Fe-Al intermetallic/TiC-Al_2O_3 ceramic composites were successfully prepared by self- propagating high-temperature synthesis(SHS)from natural ilmenite,aluminium and carbon as the raw materials.The effects of carbon sources,preheating time and heat treatment temperature on synthesis process and products were investigated in detail,and the reaction process of the FeTiO_3-Al-C system was also discussed. It is shown that the temperature and velocity of the combustion wave are higher when graphite is used as the carbon source,which can reflect the effect of the carbon source structure on the combustion synthesis; Prolonging the preheating time or heat treatment temperature is beneficial to the formation of the ordered intermetallics;The temperature and velocity of the combustion wave are improved,but the disordered alloys are difficult to eliminate with the preheating time prolonged.The compound powders mainly containing ordered Fe3Al intermetallic can be prepared through heat treatment at 750℃. Fe-Al intermetallic / TiC-Al_2O_3 ceramic composites were successfully prepared by self- propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) from natural ilmenite, aluminum and carbon as the raw materials.The effects of carbon sources, preheating time and heat treatment temperature on synthesis process and products were investigated in detail, and the reaction process of the FeTiO_3-Al-C system was also discussed. It is shown that the temperature and velocity of the combustion wave are higher when graphite is used as the carbon source, which can reflect the effect of the carbon source structure on the combustion synthesis; Prolonging the preheating time or heat treatment temperature is beneficial to the formation of the ordered intermetallics; The temperature and velocity of the combustion wave are improved, but the disordered alloys are difficult to eliminate with the preheating time prolonged.The compound powders mainly containing ordered Fe3Al intermetallic can be prepared through heat treatment at 750 ° C.