Silicon has been extensively studied as a lithium ion battery anode due to its high capacity and abundant in nature. Huge volume expansion (>300%) and relatively low electrical conductivity of this material resulted in pulverization, unstable SEI formation and poor cycling stability. Preparation of silicon nanomaterials (nanoparticles, nanowires, nanotubes and porous silicon) combined with carbon (carbon nanotubes, graphene and carbon coating) has significant achievements in addressing these problems but lacking in satisfying the requirements of practical application cost, high mass loading to have high capacity per unit area and simple method for the mass production. Fast growing solar industry produces tons of valuable crystalline silicon containing kerf loss (Kf) waste during slicing of the silicon ingots. Utilization of this Kf as a silicon source will provide an environmental friendly cheap constant source for the lithium ion battery anode and complement each other in the aspect of power generation and storage.

 Kf silicon source with simple industrially mature high-energy ball milling (HEBM) is used here as a method for the material preparation. Instead of separating robust non-conductive abrasive SiC particles from Kf, it is adopted as millers to reduce Si particle size and skeleton to accommodate silicon volume expansion. In addition to SiC, nickel is added further to absorb volume expansion and to serve as electrical conductor along with the small amount of carbon black. Milling and calcination of Kf, nickel oxide and carbon black leads to the formation of micrometer sized agglomerates (~ 10 µm) composed of nanometer sized silicon, silicon carbide, nickel and carbon black (SSNC) ternary composite particles. This reduction of Si particle size with agglomerates formation gives rise to high particle tap-density and helped to achieve high mass loading on the electrode. This SSNC ternary composite has exhibited high reversible capacity > 800 mAh/g with comparably low first-cycle irreversibility.  Reduction of silicon and engineering of its surface with non-conductive SiC and conductive nickel and carbon composite successfully reduced the volume expansion, leading to substantially enhanced cycle stability.