Sources Sought Notice XRay Diffractometer.pdf

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

Document Type: Sources Sought Notice Notice Number:

Title: NIST X-Ray Diffractometer Instruments NAICS Code: 334516 Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing

Contracting Office Address National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Acquisition Management Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899-1640

Sources Sought Notice AMDTC-23-01769 Project Title: X-Ray Diffractometer Instruments

This is a Sources Sought Notice ONLY. Requests for copies of a solicitation will not receive a response.

The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of qualified business sources. This notice is strictly for market research and information purposes only. Your responses will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible.

NIST is seeking responses from all responsible business concerns under the associated NAICS code for this effort, 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing)

This Notice is for planning purposes only and is not a Request for Proposal or Request for Quotation or an obligation on the part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for conducting a follow-on acquisition. NIST does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this Notice, or otherwise pay for the information requested. No entitlement or payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by NIST will arise as a result of submission of responses to this Notice and NIST use of such information.

NIST recognizes that proprietary components, interfaces and equipment, and clearly mark restricted or proprietary components, interfaces and equipment, and clearly mark restricted or proprietary data and present it as an addendum to the non-restricted/non-proprietary information. In the absence of such identification, NIST will assume to have unlimited rights to all technical data in the information paper.

NO SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS EXIST AT THIS TIME.

Background:

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Engineering Laboratory (EL) Materials and Structural Systems Division (MSSD) studies the durability and service life of infrastructure materials (polymer, concrete, engineered composites) for resilience infrastructure applications. One of the key research focuses is to track production and degradation modes of these materials using fundamental microstructure, including crystalline phases and other structural properties, such as strain state, grain size, epitaxy, phase composition, preferred orientation and defect structures of these phases using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The MSSD will benefit from the use of this XRD system for various infrastructure materials (polymer, cement, concrete and composites) in the “Engineered Materials for Resilient Infrastructure” program and for FRP composite assemblies in “Earthquake Risk Reduction in Buildings and Infrastructure” program, and for photovoltaic (PV) materials in the “Net Zero Energy Research” program.

The MSSD currently owns and operates a Bruker D8 Advance X-ray diffractometer. The Bruker D8 Advance has been heavily used in many cementitious projects, including fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites and cement additive manufacturing applications, and has exceeded its effective service life. MSSD now requires a compatible replacement to the Bruker instrument to accomplish milestones related to several ongoing project areas that also include polymer composites. A replacement multipurpose XRD instrument is needed to provide new, state-of-the-art microstructure measurement capabilities to NIST that are compatible with the research already begun using Bruker D8 Advance.

Requirement:

1) X-ray Source:

a. X-ray source shall have high stability with medium frequency design with a routine for the automatic burn-in of X-ray tubes to maximize tube lifetime and include:

1. Maximum generator continuous power up to 3 kW

2. High voltage in the range of 20 kV to 50 kV, adjustable in steps of I kV

3. Current between 5 mA to 60 mA, adjustable in steps of 1 mA

4. Required power of 4 kVA (20A maximum)

5. Stability of <0.005 % for high voltage and current with 10% variation of main supply

b. The x-ray source shall have a copper-anode no less than 2.2 kW with long fine focus (focus size: 0.04 mm x 12 mm)

c. Vendor must provide water chiller system.

2) X-ray Optics:

a. Primary computer controlled stepper motorized slit assembly, capable of:

1. Theta coupled slit operation to maintain a constant irradiated area on sample surface

2. Illuminated area length ranging from 1 mm to 20 mm

3. Fixed mode slit openings from 0.05 to 5.0

4. Independent choice of operation mode from host computer for each measurement

b. Cu foil (up to 0.1 mm thickness) absorber to achieve attenuation of a minimum of 1:80 for Cu radiation

c. Ni foil (up to 0.02 mm thickness) filter for Cu K beta radiation suppression down to 0.5 % Cu K alpha

d. Large and small soller slits

a. Equivalent to 2 and 4 axial

e. Motorized anti-scatter screen to suppress instrument background from air-scatter at low angles two theta. Motorized anti-scatter screen shall include:

1. Fully software controlled

2. Bragg-Brentano geometry mode

i. Both fixed and automatic modes

3. In automatic mode, fully software controlled, continuous retraction of the knife as a function of two theta

4. Maximum range of 140 two theta

3) Geometries:

a. Goniometer in vertical configuration

b. Two-circle goniometer with independent stepper motors and optical encoders for theta and two theta circles

c. Pre-defined positions for measurement circle diameters, depending on accessories:

i. 500 mm, 560 mm, 600 mm or any intermediate setting

d. Minimum step size 0.005

4) Detector:

Energy dispersive compound silicon strip detector with energy resolution of < 380 eV for Cu radiation operating at 25 C such that white and K beta radiation is filtered.

