UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO - NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SINGLE SOURCE CONTRACT: #21-051
Simultaneous Thermal Analyzer
The University of Waterloo (UW) intends to award a single source contract to NETZSCH Instruments North America, of Burlington, MA, USA, for the purchase of a Simultaneous Thermal Analyzer package. The approximate budget for this entire package is $100,000 USD, not including taxes/HST.
This is an Advanced Notice indicating to the supplier community that UW intends to award a contract for this equipment to a pre-identified supplier. If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date of this notice, a statement of specifications that satisfies the stated requirements set out in this Notice, the competitive requirements of the University are considered to have been met. Following notification to any suppliers not successful in demonstrating that their statement of specifications meets the requirements set out in this Notice, the contract may then be awarded to the pre-identified supplier.
If other potential suppliers submit statements of specifications during the fifteen calendar day posting period, and meet the requirements set out in this Notice, UW will proceed to a Request for Proposal process, in order to award the contract.
Process - Suppliers who can provide equivalent equipment with proven functionality required for the research, within budget, are encouraged to submit a statement of specifications, in writing, to the contact person identified in this Notice, on or before the closing date of this Notice. The statement of specifications must unequivocally demonstrate how the supplier meets these advertised requirements within budget.
SPECIFICATIONS –
The Simultaneous Thermal Analyzer Equipment suite being purchased consists of:
- one (1) Basic system including a top-loading micro balance;
- one (1) Carrier arm for furnace system for the electric hoist;
- one (1) Steel furnace with accessories;
- two (2) Sample and calibration kits;
- one (1) TG-DSC sample carrier system;
- one (1) Computer system with three (3) Software extensions;
- one (1) LN2 multimode cooling system;
- one (1) Evacuating system for automatic operation;
- one (1) MFC gas control block; and,
- one (1) crucible and lid
Simultaneous Thermal Analyzer Specifications:
Basic system including a top-loading micro balance digital, with:
- resolution 0,1 μg, maximum sample load/measurement range 35 g including sample crucible
- electrical temperature control unit for the balance chamber
- electric motor driven furnace hoist (basic system) and built-in furnace control and power supply
The system has three magnetic valves and gas frits for purge gas inlet to the sample as standard equipment. It is suitable for measurements under normal atmosphere, in dynamic and static inert gas atmosphere. The instrument is vacuum-tight (10E-4 mbar, achievable vacuum depends on the actual evacuation system). Proteus measurement and analysis software for STA 449 F3 for data acquisition, storage and evaluation under MS WINDOWS. includes TGA-BeFlat as well as AutoEval for DSC and TGA. If the prerequisites of existing MFCs, a SiC furnace and use of one of the 5 sample carriers (HTP40000Axx.000-00 with xx= 56, 58, 69, 73 or 75) are met, TGA-BeFlat can be activated for the implementation of measurements.
Features: Multitasking with simultaneous operation of several thermoanalytical systems and simultaneous evaluations; Graphical interface, and integrated detailed HELP system.
Sole Source Justification
The Netzsch instrument is a Thermal Gravimetric Analyzer/Differential Scanning Calorimeter, TGA/DSC, over its entire range of operation (RT-1500ºC). DSC technology employs a thermal sensor plate to measure the entire energy exchange between the sample and its environment, a much more meaningful thermodynamic value. This value may be then converted quantitatively to heat capacity and enthalpy values. The Netzsch DSC/TGA instrument is the best simultaneous thermal analyzer suited for this research. It is capable of reaching 1500ºC but still provides accurate quantitative data even at low temperatures.
Competitor instruments in this budget range and which operate to 1500ºC are primarily DTA/TGA instruments, and are inherently less accurate than a DSC/TGA. Netzsch is the only manufacturers to offer DSC capability to 1500ºC.
Another technical advantage of the Netzsch instrument is the stability of the measured value. Owing to the unique design of the Netzsch instrument, a top-loading system, as are all conventional balances, the measurements have a typical isothermal drift of < 0.9 mg/hr even at 1400ºC.
Another advantage of the Netzsch instrument is the capability to measure air-sensitive samples. As some of our metal sulfide mesostructures fall into this category, this is important. A pump and three-way gas adapter may be appended to the Netzsch 449C to allow for evacuation and purging of the sample chamber with inert gas.
Date of issue: May 13, 2021
Closing Date: May 28, 2021, at 2:30 p.m. EST
Contact:
Suhair Gilbert, Procurement Agent
Procurement and Contract Services
University of Waterloo
Ph: 519-888-4567 ext. 37147
Email – sammouri@uwaterloo.ca, or, procure@uwaterloo.ca
