Welcome to the Centriforce blog. If you’ve been a partner or customer of ours for a while, you know that we pride ourselves on the durability and reliability of our products. But have you ever wondered about the science that goes into them? Have you ever wondered about the specific alchemy required to turn raw materials into the high-performance solutions you rely on?
My name is Dr John Milan van der Bergh, a Materials Technologist here at Centriforce, and over the next 12 months, I am going to take you behind the curtain. We are embarking on a year-long journey of monthly articles where our Centriforce team and I will share insights into materials science, quality control, and the technical innovation that drives our industry forward.
But before we dive into the data, I’d like to introduce myself.
My passion for materials and how things are made began in Serbia, where I was born and raised. I have always been fascinated by the intersection of engineering and chemistry – the specific “recipe” that makes a material strong, flexible, or durable.
I pursued this passion academically at the Faculty of Technology, University of Novi Sad in Serbia. I started by building a solid foundation in standards and precision, earning my Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Quality Control. I followed this with a Master of Engineering (MEng) focused on Food and Polymer Packaging Technology. This was where I truly began to understand the complex behaviours of polymers – knowledge that is vital in my current work at Centriforce.
In 2019, I made a life-changing decision to move to the UK to push my research capabilities to the highest level. I settled in Liverpool and joined the PhD programme at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), as a postgraduate researcher at Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies (BEST) Research Institute.
For four years, I immersed myself in a project that sounds a bit like science fiction. My thesis, titled “Bio-inspired Bacteria-based Concrete for Durability Increase of Structures,” focused on self-healing materials. I researched specific bacteria-based agents that, when embedded in concrete, could repair micro-cracks on their own.
Receiving my PhD degree in 2023 was a proud milestone. It wasn’t just about the title; it was about proving that through innovative thinking we can extend the life of materials and improve the sustainability of our infrastructure.
While finishing my PhD thesis in 2022, I joined the Centriforce team as a Materials Technologist within the Technical & Quality department.
You might ask: How does bacteria-based concrete relate to what Centriforce does?
The link is the mindset. The same thoroughness required to engineer self-healing structures is what I now apply to our incoming raw materials and processing challenges. In materials technology, the principles of durability, quality assurance, and chemical interaction remain constant.
At Centriforce, my days are spent ensuring that every batch of raw material meets our exacting standards. I dive deep into technical processing challenges, troubleshooting issues before they ever become problems for our customers. My background in Quality Control ensures I keep our standards high, while my background in Chemical Technology and Polymers helps me understand the molecular behaviour of our products.
This introduction is just the beginning. Over the next year, I will guide you through the technical DNA of Centriforce. We will explore our product range and raw materials, focusing on ESG and how we rigorously test recycled HDPE and LDPE plastics. I will take you inside our laboratory and factory to demonstrate our impact testing and ISO quality systems.
We will also tackle industry debates, touching on subjects such as Concrete vs Plastic and Overhead vs Underground installations. Finally, we will address ENA technical specification and other relevant standards, the efficiency of Stokbord on drums, and the risks and benefits associated with thinner protection products.
Stay tuned for next month’s deep dive.
Sincerely,
While attributed to an individual author, the content of this article represents the voice of the company and the collective input of our team, subject to our terms and conditions.
