Reaction thermodynamics was utilized to analyze the selective carbonization conditions of ZrO 2 -TiO 2 -Y 2 O 3 ultrafine powder and to define the temperature range of the selective carbonization. The ZrO 2 -TiO 2 -Y 2 O 3 powder was prepared by coprecipitation from a solution containing Zr 4+ , Ti 4+ , and Y 3+ . The powder was selectively carbonized at 1350°, 1450°, 1550°, and 1650°C, respectively, for 2 h under argon atmosphere with sucrose as the carbon source. The resulting product was analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The experimental results indicated that the ZrO 2 -TiO 2 -Y 2 O 3 powder could be selectively carbonized in situ at 1450°C to form a carbonized powder which was composed of TiC and tZrO 2 . It was also found that zirconium carbide could be formed at 1550°C, which is much lower than the carbonization temperature of ZrO 2 defined by thermodynamics.