The effect of oxygen partial pressure, ranging from 0.001 to 1.0 atm, and temperature, in the range of 930"-955"C, on the solid-state sintering kinetics of the superconducting ceramic YBa,Cu,O,-, has been studied. Isothermal compaction rates between 930" and 955°C reached a maximum at some critical PO2 (PO;R1T), with decreasing rates both above and below this oxygen partial pressure. This behavior was not observed for YBa,Cu,O,-, sintered at 960"C, when a liquid phase is present. The activation energy for sintering above PO:R1T has been estimated to be -190 kJ/mol, whereas below PO?R1T it was found to be -130 kJ/mol. The oxygen ion diffusion was considered to be the rate-determining step above POFRIT, while it is hypothesized that lattice strain caused by the formation of oxygen ion vacancies below affected the rate of sintering.1177