The alumina grains in liquid-phase-sintered (LPS) materials prepared from different commercial sources have a predominantly platelet morphology. Generally, the MgO:(CaO + BaO + Na2O + K2O) ratio in the chemical composition controls the morphology in LPS alumina that is 91-94 wt% pure. Within a given range of SiO2 content (i.e., 4.3-5.2wt% in the chemical composition), a low MgO:(CaO + BaO + Na2O + K2O) ratio (i.e., <1.0) in the LPS compositions favors the formation of elongated grains, whereas ratios of >1.0 result in equiaxed grains. SiO2 contents outside the 4.3-5.2 wt% range favor, the formation of elongated grains. A tendency to form platelike grains is observed for LPS alumina with a purity of 91-94 wt% when both the MgO:(CaO + BaO + Na2O + K2O) ratio and the SiO2 content are relatively low. The sintered density generally increases as the SiO2 content in the chemical composition decreases.