  Polycrystalline samples of LaFeO3 and GdFeO3 were synthesized by the molten
salt method. Some properties and the quality of the resulting compounds were
investigated. The crystal structure and purity of the samples was determined
through X-ray diffraction and Rietveld analysis. The vibrational properties
were characterized by Raman and IR spectroscopy. M\"ossbauer spectroscopy was
used to determine the ionic state of the Fe ions and the internal hyperfine
magnetic fields Considerable reduction of the heat treatment (temperature and
time) for the reaction to take place was achieved without detriment of the
quality of the compounds.
