The passage of a high-temperature synthesis wave through a perforated metal plate mounted inside a cylindrical sample of a Ni + Al powder mixture was studied experimentally and theoretically. Copper and steel plates of different thickness were used. The propagation of the exothermic reaction front through a hole in the barrier was investigated for different thermophysical characteristics of the plate and different geometric dimensions of the hole. The minimum critical diameter of the hole required for the propagation of the combustion wave in the sample was determined as a function of plate parameters.