The combustion chamber of slagging coal gasifiers is lined with refractories to protect the steel shell of the gasifier from elevated temperatures and corrosive attack of the coal slag. Refractories composed primarily of Cr2O3 have been found most resistant to slag corrosion, but they continue to fail performance requirements. Post-mortem analysis of high-chromia refractory bricks collected from commercial gasifiers suggests that slag penetration and subsequent spalling of refractory are the cause of the short service life of gasifier refractories [1]. Laboratory tests were conducted to determine the penetration depth of three slags representative of a wide variety of coals in the United States into chromia-alumina and two high-chromia refractories. Variables tested were refractory-slag combinations and two partial pressures of O2. Slag penetration depths were measured from spliced images of each refractory. Samples heated to 1470°C for 2 hrs had maximum penetration depths ranging from 1.99±0.15 mm to at least 21.6 mm. Aurex 95P, a highchromia refractory containing 3.3% phosphorous pentoxide (P2O5), showed the least slag penetration of all refractories tested. P2O5 likely reacts with CaO and MgO in the slag, forming an immiscible Ca-Mg phosphate phase. The extraction of basic components from slag causes an increase in slag viscosity restricting the molten slag penetration into the refractory.