ABSTRACTSelf-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) can be used to prepare near net refractory shapes which are difficult to produce by other methods. In SHS, green compacts capable of strong exothermal reaction are ignited at one end and transformed into the desired products by a self-propagating reaction. Physical processes involved in SHS include chemical kinetics, macroscopic transport phenomena and phase transformations. This paper describes a simplified mathematical model of the SHS process derived by combining the heat equation with the chemical reaction rate equation. The model equations are solved numerically to obtain representation of the SHS process. Parametric studies have been performed to investigate the relative importance of the physical parameters in the model.