Material Loss and High Temperature Phase Transition in Lithium Ferrite

The morphology and kinetics of the phase transformations accompanying oxygen and lithium loss in LiFe 5 O 8 were studied at 1200°C in air, in oxygen ( P O 2 = 760 torr), and in vacuum ( P = 5×10 −5 torr), using high‐voltage electron microscopy. LiFeO 2 nucleated and grew in the LiFe 5 O 8 matrix and finally transformed to spinel in all three atmospheres; however, the kinetics of the transformation depended on the atmobphere. The dependence of these phase transformations on material loss is discussed.