P06 Brand Name Justification Malvern Panalytical_1132634_Redacted.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture Brand Name Justification

FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) – Simplified Acquisitions Control No. (if applicable) ______________________

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity.

Requesting Agency - National Soil Survey Center (NSSC) – Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory (KSSL) Branch

Contracting Organization - FPAC Operations Branch – Central Section

2. Description of supply or service required to meet the agency’s needs.

The KSSL Branch requires Malvern Panalytical’s Mastersizer 3000+ Ultra – Particle Size Distribution Analyzer (PSDA). This equipment conducts particle size analysis of soil samples to obtain soil textural data for soil taxonomy and a variety of projects. The Mastersizer 3000+ Ultra system is comprised of the laser diffraction PSDA, wet and dry sample dispersion units, and associated components. The PSDA system would be used by the KSSL Branch for soil particle size distribution analysis and as a tool for method development and future applications in meeting the needs of KSSL Branch’s customers. Due to the anticipated influx of several thousand samples from customers, KSSL Branch needs an increased capacity in particle size analysis. The Mastersizer 3000+ Ultra system offers automatic or semi-automatic, high throughput measurements that will enable the KSSL Branch to keep up with the increased demand for particle size analysis.

3. The rationale or circumstances for limiting competition.

The Malvern Panalytical Mastersizer 3000+ Ultra (PSDA) includes both dry powder and wet measurement modes. The PSDA system is automated or semi-automatic, with the option to manually adjustment the measurement sequence as needed. The PSDA system has an analytical range of 0.1 - 3500µm for dry measurement, which covers the range needed for KSSL Branch analysis. In wet measurement mode – the Hydro LV unit is an automated large volume control for wet dispersion of materials with a maximum particle size 2100µm. The maximum time between measurements is less than 60 seconds which allows for high throughput of samples. The PSDA system offers five wet dispersion accessories to handle an extended range of sample volumes and a wide variety of dispersants.

Only the Malvern Panalytical Mastersizer 3000+ Ultra offers proprietary Adaptive Diffraction software using machine learning (artificial intelligence) to provide accurate particle size distribution data. This capability allows the software application to separately measure the steady and transient state data, classifying these two measurements the PSDA can differentiate and display sample data free from interferences such as, contaminants, bubbles, and dust. By differentiating between the sample and interferences the PSDA is able to provide the reliable data necessary for method development and validation.

FY24-FPAC-Justification-091