The main topic of this thesis are the corrosion processes of ceramic slide gate plates, which are used in a steel ladle to control the steel flow. The research of existing literature has identified the main metal oxides that can be present within steel during the casting process and take part in corrosive reactions with refractory oxides. These can be calcium compounds, as well as iron oxide and manganese oxide, which are formed especially within steels of high oxygen content. An additional reason for the forming of iron oxide and manganese oxide can be found in the cleaning of the casting canal by oxygen lancing or the suction of air into the canal. A comprehensive investigation of slide gate plates after their use in steel works was carried out. The plates were collected from different steel works and different steel qualities and the corrosive wear of the plates was examined by means of mineralogical methods. The results were compiled by use of a cluster analysis to give an overview of the frequency of certain corrosion reactions in the field. Additionally thermo-chemical simulations of the corrosion reactions between metal oxides and refractory oxides were investigated to support the upper mentioned results. Following the gained knowledge was used to define field conditions for laboratory tests to find out the influence of different raw materials and additives in slide gate plates on the corrosion resistance. Based on these tests new approaches for the choice of suitable raw materials were applied to the development of slide gate plates for corrosive applications.