Because of the combination of components with varying properties, composite and functionally graded materials bear great potential for development of new materials concepts. The present thesis contains a state of the art report about those materials. In addition to a definition and characterization of composite and functionally graded materials the production processes and material testing methods are described as well as the main influences on bonding characteristics between different metals. Description of fundamentals of diffusion, high temperature oxidation and bases of calculation of characteristic temperatures are pointed out. Production technologies of composite and functionally graded materials are investigated by practical tests. Therefore liquid-liquid, solid-liquid and solid-solid composites are made. Furthermore main influences on the formation of a compound layer of a solid-liquid composite are shown. The investigated material tests are evaluated regarding the applicability to composite and functionally graded materials.