Abstract: Sintered silicon carbide composites containing diamond crystals are made through a process wherein a first dispersion of diamond crystals and carbon black in paraffin is formed, along with a second dispersion of carbon fiber, carbon black and filler in paraffin. One of the dispersions is compacted to produce a physically stable intermediate compact which is then recompacted with the remaining dispersion to produce a binary compact. The latter is subjected to a vacuum for a period of time at a temperature sufficient to vaporize essentially all of the paraffin, after which the binary compact is infiltrated with liquid silicon and sintered to produce a .beta.-silicon carbide binder uniting the resulting composite.