A material, for instance used as an 
aluminium-wettable component (21,21', 41,41', 51), in particular of a 
cell for the 
electrowinning of 
aluminium (60), comprises an openly porous or reticulated 
ceramic structure whose surface during use is exposed to and wetted by molten 
aluminium. The structure is made of 
ceramic material 
inert and resistant to molten aluminium, such as 
alumina, and an aluminium-wettable material that comprises 
metal oxide and / or partly oxidised 
metal, in particular of 
manganese, iron, 
cobalt, 
nickel, 
copper or 
zinc, which is / are reactable with molten aluminium to form a 
surface layer containing 
alumina, aluminium and 
metal derived from the metal 
oxide and / or partly oxidised metal. The 
ceramic structure comprises a 
coating of the aluminium-wettable material on the 
inert and resistant ceramic material, or is made of a mixture of the 
inert and resistant material and of the aluminium-wettable ceramic material. The aluminium-wetted component is suitable for use as a 
cathode (21,21'), as a sidewall (41,41') or as another component (51) which during use is exposed to molten aluminium (60) and / or 
electrolyte (5), or another oxidising and / or corrosive media at high temperature.