NOVELTY - The anode material comprises a submicron or lower micron-scaled graphitic fibril obtained by chemically or thermo-chemically splitting a micron-diameter carbon fiber or graphite fiber into an aggregate of multiple interconnected or partially bonded fibrils and separating the graphitic fibril from the aggregate. The submicron or lower micron-scaled graphitic fibril: has a diameter or thickness of 2-5 mu m, a length of greater than 10 mu m and an elongate axis; and comprises 95 wt.% of carbon atoms arranged in a stack of multiple layers of hexagonal carbon or graphene plane.    USE - The anode material is useful in a lithium ion battery, and for electric vehicle battery applications.    ADVANTAGE - The anode material has high reversible capacity, good charge/discharge cycling stability, low and high charge rate conditions, improved strength and modulus, and enhanced thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity, increases the performance and cycle life of the battery, and ensures minimal amount of solid-electrolyte interface and easy migration of lithium ions in and out of the fibrils.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The anode material comprises a submicron or lower micron-scaled graphitic fibril obtained by chemically or thermo-chemically splitting a micron-diameter carbon fiber or graphite fiber into an aggregate of multiple interconnected or partially bonded fibrils and separating the graphitic fibril from the aggregate. The submicron or lower micron-scaled graphitic fibril: has a diameter or thickness of 2-5 mu m, a length of greater than 10 mu m and an elongate axis; comprises 95 wt.% of carbon atoms arranged in a stack of multiple layers of hexagonal carbon or graphene plane, and graphite single or multiple crystal having multiple layers of graphene plane parallel to the fibril elongate axis; is obtained by a method comprising introducing an intercalating agent into inter-crystallite spaces and/or imperfections of the micron-diameter carbon fiber or graphite fiber to form an intercalated fiber at a first temperature and a first pressure, activating the intercalating agent to split the intercalated fiber into an aggregate of multiple interconnected submicron graphitic fibrils having interconnections between fibrils, and mechanically severing the interconnections to obtain the submicron graphitic fibril; and is coated with a thin layer of amorphous carbon after the splitting or separating step. The anode material is prepared from micron-diameter carbon fiber or graphite fiber having a diameter of greater than or equal to 6 mu m. The intercalating agent penetrates an inter-graphene plane space. The introduction of the intercalating agent consists of chemical intercalating, electrochemical intercalating, gaseous phase intercalating, liquid phase intercalating, and/or supercritical fluid intercalating. The chemical intercalating comprises exposing the carbon fiber or graphite fiber to a chemical. The electrochemical intercalating comprises utilizing a carboxylic acid as an electrolyte and an intercalating agent source, and imposing a current at a current density of 50-600 A/m2 to the carbon fiber or graphite fiber used as an electrode material of an electrochemical apparatus. The activation of the intercalating agent comprises exposing the intercalated fiber to a second temperature of 600-1100 degrees C or a second pressure to obtain the graphitic fibril.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The diagram shows a schematic view of a carbon or graphite fiber consisting of multiple graphitic fibrils of an anode material.