NIGP 49346: Ion Chromatographs, Including Parts and Accessories

NIGP 49346, Ion Chromatographs, Including Parts And Accessories, is an Item code that in current state and local procurement activity covers specialized analytical and materials-processing equipment — specifically, reactive ion etching (RIE) systems used in research and development settings for controlled etching of semiconductor, nanomaterials, and advanced-materials substrates. State and local buyers under this code include research universities and their departmental procurement offices, which solicit equipment for chemistry, materials science, and engineering laboratories where precision etching of graphene, boron nitride, silicon, and resist materials is essential to ongoing research programs.

The University of Mississippi's Procurement Services posted a sole-source notice (Solicitation 9270-27-R-RFIN-00005, due October 27, 2026) for a Moorfield nanoETCH-FC-MSE reactive ion etching system serving the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, with a negotiated purchase price of $101,000 plus $9,000 in tariff costs. The University's justification for sole-source acquisition stressed that Moorfield is the sole manufacturer of the nanoETCH system with the proprietary soft-etch capability required for low-power, high-vacuum fluorine-based etching of ultra-thin materials; MSE Supplies acts as the U.S. reseller. The pricing was contingent on purchase order issuance by the end of October 2026. Geographic activity under this code appears limited to universities with active materials-science research programs; recent solicitations reflect institutional demand tied to specific departmental research infrastructure needs rather than broad-based commodity procurement.