This study is aimed to introduce an innovative precursor pyrolysis process to prepare Ti-Fe-Ni-C compound powder and to discuss and evaluate the relationship between microstructure and properties of TiC-Fe36Ni cermet coatings in-situ synthesized by reactive plasma spraying (RPS) of these compound powders. The main characteristic of the pyrolysis process is that sucrose (C12H22O11) is used as a source of carbon as well as a binder to bind reactive constituent particles. The compound powder with high bonding strength can avoid the problem that reactive constituent particles are separated during spraying. The TiC-Fe36Ni cermet coatings present typical splat-like morphology of thermally sprayed coatings and consist of two different areas: one is a composite reinforcement area where spherical. ne TiC particles (100-500 nm) homogeneously distribute within the Fe36Ni matrix; the other is an area of TiC accumulation. The surface hardness of the coatings reaches about 90 +/- 2 (HR15N). The maximum and average microhardness values of the coatings are 1930 HV0.2 (Vicker Hardness) and 1640 HV0.2, respectively. The average bonding strength of the coatings is about 62.3 MPa. The wear resistance property of the coatings is much more than that of Ni60 alloys coatings. (C) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.