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COMMERCE BUSINESS DAILY ISSUE OF JANUARY 11,1999 PSA#225995 -- METAL BARS, SHEETS, AND SHAPES The purpose of this request for
information (RFI) is to find alternate steels or other alloys that can
be used as reference-grade materials for verifying the performance of
Charpy impact machines. In particular, the Materials Reliability
Division of NIST is seeking alternatives to double vacuum melted
(VIM/VAR) 18 Ni maraging steel bars, which have been used to produce
Charpy V-notch impact specimens with a mean energy between 155 and 175
ft-lbs of absorbed energy (preferably at room temperature), and a
standard deviation of less than 3.7 % between specimens. Most materials
exhibit much more scatter than this, yet such a strict requirement is
needed to adequately assess impact machine performance. Charpy V- notch
specimens machined from this steel shall be sold by NIST as standard
reference materials to certify the calibration of Charpy V-notch
machines around the world, so the specimens (and the steel) must be of
the highest uniformity possible. The American Society for Testing and
Materials specification E23 describes this test and these specimens.
The steel that we seek shall be produced as a single heat and the
ingot(s) shall be adequately forged prior to rolling to minimize
compositional and microstructural variation in the final products.
Because steel plants produce steel in different heat sizes (inherent to
their facilities), we have tried to add some flexibility to past
purchase contracts by bracketing the quantity of the steel to be
purchased: 3,000 to 5,000 pounds. The composition shall be certified
using standard analysis procedures (such as optical emission
spectroscopy or x-ray fluorescence), and the analysis equipment shall
be calibrated by standards traceable to NIST. We seek a material that
can be processed to 0.50 inch (+ 0.15, -0.00) square bar. The corner
radius of the finished bars shall not exceed 0.03 inches. In other
attributes (surface condition, etc), the steel shall be suitable for
use as 0.394 inch square Charpy V-notch specimens. The bar can be
delivered in the as-rolled condition. The bar shall be machine
straightened (to minimize twist and bow), and shipped in lengths no
less than 6 ft and no more than 12 ft (11 to 12 ft lengths are ideal).
We seek responses from steel producers and suppliers who could furnish
material that might be suitable. Responses should include: 1) contact
information, 2) supporting documentation on impact properties, 3)
availability in the desired product form, 4) typical heat or ingot
yields, and 5) lead time and rough order of magnitude cost estimates.
Responses are due no later than 30 days from the date of this
announcement. Based upon an examination of the RFI submittals, it is
possible, but not guaranteed, that the government will issue a future
purchase order. The Government does not intend to award a contract on
the basis of this RFI or otherwise reimburse for the information that
is being solicited. Please address responses or inquiries to Tom
Siewert at e-mail: thomas.siewert@nist.gov, Phone 303-497-3523; Fax:
303-497-5030 E-MAIL: NOAA; MASC Acquisition Management,
Doris.P.Turner@noaa.gov. Posted 01/07/99 (D-SN286242). Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0426 19990111\SP-0012.MSC)
SP - Special Notices Index Page
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