SOLICITATION NOTICE
66 -- Simultaneous Thermal Analyzer
- Notice Date
- 3/4/2009
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Acquisition Management Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301, Room B129, Mail Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899-1640
- ZIP Code
- 20899-1640
- Solicitation Number
- NB610020-9-02715
- Archive Date
- 4/3/2009
- Point of Contact
- Paula Wilkison,, Phone: 301-975-8448, Patrick K Staines,, Phone: (301)975-6335
- E-Mail Address
-
paula.wilkison@nist.gov, patrick.staines@nist.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), intends to negotiate a firm fixed price purchase order, on a sole source basis, with Netzsch Instruments, Inc., of Burlington, Massachusetts for the purchase of a Simultaneous Thermal Analyzer under other than full and open competition by the authority of FAR subpart 13.106 b(1): Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The NIST Center for Neutron Research requires a Simultaneous Thermal Analyzer. The required instrument combines thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) with the potential for evolved gas analysis of a diverse class of materials, in order to provide the capability of accurately measuring with high resolution the sample mass of the material under study as the temperature of the material is changed. The accurate determination of caloric effects such as specific heat and enthalpies of phase transitions is required to be performed concurrently with the measurement of mass changes. Besides the routine (i.e. varying temperature from room temperature to 600 degrees C) simultaneous thermal analysis (STA) experiments that will be done on this instrument, there are a set of ‘Key Experiments’ that will need to accurately record sample weight loss on heating of solvated materials then having the sample cooled to -150 degrees C under flowing helium gas. Once the sample has reached thermal equilibrium, the sample is exposed to a low flow of hydrogen gas and allowed to further equilibrate. The hydrogen gas must be isolated from the rest of the STA using the helium as a buffer gas and be compatible with any electrical components such as mass-flow controllers or valves. The hydrogen is then swapped back to helium, and the system heated to at least 500 degrees C to record DSC and TGA responses. Since hydrogen is an extremely light molecule and adsorbed in small amounts in most materials of interest at these temperatures, the adsorption/desorption mass changes require extreme sensitivity of the instrument balance. Netzsch Instruments, Inc. is the only contractor who can provide a simultaneous thermal analyzer that meets both the routine requirements as well as the requirements for the set of key experiments. The equipment and technology are proprietary to Netzsch. Therefore, Netzsch Instruments, Inc. is uniquely qualified to provide the required simultaneous thermal analyzer. Delivery shall be FOB Destination, Gaithersburg, MD, and be completed in accordance with the Contractor’s commercial schedule. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516, and the size standard is 500 employees. No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement. The Government will consider responses received by 3:00 p.m. (EST) on March 19, 2009. Inquiries will only be accepted via email to paula.wilkison@nist.gov. No telephone requests will be honored. A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement in the future.
- Web Link
-
FedBizOpps Complete View
(https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=2e3f76893521da5791661d40b935e551&tab=core&_cview=1)
- Place of Performance
- Address: 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20889, United States
- Zip Code: 20889
- Zip Code: 20889
- Record
- SN01761539-W 20090306/090304220013-2e3f76893521da5791661d40b935e551 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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