Autogenous attrition grinding

A method for grinding silicon carbide to a submicron powder which comprises grinding a silicon carbide feed material having an average particle size of between 1 and 200 microns in a liquid slurry in a contamination free high energy autogenous attrition mill in the presence of silicon carbide media for a sufficient time to obtain a specific surface area of at least 5 m2/g and preferably at least 9 m2/g. The media is of high purity and has an average particle size of less than 4 mm and preferably less than 2.5 mm. The ground material is then further treated so that the average particle size is less than one micron and so that greater than 97 numerical percent of the particles of the finished powder is smaller than 5 microns. The invention includes the finished powder.