The engineering aspects of the preparation of nanostructured alumina ceramic precursors by alcoholate hydrolysis using microemulsions as reaction media are investigated here. The precipitate was subjected to several treatment steps. Although the properties of the primary precipitated powders are independent of the chemical or reaction engineering parameters of the precipitation procedure, the structure of treated powders and sintered, dense ceramics strongly depends on thermal and mechanical handling like crystallization or grinding of the alumina ceramic precursor. Strong differences are manifested in relative densities and sintering kinetics and can be observed by SEM analysis. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.