Known in the art is a process for the production of an antifriction material by impregnating a carbonaceous base with molten copper and silver. The process comprises placing the carbonaceous base and the metals in the solid state in an electroconducting vessel and heating, by means of electric current to the melting temperature of the metals (cf. French Pat. No. 1,368,129 Cl. C 04 B, published June 31, 1964).
Using this process it is, however, not always possible to obtain an antifriction material having a uniform degree of impregnation of the carbonaceous base which results in substantial non-uniformity of its properties relative to the entire volume thereof.
Also known in the art is a process for the production of antifriction materials by impregnating a carbonaceous base having a density of from 1.68 to 1.79 g/cm.sup.3 with metals or alloys thereof whose melting point lies within the range of from 200.degree. to 1,000.degree. C. in an autoclave under an inert gas pressure (cf. U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,430 Cl. 264-29, published Nov. 9, 1971).
The antifriction materials produced by this process have insufficient wear-resistance (wear rate is 0.8-1.0 .mu.m/hr) and a low mechanical strength (compression strength is 2,300 kgf/cm.sup.2), wherefore it is substantially impossible to use these materials in friction units operating in liquid media containing abrasive matter and in fluid (bulk) materials.