The effect of metal coverings on wetting of oxide fibers by lead, bismuth, tin-lead-bismuth-cadmium alloy in vacuum 2·10-3 Pa in the temperature range 400–600 oC was studied by the sessile drop method using the capillary purification method of melt. Oxide fibers plaits that have been placed on a silicon oxide substrate as wetting substrates used. Titanium and nickel powders were used as metal coatings. There is no wetting. The contact angles are close to or greater than 90 degrees and only in the case of the lead-titanium melt system at 600 oC the value of the angle is 15, respectively. The use of a dropper allows separate heating of the melt and the substrate, capillary and thermo vacuum cleaning of the melt, as well as thermo vacuum cleaning of the coatings surface. This is a model scheme of the impregnation process of non-metallic frames with matrix melts in the manufacture of composite materials by spontaneous free impregnation. The metal titanium, nickel powder coatings for the method of spon¬taneous free impregnation was used. The study of the kinetics of impregnation of plaits of oxide fibers with melts of lead and tin-lead-bismuth-cadmium alloy was performed at 600–700 oC. The metal melt impregnates metal powders well. The rate of impregnation is quite high 1,1–1,8 mm/s. The obtained results allow the use of titanium pastes for the manufacture of composites from oxide materials with lead matrices. Composites were made. Oxide fiberglass made of CRT waste was selected as the reinforcing material. Lead was chosen as the matrix metal. Despite the fact that lead is a harmful material, but its use as a matrix phase for composites from the action of ionizing radiation is indispensable. Keywords: spontaneous free impregnation, composites, lead melts, oxide fibers, wetting, metal coverings.
