Pegasus

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineering Research and Development Center – Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL) in Champaign, IL has a requirement for one (1) Pegasus two-dimensional gas chromatograph (model #BT 4D GCxGC TOF MS), with a compatible robotic sampling arm ( L-Pal3 SPME tool and L-Pal3 GC), one (1) Gas purification kit, one (1) PC Workstation, Monitor, and Software package for data analysis to include the NIST mass spectral library.  The requirement includes installation and training services directly from the system manufacturer.   

ERDC-CERL intends to award a purchase order on a sole source basis to LECO Corporation in accordance with FAR 13.106-1(b)(1).

Market research indicates that LECO Corporation is the only source for this requirement because the Pegasus BT 4D GCxGC TOF MS from LECO Corporation is the only two-dimensional gas chromatograph on the market with a time of flight mass spectrometer (TOF MS) with the following necessary specifications and capabilities:

• A large mass range from 10-1500 amu, data acquisition rates of 500 Hz for better resolution,
• A self-cleaning ion source, comprehensive analysis to examine all of the analytes, and
• A cryogen free cooled thermal modulator to eliminate the need for liquid nitrogen tanks.

These features will allow the government research team to analyze and quantify all of the gaseous components that come from high temperature degradation of waste. The research team expects the output from waste-to-energy processes to generate a complex variety of by-products that depend on the process parameters as well as the input components. It is absolutely necessary to understand the chemical mechanisms that are occurring within the system with respect to input to allow tuning of the process and generation of usable by-products. This system has the best separation characteristics together with the best sensitivity to uncover all of the gaseous by-products.

The government requires an instrument capable of analyzing all the peaks in multiple dimensions.  Heart cutting is not an option due to the dynamic nature of the samples and the need to isolate and identify all the gaseous analytes in the sample.  Separations must be done in two dimensions using two separate columns with a thermal modulator that focuses analytes from the first column before injection onto the second column. The system must allow changing the modulation rate during the run to improve the peak resolution and detection limits in regions of low concentration or multiple co-eluting peaks.  Finally, the instrument must meet or exceed ASTM D5769 method requirements for the determination of aromatics in finished gasolines.

This is not a small business set aside. 

This Notice of Intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, interested parties may identify their interests and capability to respond to this requirement. Any interested party that believes they can fulfill this requirement should submit a capability statement to be reviewed. All submissions will be considered, however there is no guarantee that submissions in response to this notice will be in any way alter the Government’s acquisition strategy.

Please provide responses to this notice no later than the Response time listed above in this notice, to:

CERL-CT_QUOTES@usace.army.mil

Telephone responses will not be accepted.

Responses to this notice will not be considered as a response to any solicitation, a request to be added to a prospective offers list, or to receive a copy of any solicitation.  A determination by the Government not to compete the contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.