The wear problem on the internal lining of bins and chutes needs to be addressed before any significant efficiency gains during iron ore mining operations. This study aims to investigate the factors determining the wear resistance of common lining materials used in iron ore mining operations. A purposely designed experimental system was utilised to quantitatively assess the wear resistance of a suite of wall lining materials against an iron ore abrading medium, from which a wear rate for each liner is determined. Results suggested that the hardness of a lining material can be utilised to indicate its abrasion wear resistance. From experimental results, prediction models of the service life of selected lining materials in bins and chutes are also obtained. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.