The widespread use of TiC-based cermets as cutting tools, thin-film, ultracapacitors, nozzles, and bearings is primarily due to exhibit combination of excellent mechanical properties such as low density, high hardness, and stiffness. The TiC cermets were synthesized by high energy ball milling, which includes binder metal (Ni), carbides (WC and Mo₂C), wherein the present study focus on the relationship between the core-rim structure, phase constitution, and mechanical properties. Here, using in situ TEM, we clearly observed the behavior of adjacent core-rim formation from the solid-phase reaction with grain refinement of the TiC phase control of both the milling time and lattice formation. Also, we proposed that mechanically alloyed core-rim structure can affect oxidation resistance of TiC-Mo₂C-WC-Ni cermets strongly related to activation energy attributed to TiC particle size. The mechanical properties of TiC-Mo₂C-WC-Ni cermets suggest the hardening effect is not considered only grain refinement, but rather is solid solution strengthening and particle-dispersion hardening. The present study paves the relation to the formation behavior of both TiC hard phase and core-rim structure due to the mechanical powder synthesis of novel TiC-based cermets

Keywords: Titanium carbide; metal matrix composites, mechanical alloying, core-rim structure, micro-hardness