99 -- TEOM SERIES 1500 PULSE MASS ANALYZER SUBJECT: TEOM Series 1500 Pulse Mass Analyzer DESC: The U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC), Pittsburgh, PA intends to award a purchase order on a sole-source basis to the Rupprecht & Patashnick Co. Inc., Albany, NY to purchase the following items: (1) TEOM series 1500 pulse mass analyzer, Series 1500 monitor, 120VAC, with 0.10 cc test bed size, No. 99-002293-120 -- 1 each; (2) High pressure option (operation to 60 atm), No. 59-002289 -- 1 each; (3) Oscilloscope screen option, No. 59-005160 -- 1 each; (4) Analog Input Interface, No. 59-002298 -- 2 each; and (5) Valve interface, No. 59-002297 -- 7 each.. This purchase order is being issued to Rupprecht & Patashnick Co. Inc because their Pulse Mass Analyzer uniquely and ideally fits our needs for such a research instrument. The salient features of the Pulse Mass Analyzer sold by Rupprecht & Patashnick Co. Inc., are The measurements of the rates of uptake and release must be done in a way such that they depend solely on the intrinsic chemical and physical properties of the material that relate to hydrogen storage. This means in particular that they must be measured without complication from the effects of mass transfer limitations such as would occur in instruments in which the sample is simply placed in a weighing pan with the reactive gas passing over it. Rather, to obtain useful measurements, the instrument must simulate a packed bed reactor in which the reactive gases flow through the bed, making ready and equal contract with all the particles of the sample. This high degree of contact is achieved with the design of the TEOM 1500 instrument. Further, the instrument must be able to make accurate measurements of weight changes while the reactive gas is flowing, without interference from buoyancy or drag effects, even while the temperature undergoes programmed changes. This may be accomplished with R&P's unique and patented tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM). The microbalance measures mass by recording the frequency of oscillation of the suspended sample bed rather than the net effect of the forces of gravity, buoyancy, and drag. The weight measurement is thus made independently of the effects of the flow or buoyancy of the reactive gas. These differences between conventional pan-type microbalance and the oscillating TEOM 1500 microbalance reactor and the advantages of the latter for studying the kinetics of weight deposition on solid samples has been reported in the scientific literature by researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (DeChen, Gronvold, Rebo, Moljor, and Holmen, Applied Catalysis, vol 137, L1-L8, (1996)). Further, the instrument must be able to operate at pressures relevant for hydrogen storage devices, that is at least 50 atmospheres. The relative weight changes expected in the experiments are small, and mass resolution of 0.1% must be measurable. Because the size of the samples available for testing are very small (about 10 milligrams), the instrument must then be able to measure weight changes accurately with mass resolution of 10 micrograms or less. The TEOM 1500 instruments is able to make measurement sat 1 microgram resolution, roughly ten times better than our requirement. The instrument must also be suited for another research study that concerns the rate of growth of carbon fibers or nanotubes on metal catalysts. For this application the instrument must agin simulate a small packed bed reactor with the capability to measure the gain or loss of weight in the sample bed at temperatures up to 600 C, with time resolution of 0.1 second. As before, it is necessary that the reactive gases flow through the bed so that physical limitations on the rates of gas uptake or release from the sample are not hindered by mass transfer problems associated with the passage of gases over the bed rather than through the bed. The TEOM instrument is uniquely able to meed these requirements. This request is considered to be sole source to Rupprecht & Patashnick Co.Inc.. Therefore, no solicitation will result from this announcement. This award shall be made using simplified acquisition procedures. This is 100% set aside for Small Business. Request for information should be addressed to Mr. Robert L. Mohn, FAX 412-892-6216. E-MAIL: mohn@fetc.doe.gov, mohn@fetc.doe.gov. Posted 05/11/99 (W-SN329895).

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