Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing chromium oxide powders, which comprises forming an aqueous slurry wherein the solids content is a mixture which consists essentially of in percent by weight about 5 to 15 chromium acetate and the balance chromium oxide, agglomerating the mixture, sintering the resulting agglomerated mixture in a hydrogen atmosphere at a temperature at about 1400.degree. C. to about 1550.degree. C. in metallic vessels, entraining the sintered chromium oxide powder in a carrier gas, passing the sintered chromium oxide powder and the carrier gas through a plasma flame at a power of about 10 to about 80 KW using an inert gas as the plasma gas, and cooling the resulting plasma heated chromium oxide powder to produce free flowing chromium oxide powder having a free chromium content of less than about 1% by weight.