Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for making a wear lining for casting ladles and pouring boxes used in foundries, in which process the wear lining is formed by introducing into a casting ladle or pouring box a pourable mass consisting of a granular or particulate refractory material that has a low heat conductivity and contains at least 4 wt-% of sodium silicate or potassium silicate and which binds together to form a solid mass in situ by means of a silica-containing gel precipitated from the silicate by the addition of a suitable ester or mixture of esters, optionally combined with the introduction of carbon dioxide. The invention also relates to a process for increasing the service life of the wear lining made in this way by adapting its MgO content according to whether it—the lining—comes into contact mainly with molten metal or molten slag.