Research-Grade Thermomechanical Analyzer

Added: Sep 09, 2016 9:46 pm The USDA, ARS, Western Regional Research Center, Albany, California has a requirement for a research-grade thermomechanical analyzer that provides high precision measurements of material dimension changes as a function of temperature, time, force for agricultural plant materials. The analyzer must provide flexibility in operating modes; standard, temperature ramp, isostrain, force ramp, stress/strain, creep, stress relaxation, dynamic thermomechanical analysis, and modulated thermomechanical analysis modes. It must also allow for dynamic experiments to measure complex, storage and loss moduli, as well as modulated thermomechanical analysis in which reversing and non-reversing components of displacement are available; and measures coefficient of thermal expansion and heat distortion temperature. Thermomechanical analyzer shall have software for complete experimental control of all thermal modules. The analysis software should support Unicode and English, extensive setup templates and wizards, on-line help menus with diagnostics and multimedia support, and a comprehensive data analysis program; real time data analysis, auto-analysis, the ability to create up to (at least) 40 simultaneous curve overlay plots, a report generator that uses Microsoft Word and Excel templates, spreadsheet text files, PCX and HPGL graphics files, and export to ASCII data files. The operating and data analysis software must be un-keyed and operated on Windows 7 with a CD-ROM drive.

The research-grade thermomechanical analyzer minimum requirements include force range of 0.001 to 2 N, force resolution 0.001 N, furnace cool-down (air cool down) time less than 10 min from 600° C to 50° C, temperature range -150 to 1000° C, temperature precision +/- 1° C, solid sample size up to 26mm x 10mm, allow a film/fiber sample size up to 26 x 1 x 4.7 mm in the static mode, allow a film/fiber sample size up to 26 x 0.35 x 4.7 mm in the dynamic mode, measurement precision +/- 0.1%, sensitivity of 15 nm, displacement resolution of less than 0.5 nm, dynamic baseline drive of less than 1u (-100 to 500° C), frequency range of 0.01 to 2 Hz, atmosphere (static or controlled flow) inert, oxidizing or reactive gases, automated furnace and probe movement, automated sample dimension measurement, automated air-cooling.

The thermomechanical analyzer shall include an accessory kit with coefficient of expansion calibration standard, temperature calibration standard, standard expansion probe, penetration probe, macro-expansion probe, and quartz sample stage, flexure kit, and a digital mass flow controller. The thermomechanical analyzer shall also include a 120V isolation kit.

Provide site installation/calibration/commissioning, site orientation/training, user manuals, and warranties. Also, identify any shipping/freight fees.

This solicitation incorporates the following commercial FAR clauses by reference 52.212-1, 52.212-2, 52.212-3, 52.212-4, and 52.212-5. The following applicable FAR clauses are incorporated by reference: 52.222-3, 52.222-19, 52.222-21, 52.222-26, 52.222-35, 52.222-36, 52.225-13, 52.232-33, 52.232-36 (FAR clauses may be obtained at www.acquisition.gov). Interested vendors are encouraged to submit proposals including descriptive literature (refer to FAR 52.214.21) to Clarice Dixson, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Research Center, 800 Buchanan Street, Albany, CA 94710 or by e-mail to Clarice.Dixson@ars.usda.gov no later than 2:00PM PDST September 16, 2016.