SOURCES SOUGHT
66 -- RFI Bubble Tensiometer
- Notice Date
- 5/14/2012
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- ACC-APG - Natick (SPS), ATTN: AMSRD-ACC-N, Natick Contracting Division (R and BaseOPS), Building 1, Kansas Street, Natick, MA 01760-5011
- ZIP Code
- 01760-5011
- Solicitation Number
- W911QY-WARSTAR0001
- Response Due
- 5/22/2012
- Archive Date
- 7/21/2012
- Point of Contact
- Steven Streeter, 508-233-6180
- E-Mail Address
-
ACC-APG - Natick (SPS)
(steven.e.streeter4.civ@mail.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Center, Soldier Systems Center, Natick, MA, Warfighter Science, Technology and Applied Research Directorate has a need to identify potential source capable of supplying the following: Description of Instrument: A stand-alone unit for measuring the maximum bubble pressure in a system which may or may not also include the capability of attaining direct measurements of surface tension, interfacial tension and contact angles. Other potential options are: (1) measurements of surface tension in the ranges of 10 ~100 mN/m in 10milliseconds to 10 seconds with the capability to sense the liquid surface and adjusts to the correct depth automatically; (2) measurement of short and also long measuring times; (3) correction for estimates of sample viscosity with unknown samples; (4) corrections for gravitational deformation of bubbles. General Description of Requirement, Measurement Principle: (1) Bubble tensiometers (Or instruments utilizing the "maximum bubble pressure method") are used in research, development and quality control for characterization of water-based solutions such as surfactants, polymers, acids and bases. They measure: - dynamic surface tension - bubble lifetime - bubble deadtime - hydrostatic pressure - effective adsorption time A capillary is immersed into the liquid sample and gas (air) is bubbled out of the capillary at a constant rate where the bubble radius is already known. Measurement principle: The pressure inside the capillary is measured. As the pressure increases in the capillary, a bubble is gradually pushed into the liquid and continues to increase until the maximum value is obtained when the bubble has the completely hemispherical shape whose radius is exactly corresponding to the radius of the capillary. Afterwards, the bubble quickly grows and leaves the capillary. The maximum pressure depends on the force exerted by the liquid, and hence its surface tension. These specialty instruments may also monitor bubble lifetime and deadtime, allowing more detailed investigation of liquid properties. Figure 1 (Change of pressure during bubble formation plotted as a function of time) shows each step of bubble formation and corresponding change of bubble radius and each step is described below: Source: Figure 1 Notations and Definitions: A, B: A bubble appears on the end of the capillary. As the size increases, the radius of curvature of the bubble decreases. C: At the point of the maximum bubble pressure, the bubble has a complete hemispherical shape whose radius is identical to the radius of the capillary denoted by Rcap. The surface tension can be determined using the Laplace equation in the reduced form for spherical bubble shape within the liquid. D, E: After the maximum pressure, the pressure of the bubble decreases and the radius of the bubble increases until the bubble is detached from the end of a capillary and a new cycle begins. This is not relevant to determine the surface tension. (2) Optical tensiometers (also known as goniometers or contact angle meters) allow direct measurements of surface tension, interfacial tension and contact angles. Optical tensiometry is an extremely versatile technique used for characterization of both liquids and solids. Applications range from developing engineered surfaces and technical liquids to controlling the purity of semiconductors. Measuring surface tension, interfacial tension or contact angles provides information on material properties such as wettability, absorption, surface free energy, adsorption, spreading, cleanliness, surface heterogeneity and interfacial rheology. A drop is produced and the profile is then captured using a goniometer/tensiometer. The software then analyses the profile of the drop and makes a series of calculations. With pendant drops, in older, more obsolete software, the maximum diameter and the ratio between this parameter and the diameter at the distance of the maximum diameter from the drop apex is evaluated and formulas are used to derive on the basis of the Young-Laplace equation surface tension. In more current, more accurate software, the LaPlace equation itself is used to calculate surface tension for hundreds of pairs of data points along the profile of the drop. Sophisticated software routines automate this computationally intensive process. These properties are of great interest when studying and developing engineered surfaces and technical liquids and for controlling solid surface and liquid quality. Marketplace: Currently developed and commercialized tensiometers monitors the pressure needed to form a bubble, the pressure difference between inside and outside the bubble, the radius of the bubble, and the surface tension of the sample are calculated in one time and a data acquisition is carried out via computer software control. Goniometers of varying capabilities are also readily available in the marketplace. Point of Contact (P.O.C.): Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement to the U.S. Army RDECOM Contracting Center, Natick Contracting Division via e-mail to: Stephanie.A.Marcott.Civ@Mail.Mil mil no later than 5:00 PM (EST) on May 22, 2012. Stephanie A. Marcott, Research Chemist Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center (AMSRD-RDNS-WSC-M) WarSTAR - Molecular Science and Engineering Team Phone: 508-233-6998 Fax: 508-233-5363 Email: Stephanie.A.Marcott.Civ@Mail.Mil
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/b4a6069e33c3aab97d7ca2a6be25260e)
- Place of Performance
- Address: ACC-APG - Natick (SPS) ATTN: AMSRD-ACC-N, Natick Contracting Division (R and BaseOPS), Building 1, Kansas Street Natick MA
- Zip Code: 01760-5011
- Zip Code: 01760-5011
- Record
- SN02747854-W 20120516/120515001022-b4a6069e33c3aab97d7ca2a6be25260e (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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