TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The method further comprises: (c) drying the nanometer size particles; and (d) mixing the nanometer size particles with a carbon precursor, and (e) pyrolyzing the mixture, thus forming a coat of conductive carbon on at least part of the surface of the particles. The step (a) is performed in: a bead mill, preferably using zirconia beads; a puck and ring mill; a jet mill; or a cyclone mill. In the method, an amount of the alloying elements is less than or equal to 2 wt.% of the particulate material. The amount of the carrier solvent is adjusted to represent 5-20 (preferably 10) wt.% of the particulate material. The step (e) is performed: at 600-800 degrees C, preferably at 730 degrees C; at a rate of 3-10 degrees C/minute, preferably 6 degrees C/minute; during a period of 30 minutes to 2 hours, preferably 1 hour; and under inert atmosphere, preferably argon atmosphere. Preferred Components: The element is silicon. The oxide is silicon monoxide. The alloy comprises at least one of lithium, aluminum, magnesium, iron, germanium, carbon, bismuth, silver, tin, zinc, boron, titanium, strontium, phosphorus and oxygen.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The carrier solvent is an organic solvent or water, preferably isopropanol or cyclohexane. The amount of conductive carbon formed is 0.5-10 (preferably 2-5) wt.% of the particulate material. The conductive carbon is non-powdery.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The carbon precursor is: an organic material; a crosslinkable monomer, oligomer, polymer or copolymer; and preferably poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-octadecene). The stabilizing agent is a surfactant, preferably Triton 100X (RTM: Polyoxyethylene octyl phenyl ether). EXAMPLE - Metallurgical grade silicon (10 kg) was melted in an induction furnace using a graphite crucible under argon atmosphere. The liquid silicon was held for 10 minutes for complete homogenization at 1450 degrees C and casted in a graphite mold to allow cooling to room temperature. The impurity content of the ingot obtained measured by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is less than 2 wt.% of the material. The ingot was crushed into centimeter size particles using a jaw crusher with an abrasion resistant zirconia liner to lower metal contamination. The centimeter size particles were further ground by using a roll crusher having zirconia rolls to achieve millimeter size particles. The millimeter size particles were ground by using a cyclone mill to achieve micrometer sized powder. Laser scattering analyzer observations showed that dry milling leaded to micrometer size primary particles with 0.2 pm-20 pm after one pass. The micrometer size powder was dispersed in isopropyl alcohol solution at 10 wt.% of solid concentration in the presence of a Triton 100X (RTM: Polyoxyethylene octyl phenyl ether) surfactant agent (0.5 wt.% solid) and then ground on a bead mill using 0.3 mm zirconia beads to achieve nanometer size particles.