A method of producing a component of an aluminium production cell made of a carbon-based composite material containing a refractory hard metal boride, carbide, oxide, nitride or combinations or mixtures thereof and aluminium, titanium, silicon and zirconium, and alloys and compounds thereof, comprises firstly providing a reaction mixture of aluminium, titanium, silicon or zirconium and precursors which react to form the refractory hard metal compound, and optional fillers and additives. The reaction mixture is mixed with particulate carbon in an amount of from 1 to 20 parts by weight of carbon for 1 part by weight of the reaction mixture; and with a colloidal binder containing at least one of colloidal silica, alumina, yttria, ceria, thoria, zirconia, magnesia, lithia, in an amount to fully wet the carbon particles. The resulting mixture is compacted and dried and heated to initiate reaction of the reaction mixture by self-propagating micropyretic reaction.