A process for solid lubricant filler powder used in abradable coating manufacture comprising mixing a bentonite clay and a hexagonal boron nitride powder to form a mixture of the bentonite clay and the hexagonal boron nitride powder; consolidating the bentonite clay and the hexagonal boron nitride powder to form a composite material; heat treating the composite material to at least 500 degrees centigrade; breaking up the composite material into a variety of sizes; and segregating the composite material to produce a final product of free flowing, low dust powder of composite hexagonal boron nitride and calcined bentonite.