Additive Manufacturing of Functionally Graded Materials
Summary
Additive manufacturing of functionally graded materials (FGMs) combines layer-by-layer fabrication with spatial control of composition and microstructure to produce components whose properties evolve gradually across their volume. By tailoring material gradients, it is possible to mitigate stress concentrations at interfaces, balance strength and ductility, and integrate disparate functions within a single part. Techniques such as powder-bed fusion, directed energy deposition and material jetting enable seamless transitions between metals, polymers and ceramics, opening new avenues in aerospace, automotive, biomedical implants and energy applications. Advances in multi-scale design frameworks, in situ process monitoring and computational thermodynamics have accelerated the optimisation of thermal histories and compositional profiles. These developments promise lighter, more durable structures, corrosion-resistant coatings and bespoke functional devices, underlining the global significance of graded architectures in modern engineering.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Additive Manufacturing of Functionally Graded Materials publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in additive manufacturing of functionally graded materials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Additive manufacturing (AM): A suite of processes that build components layer by layer from digital models, enabling complex geometries and material combinations.
Functionally graded material (FGM): A composite in which composition, structure or properties vary gradually over volume to achieve spatially tailored performance.
Directed energy deposition (DED): An AM technique in which focused energy melts feedstock material as it is deposited, allowing in situ alloying and gradients.
Thermodynamic modelling: Computational prediction of phase equilibria and transformations used to design crack-resistant composition paths in graded materials.
References
- A Review on Functionally Graded Materials and Structures via Additive Manufacturing: From Multi‐Scale Design to Versatile Functional Properties. Advanced Materials Technologies (2020).
- Local composition detouring for defect-free compositionally graded materials in additive manufacturing. Materials Research Letters (2023).
- A functionally graded material design from stainless steel to Ni-based superalloy by laser metal deposition coupled with thermodynamic prediction. Materials & Design (2022).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.