Federal Bid

Last Updated on 13 Jun 2018 at 8 AM
Special Notice
Location Unknown

Gas cylinders containing air to be used as balance air for new primary standards.

Solicitation ID NB646030-18-02335
Posted Date 22 May 2018 at 12 PM
Archive Date 13 Jun 2018 at 5 AM
NAICS Category
Product Service Code
Set Aside No Set-Aside Used
Contracting Office Department Of Commerce Nist
Agency Department Of Commerce
Location United states
FBO ANNOUNCEMENT: PRESOLICITATION NOTICE, NOTICE OF INTENT

ACTION CODE: SPECIAL NOTICE

SUBJECT: Gas cylinders containing air to be used as balance air for new primary standards.

SOLICITATION NUMBER: NB646030-18-02335

RESPONSE DATE: 5/29/2018

DESCRIPTION:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), with Praxair, located in Bethlehem, PA to purchase gas cylinders containing a specific gas compound used in primary standards.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gas Sensing Metrology Group (GMSG) of the Chemical Sciences Division is responsible for developing, critically evaluating, and applying techniques for the identification and measurement of gaseous species in atmospheres (urban, rural, and pristine) and process streams (automobile and stack). The group applies these techniques to certification of gas standards in support of industries responding to U.S. and state regulations, environmental concerns, fairness in trade issues, and global climate change. The primary concern is to provide the infrastructure for high-quality, traceable gas measurements, allowing better decision-making by industry, regulators, government officials, research scientists, and the public. Measurement services are provided through the development of reference materials including NIST Traceable Reference Materials (NTRMs), Reference Materials (RMs), Standard Reference Materials (SRMs). The GSMG prepares and verifies primary standard mixtures (PSM) through gravimetry. These standards are used in the above-mentioned certifications and for participation in worldwide comparisons of standards coordinated by the Bureau International des Poids et Measures (BIPM).

Sole Source justification is based on the following:

The Gas Sensing Metrology Group of NIST's Chemical Science Division has been charged with the certification of numerous components of various gas mixtures of importance in monitoring global warming gases and air pollution.

The instrumentation used in the comparison of these mixtures is very sensitive to the amount of argon in the samples. Through testing of mixes with different amounts of argon, but the same amount of carbon dioxide and methane it was determined that small variations in the argon content would lead to greater analytical uncertainty than was acceptable to meet the desired total uncertainty. Due to this effect, NIST has been instructed to use "real" [not synthetic or blended] air [air from the atmosphere which is scrubbed of all components except argon] as the balance gas for the standards.

Although many specialty gas vendors can produce synthetic or blended air [air that is made by blending argon, oxygen and nitrogen], the homogeneity as well as the accuracy in the argon concentration of these mixtures will not meet the specifications required.

All previous NIST gas standards purchases were made though Scott Marrin for the materials needed to prepare carbon dioxide [CO2] in air primary standards mixtures [PSM] and working standards [WS] to be used for the certification of CO2 in air gas mixtures. No additional vendors have been identified capable of providing a gas product in which the argon collection mirrors the previous procurements. Praxair Distribution which recently purchased Scott Marrin Inc, is the only western hemisphere supplier of real air. This would ensure the homogeneity as well as the accuracy of the argon concentration in the PSMs. NIST has been required by both the BIPM and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to use whole, natural or real air as the balance gas for these standards.

The resulting order will be a Firm-Fixed Price purchase order.

NAICS code for this requirement will be 325120 - Industrial Gas Manufacturing with a small business size of 1000 employees.

No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, interested parties who regard themselves as capable of fulfilling these requirements are invited to submit responses to the Government for consideration. Responses received by 5/29/2018 will be considered by the Government.

Inquiry POCs

erik.frycklund @nist.gov Primary
[email protected] Secondary
National Institutes of Standards and Technologies NIST
Acquisition Management Division (AMD)
100 Bureau Dr. Mail Stop 1640
Gaithersburg, MD. 20899-1640

Bid Protests Not Available

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