Composite material with high resistance to temperature changes and a high density, and having an SiO2-containing matrix with quartz glass grains embedded therein is produced by preparing a suspension from a particle mixture of finely divided SiO2 powder having at least two different particle fractions and of the quartz glass grains, forming a green compact and sintering the compact. The matrix has an SiO2 content of at least 99% by wt. and is formed from at least first and second particle fractions, each of which is present as granules of nanoscale, amorphous, synthetically produced SiO2 primary particles having a mean primary particle size of less than 100 nm. The composite material has an SiO2-containing matrix with an SiO2 content of at least 99% by wt. It is particularly suited for applications such as starting material for producing a permanent mold for melting solar silicon.