SOW_for_RFQ.pdf

Request for Quotation Number SB1341-16-RQ-0589

Statement of Work

BACKGROUND

The mission of the Thermodynamics and Kinetics Group (TKG) of the Material Measurement

Laboratory’s Materials Science & Engineering Division (MSED) at the National Institute of

Standards and Technology (NIST), is to resolve the outstanding challenges in materials microstructure/property prediction and control. The goal is to develop measurement science and data that provide significant value to industry. The Group's research ranges over a wide scope of materials phenomenon employing a variety of experimental, theoretical and computational techniques.

An essential measurement capability for the Thermodynamics and Kinetics Group is the ability to measure thermodynamic and kinetic properties: phase diagram, heat capacity, and diffusivity on novel metallic materials. Recent work has included industrial alloys that operate at high-temperatures or have high oxygen sensitivities: e.g. Co-based superalloys and Ti- and Mg-based alloys. To measure the required properties for these alloys, the alloys should be uniform and homogeneous, and the processing should be performed under an oxygen free atmosphere. To produce these alloys requires rapid solidification using melt spinning and chilled casting techniques. The melt spinner that includes chilled casting molds must be operated under the following conditions:

As a vacuum system, the vacuum pressure shall be at least 1.0 x 10-7 mbar (1.0 x 10-5 Pa) as a closed system and then shall be maintained at least 1.0 x 10-5 mbar (1.0 x 10-3 Pa) during operation without gas ballast.

As an evacuated chamber, the chamber must be evacuated to at least 1.0 x 10-7 mbar (1.0 x 10-5 Pa) and then backfilled with an inert gas (N2, Ar, or He) up to the maximum backfill pressure at least 1000 mbar.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall provide a high vacuum melt spinner with a water chilled casting mold that is operable in both a high vacuum mode and a gas pressure mode. The melt spinner with a chilled casting mold must produce homogeneous metallic alloys that have a uniform shape of ribbons and rods depending the solidification conditions.

REQUIRED SPECIFICATIONS

1. General Requirements

1.1 A modular based melt spinner system that is on wheels. Overall dimensions must be less than 2035 mm x 1270 mm x 2800 mm (H x D x W) to fit into the room.

1.2 The melt spinner chamber (see section 2.0) and a high vacuum system (see section 5.0) shall be included in the same module.

1.3 All equipment must be new. Used or remanufactured equipment shall not be accepted.

1.4 The maximum noise level must be less than 75 dB during equipment operation. A noise level of 70 dB is preferred.

1.5 The Contractor shall provide complete user manuals for the equipment delivered.

2 Melt Spinner Chamber with Sample Collecting Tube

2.1 The chamber shall be between 500 mm - 700 mm in diameter and 80 L – 100 L in volume.

2.2 The range of capability of sample per charge shall be 1 - 60 g.

2.3 When the system is operating as a closed system, the ultimate vacuum pressure of the chamber shall be at least 1.0 x 10-7 mbar (1.0 x 10-5 Pa).

2.4 The operating vacuum pressure shall be maintained at least 1.0 x 10-5 mbar

(1.0 x 10-3 Pa) without gas ballast.

2.5 The system shall be able to operate with inert gas (N2, Ar, or He) at the maximum backfill pressure up to 1000 mbar.

2.6 The melt spinner chamber shall be constructed of stainless steel and contain a viewport (minimum diameter 100 mm) through that can observe the melt spinning process in situ.

2.7 The size of sample collecting tube shall be at least 120 mm in diameter and at least 500 mm in length.

2.8 The system shall include the ribbon deflector that can adjust positions of the detachment of the ribbon from the wheel and can guide into the collecting tube.

3 Sample Melting System

3.1 The sample melting system shall be constituted by crucible, nozzle, and induction coil.

3.2 The melting system shall have the ability to perform two separate melting processes: melt spinning (see section 8.0) and mold casting (see section 9.0).

