“…1,2 The density of stoichiometric ZrC (6.64 g cm −3 ) is much lower than those of other refractory carbides such as HfC (12.7 g cm −3 ), TaC (14.8 g cm −3 ) and WC (15.6 g cm −3 ), 3 so ZrC could be a good potential material for structure component used in next-generation rocket engines and hypersonic spacecraft. 4,5 In addition, in the frame work of the Generation-IV nuclear energy system, ZrC is one of the possible inert matrix materials for gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR) fuel and potential fuel coating material for high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) fuel due to its resistance to corrosion by fission products and neutronic properties. 6,7 However, ZrC is also characterized by its poor sinterability, mainly due to its strong covalent bond characteristics and low self-diffusion coefficient, analogous to that of other carbides such as HfC, SiC, and B 4 C. In this context, pressure-assisted techniques and high sintering temperatures are generally applied to get dense ZrC bodies.…”