The effects of gallia additions on the sintering behavior of gadolinia-doped ceria were systematically investigated from the following aspects: the variation in sintered density, the variation in grain size, and the existing forms of Ga2O3 in CeO2. Sintered density increased with increasing Ga2O3 content up to 5 mol.% and then it decreased with further addition of Ga2O3. Grain size also increased with increasing Ga2O3 content up to 5 mol.% and then decreased with further addition of Ga2O3. Decrease in grain size was caused by a pinning effect of Ga2O3 precipitation at grain boundaries. Lattice constant decreased with increasing Ga2O3 content up to 5 mol.%. This decrease will be due to the substitution of smaller Ga3+ ions for Ce4+ ions in the CeO2 structure. According to the results obtained from scanning, electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, the solubility limit of Ga2O3 in Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9 ceramics can be estimated to be nearly 5 mol.%. The addition of Ga2O3 up to the solubility limit was found to promote the sintering properties of Gd2O3-doped CeO2. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.