The surface of alumina, which is hydrophilic in general, was made hydrophobic either by adsorption of polymer (phys-adsorption) or by an alkylation reaction with alcohol (chem-adsorption) to enable dispersion in dodecane. Hypermer A70 (8.2 nm) was used as the polymer and 1-octanol (1.2 nm), 1-decanol (1.5 nm) and 1-hexadecanol (2.5 nm) were used as the alcohol (values in brackets are the approximate thickness of the steric barrier). Rheological measurements of ceramic suspensions indicate that it is possible to achieve a high solid loading (50 vol.%) with relatively low viscosity (0.25 Pa s at 100 s(-1), the typical shear rate for pumping of liquids in pipes) as long as the stabilising molecule is large enough. The observed rheological behaviour fitted the Quemada viscosity model quite well when excluded volume effects were taken into account. Addition of 2.8 wt.% of Hypermer A70 with respect to weight of alumina was enough to stabilise the particles. (C) 2011 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights reserved.