Aluminum nitride (AIN) nanopowder was successfully synthesized from transition alumina nanopowder using an NH3-C3H8 gas mixture as a reduction-nitridation agent. Phase-pure, nanocrystalline AIN powder with a specific surface area of 36.4 m(2)/g and a mean particle size of 51 nm was prepared under, typical reaction conditions. The resulting AIN nanopowders possessed excellent sinterabitity, allowing full densification in conventional processing, even without the addition of sintering aids.