In this paper, a liquid-phase hydrolization method to synthesize nanometer rutile titania directly without transformation from anatase is proposed. By utilizing this method, the particle size of the rutile titania nanoparticles can be controlled by adjusting the reaction conditions, e.g. the concentration of sodium hydroxide solution, reaction temperature, and calcining temperature of the powder. These titania nanoparticles have been used for the preparation of a novel composite insulation coating for magnet wires. First results showed that the lifetime of the modified nanomagnet wire in the inverter-fed motor could be prolonged to eight times compared with the non-modified wire. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.