Abstract: High surface area alumina bodies for use as catalysts, catalyst carriers, and sorbents are made by controlled mixing of fine particle size platy boehmite alumina aggregates with a monobasic acid to produce non-pasty free-flowing particulate mass of aggregates of boehmite. This mass can then be formed by pressure into selected shapes such as rings, saddles, cylinders, solid, or hollow, or pellets, dried and fired to produce bodies of boehmite, gamma alumina, delta alumina, theta alumina or alpha alumina ranging in surface area of from 10 square meters per gram to greater than 300 square meters per gram. Catalytic metal can be included in the bodies by impregnation, before or after firing, or can be incorporated by inclusion in the aqueous acid treating solution.