Using ethanol as the solvent, chemical reactions of ferric chloride and lit
hium hydroxide were studied under heated conditions. Crystallized beta -LiF
e5O8 and alpha -LiFeO2 were produced from the starting materials of differe
nt molar ratios. Owing to the incompleteness of reactions that occurred in
the organic medium, an equilibrium between the two lithium ferrite phases w
as discovered. The reason for excess lithium source material for alpha -LiF
eO2 was made clear by analyzing the chemical processes to the lithium ferri
te. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.