High energy ball milling to obtain ultrafine aluminium titanate particles has been investigated. Tempered steel has been selected as material for the containers and balls because the desirable properties of aluminium titanate are not degraded by small amounts of Fe2O3. The starting powders have been milled during different periods (1-60 h) and the evolution of the morphology and crystallinity of the treated powders as well as the extent of contamination from the milling media have been characterised. Different experimental techniques, X-ray diffraction, BET-analysis, chemical analysis, scanning electron microscopy and low and high resolution transmission electron microscopy have been used. High energy ball milling has been proved to be an efficient route to obtain submicron sized (50-100 nm) aluminium titanate powders, but further milling of the powders is accompanied by contamination from the milling media and the formation of hard agglomerates.