VC and V 2 C nanopowders were synthesized by the mechanochemical combustion method in a high-energy ball mill. The synthesized powders were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). According to X-ray diffraction the product predominantly consists of VC and V 2 C phases after 80min milling without further heat treatment. The TEM results show that vanadium carbide nanopowders are mainly composed of nearly spherical particles with a mean diameter of about 40nm. Thermodynamic calculations show the reaction to be a mechanically induced self-sustaining one (MSR).