TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Materials: The electrode material contains (by wt.) 2-5% polymeric binder, 0.5-2% latex additive, 2-6% conductive material and balance lithium intercalation compound.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Materials: The latex and binder combination comprises: (a) a latex based on a copolymer of vinyl pyrrolidone and sodium methacrylate and a styrene-butadiene copolymer binder; (b) a latex based on a partially saponified copolymer of vinyl acetate and an acrylic acid ester and a styrene-butadiene copolymer binder; or (c) a latex based on a partially saponified copolymer of vinyl acetate and methyl methacrylate and a butadienol polymer binder, the vinyl content in the binder being below 25 mol%.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Materials: The support substrate is a copper foil, a perforated copper sheet or expanded copper. The lithium intercalation compound is a graphite containing 5-15 wt.% carbon fibers of 0.1-1 mm length and 1-20 microns diameter, the wt. ratio of graphite to carbon black being 1000-1:1, preferably 50-25:1. EXAMPLE - Carbon black (3.06 wt.%) was homogenized with 0.70 wt.% additive (acrylic acid methyl ester and vinyl acetate copolymer partially saponified with NaOH) for 10 min. at room temperature, mixed with fully desalinated water for 15 min. to form a single phase suspension and then mixed within 20 min. with 84.37 wt.% mesocarbon microbeads and 9.98 wt.% carbon fibers (0.1-0.5 mm length and 6 microns thickness). After a pasty material had been formed, 1.88 wt.% polymer binder (61% styrene-25% butadiene copolymer with 2.5% acrylic acid and 1.5% acrylamide) was stirred in for 30 min. The material was pasted onto both sides of expanded copper, passed at 40 m/hr. through an air circulation oven at 160degreesC and calendared to final size.    When used as a negative electrode in a lithium ion cell, the cell exhibited a charged state voltage of 4.1 V, an energy density of 118 Wh./kg, a 3.0-4.5 V cycle stability (80% depth of discharge) of greater than 600 and an irreversible capacity loss (60degreesC for 1 day in the charged state (above 4 V)) of 2.5%.