Formulation and dispersion behavior of low-fire NiO-CuO-ZnO ferrite powder in an alpha-terpineol/butyl carbitol acetate (BCA) organic vehicle containing a binder of ethylcellulose (EC) have been investigated. Rheological results show that a dispersant of phosphate ester can effectively disperse low-fire ferrite powder in the above organic solution. Chemical compatibility between binder and plasticizer is qualitatively predicted by the concept of solubility parameter, resulting in an effective plasticizer of tricresyl phosphate (TCP) to EC. A composition of organic vehicle consisting of 15 wt.% EC T-45, 8 wt.% TCP and 77 wt.% of 25 vol.% BCA/75 vol.% alpha-terpineol is formulated to have a suitable rheological behavior for low-fire NiO-CuO-ZnO ferrite paste. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.