Electrode material for a lithium secondary battery

A material for the negative electrode of a lithium secondary battery is composed of graphite having a particle size up to 100 mu m and being obtained by pulverising natural graphite crystals, at least 80% by weight of the particles having a hexagonal structure or both a hexagonal structure and a rhombohedral structure. The material has a lithium deintercalation capacity of at least 320 mAh/g.