Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and chemical analyses were used for characterizing the effect of sulfate ions on the conversion rate of condensed Fe(OH) 3 gel, prepared from FeCl 3 and NaOH solution, to -FeOOH and -Fe 2 O 3 particles by aging at 100 C. Fine particles and supernatant solution were sampled from the aged suspensions containing colloidal particles. XRD profiles and TEM observation showed that -FeOOH was formed from the gel and subsequently converted into -Fe 2 O 3 . It was revealed that the addition of sulfate ions accelerated the -FeOOH formation from the gel, but delayed the conversion from -FeOOH to -Fe 2 O 3 . The concentration changes of sulfate and chloride ions in the supernatant solution phases were in agreement with the conversion from Fe(OH) 3 gel to -FeOOH andFe 2 O 3 particles.