MODIFICATION
66 -- TGA-MS
- Notice Date
- 7/31/2009
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Acquisition Management, EPA/Ohio, Cincinnati Procurement Operations Division 26 W. Martin Luther King Drive Cincinnati, OH 45268
- ZIP Code
- 45268
- Solicitation Number
- PR-CI-09-11042
- Response Due
- 8/6/2009
- Archive Date
- 9/5/2009
- Point of Contact
- COURTNEY R. WHITING, Contract Specialist, Phone: 513-487-2002, E-Mail: whiting.courtney@epa.gov; SANDRA V. SAVAGE, Placement Contracting Officer, Phone: 513-487-2046, E-Mail: savage.sandra@epa.gov<br />
- E-Mail Address
-
COURTNEY R. WHITING
(whiting.courtney@epa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The purpose of this amendment is to post the questions and subsequent answers to this solicitation. Contractors should be reminded that evaluation of quotes will be based on strengths and weaknesses identified within the quote and the award will be given to the vendor who represents the best value to the government.Question 1: Any confirmation of the TGA-MS that is being targeted for purchase uses a sniffer system would be of interest and if it does not, we will look to see if we can provide a MS that has a range to 1000 AMU.Question 2. It states the analyzer can go up to 1100 ? C. Does this mean it must go up to 1100 deg C, or would 1000 deg C suffice? If 1100 is a ?hard? spec, our entire system, which is the only real one-company, integrated TGA/MS, or TGA/GC/MS available from anyone.Question 3. It states that it ?should include a thermocouple in direct contact with the sample crucible?. Our experience is that if a system can do this, the volume of the TGA is such that it will adversely affect the MS or GC/MS analysis.Answers: The Mass spectrometer of the TGA-MS system should be capable of high mass ranges, high unit resolution at throughout the mass range, and high sensitivity.The specification number 11 states that the mass spectrometer shall have mass range up to 1000 AMU, The higher AMU is desired but the value is not critical, which means if the system does not meet this criteria it will not be rejected from consideration. The TGA furnace should heat up to 1000 deg C. The 1100 deg C in the spec is a "soft" target. However, EPA intends to make sure that the furnace should heat to 1000 deg C. Exact measurement of the sample temperature is critical for these tests. There could me different ways of ascertaining that this specification is met. In that case the vendor can state if it has a system that can measure sample temperature in more exact way. Thermogravimetric Analyzer with Emitting Gas Analyzer using Mass SpectroscopyThis is a combined solicitation/synopsis for a commercially available bench scale thermogravimeteric system coupled with emitting gas analyzer with mass spectroscopy. This solicitation/synopsis is for commercial items exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, although prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. The solicitation and incorporated provisions/clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-26. This requirement is being solicited on a full and open competition basis. A firm fixed price contract award is anticipated. The NAICS code is 334516 with the small business size standard of 500 employees. Award will be made to the offer that represents the best value, i.e., the offer that is most advantageous to the Government, considering both technical and price. For this requirement, price may not be the deciding factor. Each offeror shall provide a technical proposal that demonstrates it?s equipment meets or exceeds each of the below specifications as provides past performance. Offers shall provide a firm fixed price for the system. Technical Specifications include: 1.The system should be used for compositional qualitative and quantitative analysis of various samples, for thermal stability, and oxidative stability. 2.The thermal gravimeteric analyzer can go up to 1100?C in almost any atmosphere with a heating from room temperature to maximum at in less than 10 min. 3. The temperature measurements of the samples should include a thermocouple in direct contact with the sample crucible and have high accuracy: ?0.25 ?C / ? 0.5 ?C (up to 1100 ?C) with a wide linear heating rate. 4. The forced cooling rate for1000? C to 50 ?C will be in less than 15 min. 5.Temperature calibration can be made with either electromagnetic coil or cuie point standards. The TGA should allow that the calibration is independent of heating rate, purge gas and pan type or provide an easy way to correct this without the need to recalibrate the instrument or manually change calibration factor. 6. TGA should include an automatic gas controller that allows for switching and mass flow control of up to four gases. 7. The TGA should have an internal balance with a capacity of up to 1000mg sample although a typical sample size for the analysis will be around 10 milligrams with balance resolves to 1 microgram or 0.1 %. The base line dynamic drift is less than 10 micro gram. 8. System has high sensitivity and allows the analysis of a wide range of polar and non-polar components samples. 9. The evolved gas can be routed to the mass spectrometer for identification. 10. The system can have the option of gas chromatograph for trapping the evolved gas and resolving the mixture before routed to the mass spectrometer though low volume, heated transfer lines to avoid condensation. 11. The Quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS) can measure the gas evolved from the thermal decomposition of the sample integer mass unit up to 1000 AMU. The MS will have a very low detection limit, typically picking up materials in the PPB range, with high signal resolution. 12. The sample chamber in the furnace should be tightly sealed to allow full control of the atmosphere to which the sample is exposed. The active part of this chamber will made of fused silica, so that samples can be exposed to many reactive gasses. The system is equipped with an easy selection and precise control the gases. 13.This TGA-MS system is flexible, robust, and very easy to use. The temperature ramp is fully and easily programmable with both dynamic and isothermal base line stability. 14.Both the TGA -MS include hardware / software that allow controlling the system, collection and analysis of data and the transfer of the data in different program formats. The following clauses apply to this solicitation: FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commerical Items; FAR 52.212-2 evaluation-Commercial Items; 9See below technical Evaluation Criteria). Offers shall provide information to demonstrate/substantiate that the quoted system meets the above minimum specifications. FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations & certifications-Commercial items, shall be completed by offeror and submitted with the quote unless offeror is registered with CCR and ORCA; FAR 52.212-4 contract Terms and Conditions-Commerical Items; The follow FAR clauses in paragraph (b) of FAR clause 52.212-5, Contract Terms & Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items apply- 52.222-3, 52.222-19, 51.222-21, 52.222-26, 52.222-35, 52.222-36, 52.222-37, 52.222-39, 52.225-3, 52.225-4, 52.225-13, 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic funds Trasnfer-Central Contractor Registration. All clauses can found at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/VFFARA.HTM. In addition, the following USEPA EPAAR clauses apply: 1552.211-79, Compliance with EPA Policies for Information Resources Management. EPAAR clauses are available at http://www.epa.gov/oam/ptod/epaar.pdf. The Government anticipates award, using simplified acquisition procedures, of a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsive/responsible offeror whose quote conforms to the solicitation and is most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. Offerors shall submit one (1) copy of their quotation, which references the title of this solicitation, NO LATER THAN AUGUST 6, 2009 AT 3:00 PM ET to Courtney Whiting, at whiting.courtney@epa.gov. Questions may be directed to Courtney Whiting at whiting.courtney@epa.gov. The day for technical questions is July 30, 2009 by 12:00 noon ET.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/EPA/OAM/OH/PR-CI-09-11042/listing.html)
- Record
- SN01895445-W 20090802/090801000515-aef3a6a52ea8603745a22515085aec2d (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |