Zinc vaporization of Mn-Zn ferrites was quantitatively characterized in terms of oxygen partial pressure P O 2 , temperature, grain size and sample geometry. The amount of zinc loss was measured as a function of time at various temperatures by a thermogravimetric method. The weight loss due to irreversible zinc vaporization showed a linear behavior with time and increased exponentially with temperature. The observed weight loss due to zinc evaporation at 1100°C was small, whereas a significant weight change was detected at 1200°C. The weight loss was even greater in a reducing atmosphere (P O 2 ؍ 5 ؋ 10 ؊5 ). Below 1300°C, the diffusion of elemental zinc was sufficiently fast to compensate the zinc loss at the interface region, resulting in a linear dependence on time. At temperatures >1400°C, the weight change no longer followed the linear dependence and showed a rather parabolic behavior with a concave upward slope. The core shape and the gas flow around ferrite cores were important factors that affected the rate of zinc vaporization, but not the grain size. Fig. 7. Weight loss per hour (%) as a function of specific surface area for toroidal and cylindrical ferrite cores.