Fabrication of W–Cu functionally graded material with improved mechanical strength

•We prepared W–Cu FGM, valuable for nuclear fusion, by a new method in a short time.•Some of the Cu grains which were surrounded by W were about 50 nm.•The prepared W–Cu showed 15% higher bending strength than commercial W–Cu products.•The prepared W–Cu also showed a better plasticity than commercial W–Cu products.

W–Cu functionally graded material (FGM) is prepared by a novel method of high-gravity combustion synthesis and melt-infiltration in a short time. In the W–Cu FGM, W grains are micron-sized and partially sintered to form an incomplete net structure, the Cu grains surrounded by W are about 50 nm, and lots of dislocations exist in the Cu phase. The W-rich layer shows both better strength and plasticity than the commercial W–Cu composite with a similar composition prepared by a conventional infiltration method.