Yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) fiber was prepared by sol-gel method using water as the solvent. The spinnable YAG sol was synthesized using Al powder, Y(CH3COOH)(3)center dot 4H(2)O and HCl as precursors, polyethylene oxide as viscosity adjusting agent. Gel fibers with diameter of 5-10 mu m were prepared from the YAG sol by using centrifugal spinning technique. YAG crystalline fibers were obtained by drying gel fibers and heat-treating at selected temperature. TG/DTA analysis showed an exotherm at 906 degrees C attributed to formation of YAG phase and weight loss of 45% at 1000 degrees C. XRD and FT-IR analysis showed that phase-pure YAG can be formed at 900 degrees C, and no other intermediate was observed. The grain size of YAG fibers increased from 25 to 220 nm and tensile strength decreased rapidly from 970 to 380 MPa when the sintering temperature increased from 900 to 1550 degrees C. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.