Densification and grain growth in doped LiFe/sub 5/O/sub 8/ spinel

In processing ceramic materials, it is very often desirable to add small amounts of selected impurities to control sintering rates, grain growth, and physical and chemical properties. In the case of LiFe/sub 5/O/sub 8/, additives are crucial in developing a useful magnetic square-loop material. The influence of the dopants on densification and microstructure, which may themselves significantly influence the electrical and magnetic properties of the ferrite, has not been studied. The effects of common dopants, e.g. NiO, MgO, and TiO/sub 2/, on densification and grain growth in LiFe/sub 5/O/sub 8/ are reported.