beta-Spodumene (Li2O-Al2O3-4SiO(2), LAS) powders have been synthesized by a sol-gel process using Si(OC2H5)(4), Al(OC4H9)(3) and LiNO3 as starting material and TiO2 as a sintering aid. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electron diffraction (ED) analysis were utilized to study the sintering beta-spodumene precursor powders with ultrafine TiO2 additives. Densification has not been completed during sintering at 1350degreesC for 5 h for the LAS precursor powers added with 5.0 wt.% TiO2. These sintered bodies contain beta-spodumene as a main phase and a small amount of rutile TiO2. beta-Spodumene grains tend to coalesce to greater than 20.0 mum in size, while the rutile TiO2 phase segregates at the grain boundaries of beta-spodumene grains. The TiO2 addition in the sintering of beta-spodumene precursor powders has a tendency to inhibit the transformation of an amorphous LAS precursor to beta-spodumene. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.