<p>TiC ceramic exhibits high mechanical strength, outstanding high-temperature performances and corrosion resistance, making it an essential material for advancing the rapid development of high-speed aircraft and advanced nuclear reactors under complex and harsh working environments. In this study, a dense TiC/YAlO₃ ceramic was successfully prepared through pressureless sintering at a low temperature of 1800 °C using YAlO₃ as a sintering additive, and densification behavior was investigated. The YAlO₃ facilitates the rearrangement and grain growth to densify the TiC ceramic by liquid-phase assisted sintering. Simultaneously, the YAlO₃, acting as a second phase, effectively inhibits the abnormal grain growth of the TiC particles resulting in a refined microstructure in the TiC ceramic. At the amount of the YAlO₃ addition of 10 wt.%, the resulting TiC/YAlO₃ ceramic achieves a relative density of 99.5% at 1800 °C, and exhibits improved flexural strength of 545.2 ± 12.6 MPa, which are balanced to those of the reported TiC-based ceramics prepared by high pressure sintering techniques. Moreover, compared with the pure TiC ceramic, the TiC/YAlO₃ ceramic demonstrates superior oxidation resistance, anti-calcium-magnesium–aluminum-silicate corrosion and anti-hydrothermal corrosion due to the increased density and uniform morphology. The outstanding mechanical performance and enhanced overall durability of the TiC/YAlO₃ ceramic greatly broaden its potential applications under complex and extreme high-temperature environments.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>