Dense Ti₃SiC₂/Pb composites were successfully synthesized from Ti₃SiC₂ and PbO powders by spark plasma sintering. The reaction mechanism was discussed on the basis of thermodynamic principles. The sintering process was optimized and the sintering characteristics of the Ti₃SiC₂–PbO system were studied. The effects of PbO content on the density, micro-hardness, mechanical and tribological properties of the composites were investigated. Micro-hardness, flexural strength and compression strength of the composites were found to increase with the increase of PbO content, due to the grain refinement of Ti₃SiC₂. The maximum values of the flexural and compression strength were 480 and 1645 MPa, respectively. Additionally, the wear rates of Ti₃SiC₂/Pb—Inconel 718 alloy tribopairs decreased with the increase of PbO content at room temperature.