In this article, a novel pressureless solid-liquid reaction method is presented for preparation of yttrium disilicate (␥-Y 2 Si 2 O 7 ). Single-phase ␥-Y 2 Si 2 O 7 powder was synthesized by calcination of SiO 2 and Y 2 O 3 powders with the addition of LiYO 2 at 1400°C for 4 h. The addition of LiYO 2 significantly decreased the synthesis temperature, shortened the calcination time, and enhanced the stability of ␥-Y 2 Si 2 O 7 . The sintering of these powders in air and O 2 was studied by means of thermal mechanical analyzer. It is shown that the ␥-Y 2 Si 2 O 7 sintered in oxygen had a faster densification rate and a higher density than that sintered in air. Furthermore, single-phase ␥-Y 2 Si 2 O 7 with a density of 4.0 g/cm 3 (99% of the theoretical density) was obtained by pressureless sintering at 1400°C for 2 h in oxygen. Microstructures of the sintered samples are studied by scanning electron microscope.