SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- VAPOR SORPTION SYSTEM
- Notice Date
- 11/30/2004
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Contracts Management Division 26 W. Martin Luther King Drive Cincinnati, OH 45268
- ZIP Code
- 45268
- Solicitation Number
- PR-CI-05-10164
- Response Due
- 12/15/2004
- Archive Date
- 1/14/2005
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The U.S. EPA intends to negotiate for the National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL), located in Cincinnati, OH, on a sole source basis with the VTI Corporation, of Hialeah, FL, under the authority of FAR Part 6.302-1 to provide a Vapor Sorption System. This system is a device that generates a solvent vapor, accurately and precisely monitors the mass of a material as it absorbs the vapors, controls the pressure of the vapor, controls the temperature of the sample, records the data, and automatically controls operating variables via a computer data acquisition and control unit. The exact specifications of the system are as follows: 1. Balance shall be a magnetic suspension balance in order to isolate balance mechanism and electronics from vapors in sample chamber. In addition, sample chamber shall be compatible with vapors of organic acids such as acetic acid. 2. Balance shall have a resolution of 1 microgram or better and a maximum reproducibility error of 4 micrograms. 3. Balance shall accept a sample load of at least 1 gram while delivering the resolution and reproducibility identified in specification 2. 4. Sample chamber shall be temperature controlled with a minimum upper temperature of 300 ?C. Temperature control shall be ?0.05 ?C in the temperature range of 20 to 80 ?C. 5. Temperature control shall allow for rapid sample quenching (minimum 10 ?C/min). 6. Temperature control and pressure control shall be programmable and preprogrammed experimental sequences shall be possible. Control of the apparatus and acquisition of data will be carried out using a computer-based hardware/software system. Computer shall be Windows?-based with sufficient hard disk capacity, memory, and performance to operate the system software. Computer unit shall be equipped with a read-write CD drive and a 17" LCD monitor. 7. High vacuum system is required to degas samples with an ultimate vacuum of at most 10-4 mbar (absolute pressure). 8. System shall be capable of monitoring pressure in the sample chamber over a range from 10-4 to 1000 mbar. Accuracy shall be better than 0.2% over the range of 0.1 to 400 torr absolute pressure with a resolution of 0.01 torr over that same range. 9. Vapor shall be introduced into the evacuated sample chamber from a liquid source. Introduction of vapor is automatically controlled by the computer-based control unit. 10. System shall be equipped with the hardware and software necessary to perform a series of experiments with preprogrammed operating parameters without operator intervention 11. All components of the system containing vapor shall be thermostated at a temperature of at least 70 ?C to avoid vapor condensation. 12. The leak rate of room air into an evacuated system (at less than 1 torr) shall be less than 0.1 torr per day. 13. Installation and familiarization for five users in Cincinnati, OH. This notice is not a request for quotations. EPA source research indicates the VTI Corporation is the only known contractor capable of providing this instrument. Due to the hazardous and aggressive nature of the solvent vapors to be studied with the subject Vapor Sorption System, only certain materials of construction can be used inside the vapor sorption cell. In addition, the government's requirements include study of sorption at high temperatures (up to 80?C) and at high vapor concentrations. The only type of device that is capable of meeting the government's requirements is a magnetic suspension balance in which the balance mechanism is physically isolated from the sample and vapors. The only known manufacturer of this type of balance is Rubotherm Prazisionsmesstechnik GMBH. Several known companies are distributors of Rubotherm balances and are capable of building vapor sorption systems with the Rubotherm magnetic suspension balance. However, only VTI Corporation manufactures commercial vapor sorption systems with Rubotherm balances which fully meet the government's requirements. Specifically, only a sorption system from VTI Corp. is equipped with a water-cooled electric furnace as well as equipped with the hardware and software necessary to perform a series of experiments with preprogrammed operating parameters without operator intervention ("stacking" of experiments). Rapid sample cooling and preprogrammed experimental sequences are required by the government. The only known commercially available Vapor Sorption System which meets the government's requirements is manufactured by the VTI Corporation. However, any firm believing itself capable of meeting EPA requirements may submit technical documentation to establish the potential of completing such a project. Such documentation shall be submitted by 1:00 PM EST, Wednesday December 15, 2004. A determination not to compete the proposed purchase order based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement or to proceed on a sole source basis. This acquisition is being processed under FAR Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items. The applicable NAICS code is 334516. Interested parties should submit their technical documentation to Mr. Josh Bowers, using the following methods: by fax to 513.487.2109, or by email (bowers.joshua@epa.gov) referencing solicitation PR-CI-05-10164.
- Web Link
-
The Environmental Protection Agency
(http://www.epa.gov/oam/solicit)
- Record
- SN00714760-W 20041202/041130212321 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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