Ida Westermann

Associate professor Department of Materials Science and Engineering
+47 73594877
Alfred Getz vei 2, Bergbygget * E-509

Background and activities

About me in general:

I grew up in a small town in the southern part of Denmark. During my last year at high school I was participating in a project between the school and the local industry. I ended up spending two weeks at a Hydro Aluminium plant where I discovered “the magic universe” of metals. In 2002 I moved to Trondheim and commenced my Masters in Materials Science and Engineering. I finished my Masters degree in spring 2007 and started as a PhD candidate at SIMLab in September 2007. After finishing my PhD I worked at the independent research organization SINTEF Materials and Chemistry from 2011-2014 before I became Associated Professor at Department of Materials Science and Engineering at NTNU.

Research interests:

My main research area of interest is understanding and modelling of the interplay between thermo-mechanical processing, microstructure and mechanical properties of metallic materials, mainly steel and aluminium. The scale ranges from nanoscale (precipitates and particles) through micro scale (grain structure) to macro scale (final products/structures). Chemical composition, processing technique and heat treatments affects the microstructure through phase transformation, precipitation of wanted or unwanted particles and texture, which again have a great influence on performance of the end product with respect to strength, ductility, corrosion and fracture behaviour. The materials of interests are primarily, but not limited to, steel and aluminium.

Subject of my PhD:

Work- and age-hardening of 7xxx aluminium alloys 

The objective of my work is to gain knowledge about the work- and age hardening mechanisms in heat treatable aluminium alloys by use of metallurgical characterization of the material subjected to typical industrial artificial ageing. The experimental data is to be used for validation and further development of already existing models for predicting microstructure and mechanical properties.

The experimental work will be limited to the 7xxx alloying series where four representative industrial 7xxx alloys have been chosen. Plastically deformed materials such as extruded profiles are usually affected by texture due to the forming process, i.e. the material becomes anisotropic. To elude this effect the experimental study will at first be based on as-cast material to investigate the relationship between precipitation and mechanical properties. Later on extruded profiles will also be a part of the study to understand the effect of work hardening on the precipitation kinetics. 

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Scientific, academic and artistic work

A selection of recent journal publications, artistic productions, books, including book and report excerpts. See all publications in the database

Journal publications