A process for producing friable particles having an alumina ball content of at least
about 99.5 weight percent, a surface area of less than about 1 m2 /g, an attrition resistance of less than about 0.3 weight percent per hour when tested in an air jet apparatus, a particle size ranging from about 30 to about 110 microns, a tap density of about 1.3 to about 1.9 g/cc, a generally spherical shape, and sufficient porosity to hold catalytic quantities of catalytic metals, said process comprising (i) heating hydrated alumina particles having a particle size of about 35 to about 150 microns to remove at least about 90 weight percent of the bound water and to convert the hydrate to at least gamma alumina ball and (ii) entraining the particles in a carrier gas and passing them through a high temperature zone of a plasma spray at a temperature sufficient to at least partially melt the particles and to cause them to have the properties.