Multiphase nanocomposite material and method for its manufacture

1. An electrode comprising:

a multiphase composite material, said multiphase composite material comprising: a first, active, phase comprising an amorphous, electrochemically active material including nanophase domains of a material selected from the group consisting of: Sn, Sb, Bi, Pb, Ag, In, Si, Ge, Al, and combinations thereof; and a second, stabilizer, phase comprising a ceramic, said stabilizer phase being configured as a plurality of spaced apart regions having said active phase interspersed therebetween, said stabilizer phase being electrochemically active.

2. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein said stabilizer phase includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of: Fe, Zr, Ti, and C.

3. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein said stabilizer phase comprises a member selected from the group consisting of: metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal oxynitrides, metal oxycarbides, and combinations thereof.

4. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein said spaced apart regions of said stabilizer phase have a size in the range of 10–100 nanometers.

5. A method of making a multiphase composite material, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of components, said components including the elements of which said multiphase composite material is comprised; and

subjecting said plurality of components to a mechanical alloying process wherein said mechanical alloying process comprises a staged process wherein a first portion of said plurality of components are subjected to a first mechanical alloying process so as to produce a first component of said multiphase composite material, and a second portion of said components are subsequently subjected to a second mechanical alloying process with said component; whereby said multiphase composite material is formed.

6. A method of making a multiphase composite material, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of components, said components including the elements of which said multiphase composite material is comprised; and

subjecting said plurality of components to a mechanical alloying process which is a substitutional process wherein, in a first step, a first composition which includes a first and second element of said multiphase composite material is subjected to a mechanical alloying process along with a third composition which is comprised of a third element and a fourth element of said multiphase composite material, wherein said third element displaces said second element from said first composition so as to form a second composition which includes said first and third element.

7. A multiphase, composite material comprising:

a first, electrochemically active phase including amorphous, nanophase domains of tin or silicon therein; and

a second, stabilizer phase comprising an electrochemically active material selected from the group consisting of metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal oxynitrides, metal oxycarbides, and combinations thereof, said stabilizer phase comprising a matrix configured as a plurality of spaced apart regions having said first phase interspersed therebetween.

8. The material of claim 7 , wherein said active phase comprises, on a weight basis, 30–60% of said material.

9. The material of claim 7 , wherein said nanophase domains have a size in the range of 10–30 nanometers.

10. The material of claim 7 , wherein said stabilizer phase comprises an amorphous material.

11. The material of claim 7 , wherein said stabilizer phase comprises a crystalline material.

12. The material of claim 7 , wherein said material is prepared by a mechanical alloying process.

13. The material of claim 12 , wherein said mechanical alloying process is a ball milling process.

14. The material of claim 12 , wherein said mechanical alloying process is an attritor milling process.

15. The material of claim 12 , wherein said mechanical alloying process is a grinding process.