1. Minimum of 300 micron sensor thickness

2. Minimum active window of 13 mm x 15 mm

3. Software controlled variable active detector window

4. Minimum global count rate 130,000,000 counts per second (cps)

5. Scanning and fixed 1-D (line) mode

5) The instrument shall be configured with the following user-interchangeable sample stages, and stage exchange shall be able to be performed by laboratory staff at NIST:

a. Single specimen stage

b. Automatic sample changer with sample rotation that can be operated in both reflection and transmission modes for up to 9 positions

c. Specimen holder rings with 8.5 mm height and sample cavities ranging from 25 mm to 40 mm

d. Compatibility with NIST-owned sample chamber for sample cooling, heating, and relative humidity control with the XRD instrument stage and software for the chamber operation

1. X-ray window

i. Scan range: 0 to 164 two theta

ii. Width/length: 12 mm/195

iii. Kapton (25 micrometer) and graphite (100 micrometer) double layer foil material

2. Chamber

i. 115 mm diameter (without cooling unit)

ii. Height alignment: manual equipment ± 2.5 mm; motorized stage ± 3.5 mm

iii. Weight: 3 kg

3. Sample holder dimensions

i. 14 mm x 10 mm (L x W)

ii. 0.8 mm/0.2 mm/flat cavity depth

iii. Si (511), 0.5 mm thick zero background insert

4. PC-controllable alignment stage

i. Alignment stage without adapter: 220 mm total height; 150 mm height

(bottom center); 140 mm width; 22 mm depth; 1.6 kg weight

ii. Alignment stage controller: 205 mm x 160 mm x 68 mm; 0.9 kg weight

iii. Power Supply: AC 100-240 V; 50 to 60 Hz; max 40 VA power consumption

iv. Hardware interface: CPU board with RS 232 for connection to a PC

e. Unrestricted access into instrument enclosure to facilitate exchange of x-ray tubes, sample stages and instrument optics.

f. The enclosure shall have large tempered leaded glass windows to allow high visibility of the sample and any add-on components.

6) Reproducible positioning of optics and stages "alignment-free exchange"

a. All system optics, x-ray sources, detectors, and sample stages shall be exchangeable and alignment free with reconfiguration doable by the NIST user onsite at NIST while maintaining instrument alignment per analysis of SRM 660 and SRM 1976.

7) Computer System for instrument control, data acquisition, processing and analysis.

Computer system shall have the following features:

a. Windows-based computer with 2.1 GHz or better processor

b. 1 TB hard drive or larger

c. Dual 24" LCD monitors or larger

d. Keyboard (wired) with keypad

e. Mouse (wired)

f. 32 GB RAM or larger

g. 2 ethernet ports minimum

h. 4 USB 3.0 ports minimum

8) Data Display, Processing and Analysis

a. The instrument automation software must have the ability to run executable scripts that can be initiated from a command prompt that controls the instrument via the provider's graphical user interface (GUI) environment. This capability shall be present at the time of delivery.

b. Software to recognize hardware components

i. to prevent hardware collisions

ii. to facilitate hardware configuration changes and alignments

iii. to facilitate hardware alignments

iv. to control the settings of components together, dynamically, to produce optimized data at every step in the measurement

c. Full data collection and instrument control software including capabilities for batch control of multiple samples.

d. Data analysis software as described below:

i. Comprehensive codes for instrument control, performance monitoring, data display, data manipulation, data processing and analysis.

ii. Full qualitative and quantitative analysis of phase composition using, for example, Rietveld methods.

iii. Manufacturer-supported Rietveld analysis code based upon fundamental parameters approach.

iv. Search-Match using multiple powder diffraction databases, including a user-generated database, ability to constrain the search based upon material bulk chemistry.

v. Able to collect, process and analyze data for pair distribution analysis.

vi. Data import and export in multiple file formats such as General Structure

Analysis System (GSAS), raw and X-Y text.

vii. Capable of creating and using a user-developed database from user's

Crystallographic Information File (CIF) files.

viii. Databases for search-match and Rietveld refinement must include:

International Centre for Diffraction Data (ICDD) PDF 4 and Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (ICSD).

ix. Provisions to create a user database based upon CIF files for search-match and Rietveld refinement.

10) Safety Enclosure: The X-ray system must be compliant with all State and Federal requirements for safety. These include 29 CFR 1910.1096; 21 CFR 1020.40; from the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors’ Suggested State Regulations for Control of Radiation- Part H- Radiation Safety Requirements for Non-Healing Arts Radiation Generating Devices of the Suggested State Regulations; and ANSI/HPS 43.2-2001. Must provide full radiation protection that includes safety interlocks.

11) Shall provide a water chiller with all connections to the instrument and to house water source for heat dissipation. Water access provided by NIST.

12) Shall provide an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) to serve as a power conditioner for the x-ray generator and to provide the instrument with operating power for a minimum of 5 minutes during a power outage.

13) 24-hour response time for problem inquiries by telephone or e-mail.

14) Locally-available company field service engineers who specialize in service and repair of that manufacturer's x-ray powder diffraction instrumentation available within 72 hours.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE

Questions regarding this sources sought notice may be submitted via email to Mr. Marvin Jean, Contract Specialist, at marvin.jean@nist.gov. Questions are due by or before 12:00 PM ET on June 8, 2023. Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline.

RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

All responsible business sources able to provide the services described above are asked to email a response to Mr. Marvin Jean, Contract Specialist, at marvin.jean@nist.gov by or before 12:00 PM ET on June 15, 2023.

Please include the following information in the response:

1. Name of company authorized to provide services, along with their address and a point of contact for the company (name, phone number, and email address).

2. The company’s primary NAICS, size classification, and socio-economic status (i.e., Small Business, Woman Owned Small Business, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, etc.).

3. Specific description of capabilities in relation to the three key task areas identified in this sources sought notice.

4. Information on any GSA Federal Supply Schedules (FSS) or other Government-wide contracts through which the company offers these services, if applicable.

5. Any other relevant information that is not listed above which the Government should consider.

Responses are limited to a maximum total of ten (10) pages in MS Word or searchable PDF format.

IMPORTANT NOTES

This notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will not be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.

The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response; however, NIST will recognize as restricted or proprietary data which is clearly marked such.

mailto:marvin.jean@nist.gov.