Titanium carbide (TiC) reinforced tool steel matrix composites were successfully fabricated by a liquid pressing infiltration process and research was subsequently conducted to investigate the composites' oxidation resistance. The mass gain of the tested TiC-SKD11 composite held at 700 degrees C for 50 h in an air environment decreased by about 60%, versus that of the SKD11, which indicates improved oxidation resistance. Improved oxidation resistance of the TiC-SKD11 composite originates from uniformly reinforced TiC, with a phase transition to thermodynamically stable, volume-expanded TiO2. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.