode material, a conductive additive, and a binder resin that bonds the composite particulates and the conductive additive together; (2) a lithium battery comprising the anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte in ionic contact with the anode and the cathode, and an optional porous separator; and (3) a method of producing multiple composite particulates comprising (i) dispersing multiple particles of the anode active material in a precursor polymer solution to form a suspension, where these particles are fully embedded or immersed in the precursor solution, which comprises at least a polymer dispersed in a liquid solvent or a liquid mixture of monomers, an initiator or catalyst, and an optional curing agent, where the polymer or a monomer comprises a carboxylic and/or hydroxyl functional group, and (b) operating a secondary particle-forming procedure to shape the suspension into multiple droplets and remove the liquid solvent from the droplets, and (c) crosslinking the polymer or polymerizing and crosslinking the monomers to form the composite particulates where a particulate comprises one or more of the anode active material particles that are dispersed and embedded in a polymer matrix or encapsulated by a polymer shell. DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawing shows a schematic of three types of composite particulates. High-elasticity polymer matrix (32) Multiple anode active material primary particles (34) Three dimensional network of electron-conducting pathways (36) Shell (48) Pores (50) Conductive protection shell or coating (52)