Mesocarbon Microbeads (MCMB) carrying five different types of hexagon align
ment, parallel, deformed onion-like, longitude-like, longitude-like with di
sclination, and Brooks/Taylor (latitude-like) were prepared and examined in
their performances as an anode of a Li-ion battery. The first two beads we
re prepared from naphthalene isotropic pitch without any inert materials, a
nd the next two were from the same pitch by adding isotropic and anisotropi
c coke grains as inert materials, respectively. The last one was prepared f
rom coal tar pitch. Textures of graphitized MCMB were found to be influenti
al on their anodic performances especially their cycle stability. A particu
lar MCMB with longitude-like with disclination was the best in its cyclabil
ity whereas Brooks/Taylor was worst, although their charge/discharge potent
ial profiles were much the same regardless of MCMB textures. Their discharg
e capacity ranged from 282 to 300 mAh/g, according to the graphitization ex
tent, the uni-chromatic sphere showing the largest capacity. (C) 1999 Elsev
ier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.