  This study presents experimental and computational analyses of the phase
composition and mechanical behavior of a functionally graded material (FGM)
grading from 100 vol% 304L stainless steel (SS304L) to 100 vol% Ni-20Cr (NiCr)
in 10 vol% increments. The mechanical behavior of the FGM was evaluated by
extracting tensile specimens from SS304L-rich and NiCr-rich regions of the FGM,
with the former behaving in a ductile manner and the latter being relatively
brittle. The brittle response of the NiCr-rich sample was explained by the
presence of the eutectic FCC+BCC phase in this sample, as identified by
Scheil-Gulliver simulations along with experimental phase and composition
analyses. The spatially varying yield and flow behavior of the FGM was
determined through comparison of finite element analysis simulations with
experimentally measured stress-strain curves and surface strain contours. The
results highlight that the overall ductile behavior of SS304L and brittle
behavior of NiCr are preserved in the SS304L/NiCr FGM but the formation of the
brittle eutectic phase further reduced the ductility within the regions where
it formed (90 vol% NiCr/10 vol% SS304L).
