Process for increasing the life of the refractory masonry of metallurgical vessels

A process for increasing the life of porous refractory oxide brick masonries subject to wear in furnaces and metallurgical vessels which comprises infiltrating a gaseous hydrocarbon capable to dissociating into carbon and other decomposition products, into pores in said brick masonries from an outer, relatively cooler surface area of said masonries toward an inner relatively hotter surface area of said masonries, said infiltration being effected while at least a portion of said brick masonries are at a temperature sufficient for said hydrocarbon gas to dissociate and to deposit carbon in said pores in brick masonries, thereby depositing carbon from said gas in said pores in situ, said hydrocarbon gas being supplied to said outer relatively cooler surface area at a rate not exceeding 10 standard cubic meters/hour/square meter of said relatively cooler surface area, said hydrocarbon gas being infiltrated into said brick masonries with a pressure gradient in a direction opposite that of the temperature gradient, which process includes providing at least one barrier layer which is hermetic with respect to gases in said masonry in order to confine the infiltration of gas to specific areas of the masonry.