[en] It is shown that the powder of very hard refractory titanium carbonitride (TiC_0.5N_0.5) is the basis of tungsten-free hard alloys which are prospective for application as inexpensive cutting tools. The finer the powder of titanium carbonitrideis, the moreenhanced properties of hard alloys, sintered from the powder, are. An opportunity to reduce the particle size of the titanium carbonitride powder obtained by energy-saving azide technology of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis at the cost of reducing the particle size of the initial titanium powderwas investigated. To ensure the safety of the grinding process of the initial metal titanium powder, it was offered to nitride a Ti powder partially into a TiN_0.2 compound. Such partial nitriding was performed by the azidetechnology with lack of sodium azide (NaN₃) as a nitriding reagent. After intensive grinding in the planetary ball mill, the TiN_0.2 powder turned into a superfine powder with an ultrafine structure. This powder was capable of nitriding and carburizing in the azide technology with formation of superfine pure powder agglomerates which are composed of ultrafine and nano-particles of TiC_0.5N_0.5. (paper)