BLog Contributors
Brent Ekstrand
Vice President - Technology & Quality
Dr. Brent Ekstrand serves as Astro Pak Corporation’s Vice President of Science & Technology. He is the company’s primary Subject Matter Expert (SME) for precision cleaning, cleanliness evaluation and measurement, cleanroom operations, corrosion remediation and prevention, and biological contamination / biofilm removal. His duties include management of all corporate Research & Development programs. He also investigates and recommends new technologies and equipment for cleanroom- and field-based precision cleaning operations, and provides management oversight of the scientific / technical aspects of all Astro Pak Corporation operations. He authors many of Astro Pak’s chemical processing procedures for use in our cleanroom facilities and in the field at remote jobsites, and has also authored research papers that have been published in industry media such as the UltraPure Water Journal. With over 25 years of experience in the industry, Dr. Ekstrand is Astro Pak Corporation’s SME that is available for consultations. His experience is extensive and varied. He has served as a member of an Industry Expert contributor panel at NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and has worked with NASA at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. He acted as a consultant for the JPL Curiosity Mars rover program, and more recently as an Independent Peer Review Board member for the upcoming JPL MARS 2020 mission. Dr. Ekstrand has experience with ultra-low residue requirements, having developed the processes necessary to achieve surface cleanliness of under 50 nanograms per square centimeter of hydrocarbon residue as required by the sensitive instrumentation of the LIGO gravitational wave detector project. He has given presentations to a wide variety of audiences, including the federal government. He spoke to the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Washington DC at a conference on halogenated solvent replacement with aqueous-based cleaning processes. Dr. Ekstrand received his doctorate degree from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California in 1984.
Daryl L. Roll
Astro Pak Consultant
Astro Pak Consultant, Mr. Roll serves as the primary senior technical advisor for corrosion, surface chemistry and stainless steel Passivation. With over 35 years of experience in chemical processing, Daryl has been published in MICRO, UltraPure Water Journal and Chemical Engineering for his papers on passivation and rouge control. He is a participant on the ASME BPE Subcommittees for Surface Finish and Materials of Construction requirements and a leading contributor for the Rouge and Passivation Task Groups. Mr. Roll holds a B.A. in Chemistry and Earth Science from the California State University of Fullerton and a Professional Engineer's license from the State of California.
Jeff Wassenaar
Director of National Sales
With over 25 years of construction and metals industry experience, Jeff provides unique capabilities to assist clients and lead teams in the high purity sector. Jeff is a frequent speaker at Lunch and Learns that Astro Pak provides regularly around the country for our clients.
Mike Montgomery
Technical Director - Electropolishing Services
Since 2012 Mike has served as the Technical Director of Electropolishing at Astro Pak Corporation. With over thirty years of mechanical, machining, and metal finishing experience, Mike brings practical knowledge, capability and excellence to vessel restoration projects across the country. Mike develops and implements training programs, including confined space entry, ensuring technical excellence and safety amongst all Astro Pak MP/EP Technicians.
Patrick Banes
Northeast Technical Sales Manager
Patrick Banes is currently the Northeast Technical Sales Manager for Astro Pak Corporation. He recently assumed the chairmanship of the ASME BPE Surface Finish subcommittee after holding the role of vice chair for several years. During his 35 years of experience, Patrick has made numerous presentations on the subjects of passivation of austenitic stainless steel and rouge for the AICHE, ASME BPE, ASTM, IIR, IQPC, ISPE, PDA, Fortune 500 companies and other technical educational organizations. Patrick is also a former member of the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE), North New Jersey Chapter and a contributor to the current ISPE Water and Steam Baseline Guide. Pat's technical papers on passivation and rouge have been published in Microcontamination, Pharmaceutical Engineering and Ultrapure Water magazines.