The surface of polycrystalline silicon carbide with and without binder was modified by one pulse of 5 ms irradiation using an Nd:YAG laser in argon, carbon dioxide and air atmospheres. At the irradiated area on the surface of the sample, the color of the surface was completely different from that of the nonirradiated area, with the occurrence of surface ablation. In addition, Raman spectra indicated a very sharp and intense peak at 1580 cm(-1), suggesting the presence of crystallized graphite. X-ray diffractometry revealed the existence of the (002) diffraction line that is attributable to graphite. (C) 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers.