Al₂O₃-carbon composite submerged entry nozzles (SEN) are used for continuous casting of steels. Although this material has excellent mechanical and thermal properties, it frequently leads to clogging. The purpose of our research is to find a suitable refractory material that can be used to coat SENs. This paper reports on the chemical compatibility of a number of potential refractory materials: Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, Al₂O₃-carbon, SiO₂ and MgO with liquid steel, an amount of simulated inclusions and synthetic slag. For this purpose, an experimental laboratory procedure was optimised to simulate the nozzle behaviour during continuous casting. Al₂O₃ was found to give satisfactory results, and therefore a Al₂O₃ plasma coated Al₂O₃-carbon material was also tested in the laboratory with good results.