SiC short fibers, with an average diameter of 13 mu m, length of 300-1,000 mu m and chopped from SiC continuous fibers, were surface modified by the semi-solid mechanical stirring method to produce a discrete coating of aluminum particles. Then the starting mixtures, which consist of SiC short composite fibers, aluminum powder less than 50 mu m and alpha-SiC powder of an average diameter of 0.6 mu m, were mechanically mixed in ethanol for about 3 h, dried at 80 degrees C in air, and hot pressed under 30 MPa pressure at 1,650, 1,750 and 1,850 degrees C with 1 h holding time to prepare SiCf/SiC composites. Volume fraction of SiC short fibers in the starting powder for SiCf/SiC composites was about 25 vol.%. The composites were characterized in terms of bulk density, phase composition, and mechanical properties at room temperature. In addition, the distribution of SiC short fibers in the matrix and the cracking pattern in the composites were examined by optical microscope. Fracture surface of the composites were performed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The effect of hot-pressing temperature on bulk density and mechanical properties was investigated. The results indicated that SiC short fibers were uniformly and randomly distributed in the matrix, bending strength and bulk density of the composites increased with increasing sintering temperature. The composite, hot-pressed at 1,850 degrees C, exhibited the maximum bulk density and bending strength at room temperature, about 3.01 g/cm(3) and 366 MPa, respectively. SEM analyses showed that there were a few of fiber pullout on the fracture surface of samples sintered at 1,650 degrees C and 1,750 degrees C, which was mainly attributed to lower densities. But few of fiber pullout was observed on the fracture surface of sample sintered at 1,850 degrees C, the combined effects of high temperature and a long sintering time were considered as a source of too severe fiber degradation because of the large amount of oxygen in the fibers.