3.3 The crucible and nozzle shall be consumable and made of two materials: quartz and boron nitride (BN).

3.4 The system must heat the sample up to 1700 ºC.

3.5 The system shall have capability to position the sample allowing minimum vertical movement of 25 mm and minimum angular rotation of 5 degrees.

3.6 The system shall be able to monitor the sample temperature between 500 °C -

1700 °C with no more than 0.5 sec of the lag time.

3.7 The temperature measurement method shall be a non-contact method.

3.8 The molten alloy shall be ejected through the nozzle of the crucible by applying an overpressure relative to the chamber pressure. This overpressure shall be able to set variously in a range of 100 mbar and 3000 mbar (1 x 104 Pa and 3 x 105 Pa).

3.9 The position of the nozzle and the applied gas pressure shall be readable from the front of the instrument

3.10 A safety interlock system shall prevent the ejection of high-pressure gas when the pneumatic high vacuum gate valve is open.

4 Power Generator

4.1 The power generator shall be capable of melting the maximum sample mass (60

g) and 1600 ºC melting temperature alloys within 5 min.

4.2 All cables shall be high-voltage insulated.

4.3 The cable and sample melting device shall be connected using coaxial feed-through.

4.4 The power generator shall be cooled by the recirculating water chiller

(specified in Section 6.0).

5 High Vacuum System

5.1 The high vacuum system shall be constituted by a turbomolecular pump, a mechanical pump, pump controllers, vacuum valves, vacuum pressure gages, pressure gage controllers and readouts, and vacuum lines. Rotary and dry scroll pumps are both acceptable. A dry scroll pump is preferred.

5.2 The vacuum lines shall be constituted by a roughing-line (between the mechanical pump and the chamber), a fore-line (between the mechanical pump and the turbomolecular pump), and a high vacuum line (between the turbomolecular pump and the melt spinner chamber)

5.3 All vacuum lines shall be isolated by individual vacuum valves.

5.4 The chamber and vacuum system shall be isolated by a pneumatic gate valve. A control switch shall be integrated on the front of system with a display whether the gate valve is open or closed.

5.5 A pressure gage with a range of 1 x 103 mbar – 1 x 10-7 mbar shall be installed on the chamber and a pressure gage with a range of 1 x 103 mbar - 1 x 10-5 mbar shall be installed on the fore-line between the fore-line valve and the mechanical pump.

5.6 The electronic device to control and readout of the pressure gages shall be installed and readable at the front of system.

5.7 The pneumatic high vacuum gate valve shall not open when the pressure of melt spinner chamber is higher than 5.0 x 10-2 mbar (5 Pa) and shall close automatically when the vacuum of chamber is higher than 5.0 x 10-2 mbar (5 Pa).

5.8 ConFlat flanges are preferred but not required.

6 Recirculating Water Chiller

6.1 The recirculating water chiller shall maintain the coolant (water) temperature at or below 25 ºC with continuous and simultaneous usage of the melt spinner power generator and the water chilled casting mold.

6.2 A recirculating water chiller that is attached on wheels or built in the melt spinner chamber will both be acceptable.

6.3 Air cooling or water cooling types of recirculating are acceptable. Water cooling is preferred.

7 Melt Spinner Control System

7.1 The variables controlling the melt spinner shall include the chamber pressure, the vacuum line pressures, the status (volt, current and frequency) of power generator, the spinning wheel speed, the ejecting gas pressure, the sample temperature, and the positions of sample melting system. All of these variables shall be controllable and status readouts shall be provided.

7.2 The control system shall be integrated and located in the front of the instrument.

8 Spinning Wheel and Driver

8.1 The spinning wheel shall be made of copper.

8.2 The maximum size of copper spinning wheel shall be 300 mm in diameter and

40 mm.

