Nanostructured Sn30Co30C40 alloys for lithium-ion battery negative electrodes prepared by horizontal roller milling

Horizontal roller milling was used to prepare Sn30Co30C40 electrode materials. By varying the milling conditions, it was possible to obtain nanostructured materials whose X-ray diffraction patterns mimicked the diffraction pattern of the same material obtained by vertical-axis attritor milling or by co-sputtering. Electrochemical testing showed that composite electrodes made from each of the prepared materials showed stable charge-discharge capacity for at least 100 charge discharge cycles and displayed stable differential capacity versus potential profiles. Small angle neutron scattering results showed that samples prepared by roller milling and by attriting showed similar nanostructure with Co-Sn grains of about 60 Å in a carbon matrix.