Shock-induced vaporization of matter under expansion from high energy states is of interest as an experimental method to determine two-phase region boundaries and position of critical point of liquid-vapor transition. High speed of expansion of matter on the boundary leads to formation of the so-called “boiling wave.” Intensive heat and mass transfer with hot shocked helium on the boundary give the opportunity to investigate states not only near binodal but also liquid spinodal. Another possibility to achieve near critical point pressures and temperatures is the heating of material by hot driving plasma under launching. This additional heating gives the possibility to achieve temperatures and pressures exceeding critical parameters of tungsten—one of the most refractory metals. New experimental results and issues of such investigation with nickel and tungsten is analyzed in the proposed paper. ©2000 American Institute of Physics.