Attachment A - Specifications.pdf

Marine Sediment Coulometric Carbonate Analysis Instrument

Introduction:

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) needs to purchase an instrument using coulometric-acidification methods for quantitative analysis of total inorganic carbon (TIC) (primarily calcium carbonate) in marine, estuarine, coastal, and lacustrine sediments and potential future use for carbonate analysis of rock and water samples.

Coulometric carbonate analysis via acidification will be used in conjunction with loss-on-ignition and x-ray diffraction methods of carbonate identification and concentration determination in a laboratory setting.

System Requirements and Salient Characteristics:

Proposed systems must meet the following requirements:

- Must be a complete sample analysis instrument, including acidification and coulometric detection units that are fully compatible and the tools/equipment necessary for sample introduction (up to 25

ml) and routine user maintenance.

- Capable of accurate routine analysis of TIC in geologic materials (primarily marine/lacustrine sediments, but also rocks/minerals) with concentrations of calcium carbonate from 0.1 to 100 weight % (100% inorganic carbon) and seawater.

- Analysis repeatability as determined by relative standard deviations of better than 0.5% when known concentration standards are used.

- Have an embedded user-configurable operations control and analysis monitoring interface.

- Provide detailed report of analysis parameters and metadata for each sample.

- Have communication ports (serial/Ethernet) and transmission protocols for connection to external computers (Windows PCs) and be supplied with any custom/proprietary software required to utilize such connections.

- Have or allow for use of gas scrubbers in the acidification path to remove CO2 and other compounds that would affect analysis results.

- Perform routine analyses of prepared samples of non-mineralogically/structurally complex materials in under 10 minutes allowing for multiple replicate sample to be prepared and analyzed under similar laboratory conditions.

- Require either minimal routine user calibration or provide the materials and procedures for user calibration.

- If needed for supply of carrier gases, be supplied with necessary tubing, connectors, and valves required for connection to standard laboratory gas bottles.

- Be compatible with 110-120 V electrical systems.

- Initial installation to be completed and verified by qualified manufacturer’s representative.

- Must be delivered with all manuals and calibration certificates as appropriate.

- If an autosampler can be used with the system, provide cost of autosampler and items needed to connect it to the base system as an option.