A process for producing high-purity, dense polycrystalline gallium nitride is proposed. Dense polycrystalline gallium nitride was produced by the reaction of ammonia, gallium metal, and a halide source in a quartz boat containing metallic gallium. The process is called the chemical vapor reaction process. The hard crust-like pieces of polycrystalline GaN obtained are of high purity, can be used as source material for single-crystal growth by the ammonothermal technique, sublimation, sputtering, and pulse laser deposition. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.