RFI Lithium Processing Capabilities
Closed Pre-Solicitation Posted
- Solicitation number
- 89233125NNA000136
- Agency
-
National Nuclear Security Administration
Department of Energy
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 325180 Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing
- PSC
- 6810 Chemicals
- Points of contact
- More information
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is seeking a contractor to process lithium hydride (LiH) material through a comprehensive recycling and purification workflow. The agency requires a vendor capable of executing multiple technical processes, including cleaning LiH feedstock, chemical purification to create lithium chloride (LiCl), metal production converting LiCl to purified lithium metal, and hydriding to recreate LiH. The pre-solicitation notice indicates the agency's target is processing approximately 1,500 - 5,000 kg of LiH material annually, with an emphasis on salvaging lithium from waste streams to recover weapons-grade material. While specific evaluation criteria are not detailed in the notice, the technical complexity suggests vendors will need demonstrated expertise in inorganic chemical manufacturing and advanced materials processing. The pre-solicitation was posted on December 3, 2024, with responses due by January 10, 2025, signaling a potential solicitation release in the near future.
The contract opportunity is not designated with a specific set-aside, which suggests it will be open to a broad range of qualified contractors. The procurement falls under the NAICS category 325180 for Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing and PSC category 6810 for Chemicals, indicating the specialized nature of the required services. While specific award values are not provided, the sophisticated multi-step processing requirements and significant annual material volume suggest a potentially substantial contract. The contract will involve NNSA providing the initial LiH material and expecting comprehensive processing services that include cleaning, purification, metal production, and hydriding, with an underlying objective of recycling and recovering high-grade lithium materials. The technical specifications and the involvement of the National Nuclear Security Administration imply this will be a precise, scientifically rigorous procurement with potential national security implications.
Notice text
NNSA requires LiH material (provided by NNSA) to be purified and reprocessed. NNSA targets recycling approximately 1,500 – 5,000 kg/yr of LiH. The current mission follows cleaning, purification, metal production and hydriding process as described below.
• Cleaning prepares the LiH feedstock for purification or direct re-use. Material cleaned for direct re-use would be returned to NNSA after cleaning.
• Purification uses a chemical process to purify and reform 6Li feedstock into lithium chloride (LiCl) (an intermediate).
• Metal production converts LiCl to purified lithium metal
• Hydriding reacts lithium metal with hydrogen to create LiH.
• Salvage will occur throughout all process steps to recover the lithium caught in waste streams for purification to weapons grade material.
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