Aluminum nitride (AlN)-silicon carbide (SiC) nanocomposite powders were prepared by the nitridation of aluminum-silicon carbide (Al4SiC4) with the specific surface area of 15.5 m(2.)g(-1). The powders nitrided at and above 1400degreesC for 3 h contained the 2H-phases which consisted of AlN-rich and SiC-rich phases. The formation of homogeneous solid solution proceeded with increasing nitridation temperature from 1400degrees up to 1500degreesC. The specific surface area of the AlN-SiC powder nitrided at 1500degreesC for 3 h was 19.5 m(2.)g(-1), whereas the primary particle size (assuming spherical particles) was estimated to be similar to100 nm.