MnZn-ferrite powders were prepared using hydrothermal syntheses of a homogenous mixture of the raw oxides, i.e., Fe2O3, ZnO and Mn3O4, at 280 degreesC in air. The hydrothermal synthesis was performed in the presence of various amounts of an anionic dispersant. The final results of the hydrothermal reaction between the raw oxides were fine powders with a heterogeneous phase composition mostly composed of iron oxide and spinel products. The composition of the spinel products depended to a great extent on the amount of dispersant in the hydrothermally treated suspension. Without the dispersant addition, Zn ferrite and Zn manganate spinel products were formed, while in the presence of the dispersant, the ferrimagnetic MnZn-ferrite spinel product was obtained. A larger amount of the dispersant in the reaction mixture increased the conversion rate of the raw oxides into the Mn, Zn ferrite spinel product. Additionally, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was used during the hydrothermal synthesis in order to bind the chlorine impurities, introduced into the hydrothermally prepared powder with the raw Fe2O3. With the PVA burnout, the level of chlorine impurities was decreased by approximately 50%. (C) 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers.