Rutile single crystals inclined at 48degrees to the c-axis were successfully prepared at a high growth rate of 40 mm/h by the floating zone method. A small crystal-diameter of about 3 mm was effective to suppress the formation of low-angle grain boundaries under an oxygen partial pressure of about 10(3) Pa. At a growth rate of 60 mm/h, these crystals did not contain low-angle grain boundaries but incorporated a number of bubbles without regard to oxygen partial pressures between 10(2) and 10(4) Pa. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.