8.3 The driver speed shall be controllable and able to determine the speed through the melt spinner control system.

8.4 The sample linear speed shall be controllable in a range of 10 - 50 m/s.

8.5 The chamber pressure with the attached driver shall be at least 1.0 x 10-7 mbar (1.0 x 10-5 Pa) as a closed system and shall be maintained at least 1.0 x 10-

5 mbar (1.0 x 10-3 Pa) during operation without gas ballast. It also shall be able to backfill with an inert gas up to the maximum pressure of 1000 mbar (1.0 x 105

Pa).

9 Water Chilled Casting Mold Apparatus

9.1 The water chilled casting mold apparatus shall be capable of rapid solidification casting and shall be able to produce a homogenous casting alloy.

9.2 The water chilled casting mold apparatus shall be constituted by a sample melting system and a chilled mold block.

9.3 The water chilled casting mold apparatus shall use the same induction coil as the sample melting system in section 3.0.

9.4 The water chilled casting mold shall be made of solid copper.

9.5 A chilled mold block shall be capable of adjusting positions to the sample melting system.

9.6 The nozzle size of the sample melting system for the water chilled casting mold shall be at least 1 mm in diameter.

9.7 The crucible and nozzle of the sample melting system for the water chilled casting mold shall be made of quartz and BN.

9.8 The chilled casting mold shall produce rods shaped alloys. The rods sizes shall be 3 mm, 5 mm and 12 mm in diameters and the minimum height of 25 mm.

9.9 The chamber pressure with the attached water chilled casting mold shall be at least 1.0 x 10-7 mbar (1.0 x 10-5 Pa) as a closed system and shall be maintained at least 1.0 x 10-5 mbar (1.0 x 10-3 Pa) during operation without gas ballast. It also shall be able to backfill with an inert gas up to the maximum pressure of

1000 mbar (1.0 x 105 Pa)

10 Spare Parts and Consumables

10.1 Sets of gaskets, Quantity 2 sets

10.2 Sets of Induction coils, Quantity 2 sets

10.3 Quartz window, Quantity 2 each

10.4 Sets of Quartz Crucible with three slit sizes, Quantity 10 sets

(5 mm x 0.4 mm, 5 mm x 0.6 mm, 10 mm x 0.4 mm)

10.5 Quartz Crucible with round nozzle, Quantity 10 each

10.6 Sets of BN crucible and nozzle for the melt spinner, Quantity 10 sets

10.7 Sets of BN crucible and nozzle for the casting mold, Quantity 10 sets

INSTALLATION

The Contractor shall provide installation for the melt spinner. Installation shall include, at a minimum, uncrating/unpackaging of all equipment, set-up and hook-up of all equipment, start-up, demonstration of all required specifications, and removal of all trash. The system must be installed and commissioned at NIST by a service engineer who is fluent in the operation of the system. During the installation,the Contractor shall melt at least two alloys to demonstrate the equipment is functional.

TRAINING

The Contractor shall schedule and facilitate training for three (3) NIST personnel, on-site at NIST Gaithersburg. The training shall provide a thorough demonstration of all equipment functions, equipment operation and basic troubleshooting. The training may be completed on-site at NIST immediately after the successful completion of installation and demonstration of specifications.

Installation and training shall be completed on-site at NIST Gaithersburg during regular business hours, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday through Friday.

Option Line Items

The following is an option line item. Quoters must provide a firm-fixed price for the option line item. The price for this option line item shall remain valid for a period of

18 months from the date of award.

The Government may exercise the option line item, at its discretion, at the time of award and/or at any time within 18 months from the date of award. Option line items will be exercised by the issuance of a modification (Standard Form 30).

Spinning Wheel and Driver, Quantity one set meeting all specifications identified in

Section 8.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Delivery, installation and training shall be completed not later than 300 days from the date of award.

DELIVERABLES

Description Quantity Due Date

Deliver Melt Spinner One (1) No later than 270 days after receipt of this order.

Install and provide training on the equipment

Once No later than 300 days after receipt of this order.