Salient Characteristics (Final)_Redacted.pdf

Template last updated 07/28/2016

Salient Characteristics

Commercial Availability Certification:

I have evaluated the commercial marketplace and determined that all of the salient characteristics documented below are available in products/services offered in the commercial marketplace.

Signature (typed name):

Technical Point of Contact (TPOC)

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Army Research Directorate, requires one (1) Advanced Polymer Chromatography (APC) System and ancillary parts manufactured by Waters Technologies Corp. The system shall have the following characteristics:

1. The APC system shall have the following capabilities and options:

• The system shall possess an automatic start-up routine to ready the system for operation.

• The system’s fluidic path shall be compatible with a wide range of solvents and mobile phase modifiers, supporting a pH range of at least two (2) to twelve (12).

• The system shall include integrated leak detection sensors and a drip management system to ensure safe operation.

• The system shall feature comprehensive, integrated diagnostics with the ability to log key operational parameters (e.g., pressures, temperatures) for troubleshooting and maintenance.

2. The Solvent Delivery Manager shall have the following capabilities and options:

• Shall be capable of delivering both aqueous and organic solvents at high pressures, up to a minimum of 15,000 pounds per square inch (psi), to be compatible with small-particle size columns.

• Shall have integrated vacuum degassing for the mobile phase.

• Shall have an integrated and automated pump seal wash system.

• Shall support automated, unattended switching between multiple solvents

• Shall have automatic and continuous compressibility compensation to ensure stable flow at high pressures.

• Shall provide high-precision flow delivery with a flow accuracy of at least plus or minus one percent (±1.0%).

3. The Sample Manager / Injector shall have the following capabilities and options:

• The injector shall be capable of operating across the full pressure range of the solvent delivery manager (up to 15,000 psi).

• Shall feature an integrated and programmable needle wash to minimize sample carryover.

Template last updated 07/28/2016

• The sample compartment must be temperature-controlled with a settable range of at least four degrees Celsius to forty degrees Celsius (4°C to 40°C).

4. The Column Manager / Oven shall have the following capabilities and options:

• Shall have active pre-heating of the solvent before it enters the column to ensure thermal uniformity.

• Shall have a temperature-controlled range of at least four degrees Celsius to ninety degrees Celsius (4.0°C to 90.0°C) with an accuracy of ±0.5°C.

• Shall provide a method for automated tracking of column history and usage.

• The compartment shall accommodate at least three (3) 150-millimeter (mm) length columns.

5. The Refractive Index (RI) Detector shall have the following capabilities and options:

• Shall have a low-volume flow cell to minimize dispersion.

6. The Photodiode Array (PDA) Detector shall have the following capabilities and options:

• Shall be compatible with high-speed, high-resolution separations and feature low-dispersion flow cells.

7. The Data Analysis and Reporting Software shall have the following capabilities and options:

• The system Shall include a comprehensive data package specifically designed for polymer analysis that allows for:

o Calculation of molecular weight distributions (Mn, Mw, Mz, Polydispersity) o Gel Permeation Chromatography / Size Exclusion Chromatography

(GPC/SEC) -specific calibration workflows (e.g., relative, universal, narrow standard).

o Generation of polymer-focused reports, including molecular weight distribution curves and custom fields.

Delivery shall be completed within 30 days after contract award to:

Army Research Laboratory 6300 Rodman Road, Building 4600 Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005