A thermodynamic calculation about the synthesis of ZrC from the ZrCl4-C3H6-H-2-Ar system with high percentage of H-2 was performed using the FactSage thermochemical software. According to the calculation, ZrC coating was synthesized on graphite substrates and carbon fibers by a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) process, and growth rate of the ZrC coating as a function of temperature was investigated. The surface diagrams of condensed-phases in this system were expressed as the functions of the deposition temperature, total pressure and reactant ratios of ZrCl4/(ZrCl4 + C3H6), H-2/(ZrCl4 + C3H6), and the yield of the products was determined by the diagrams. A smooth and dense ZrC coating could be synthesized under the instruction of the calculated parameters. The morphologies of the ZrC coatings were significantly affected by temperature and gases flux. The deposition temperature is much lower than that from the ZrCl4-CH4-H-2-Ar system. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.