Combined Sources Sought Notice and Notice of Intent to Sole Source for an Electrochemical Analysis System

***THIS IS A COMBINED SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE*** The purpose of this sources sought notice is to conduct market research and identify potential sources of commercial products/services that satisfy the Government s anticipated needs. If no alternate sources are identified, the Government intends to issue a Sole Source Award to Gamry Instruments, Inc., 734 Louis Dr, Warminster, PA 18974, US, under the authority of Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) FAR 12.102(a). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing. BACKGROUND The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Materials Measurement Laboratory, Materials Science and Engineering Division (MSED), Polymers Processing Group is executing a project focused on the recovery of critical minerals specifically gold, palladium, copper, and rare earth elements from electronic waste (e-waste). This research requires characterizing the thermodynamics and kinetics of selective electrowinning from complex, multi-ion leachates. To accurately model these systems, the Government requires a high-performance, modular electrochemical workstation capable of high-frequency impedance spectroscopy and hydrodynamic control. The contract shall provide a research-grade, multi-channel potentiostat/galvanostat system which will enables precise measurement of reduction mechanisms and mass-transport kinetics essential for optimizing "urban mining" processes. This system is required to distinguish between metal deposition and competing side reactions during rapid separation cycles. These insights are essential to understanding the recovery processes of these rarely recycled elements from microelectronic waste, directly supporting CHIPS Act goals of strengthening the domestic semiconductor supply chain. NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that will achieve the objectives described above, and meet the following essential requirements: Line Item 0001: Research-Grade Potentiostat/Galvanostat/ZRA Channel (Quantity: 1) The Contractor shall provide a research-grade standalone potentiostat/galvanostat/ZRA channel meeting the following specifications: Compliance Voltage: 12 V minimum Maximum Continuous Current: 1 A full-scale Data Acquisition speed: Natively support high-speed data acquisition up to 1 MHz (1 s per point) for transient pulse techniques Current Resolution: 1 pA or better, with potential control resolution down to 1 V. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS): Integrated frequency response analyzer (FRA) supporting a frequency Range from 10 A to 2 MHz without external add-ons, with a benchmark accuracy of 1% up to 100 kHz Included Components: Must include a comprehensive suite of pre-licensed control software covering DC Corrosion, Physical Electrochemistry, Electrochemical Energy, Pulse Voltammetry, and Electrochemical Noise techniques, alongside a 0.6 m cell cable, 2 m USB cable, UDC6 2 kOhm calibration/AC dummy cell, and digital operator's manual. System Assurance: Includes a two-year standard system assurance plan. Line Item 0002: High-Current Application Electrochemical Channel (Quantity: 1) The Contractor shall provide a high-current standalone potentiostat/galvanostat/ZRA channel meeting the following specifications: Compliance Voltage: 6 V minimum Maximum Continuous Current: 5 A full-scale Data Acquisition speed: Natively support high-speed data acquisition up to 1 MHz (1 s per point) for transient pulse techniques Current Resolution: 1 pA or better, with potential control resolution down to 1 V. Must include pre-licensed control software matching the comprehensive DC, Physical, Energy, Noise, and Pulse Voltammetry suites listed under Line Item 0001, alongside an Interface 5000 cell cable kit (0.6 m) and an Interface 5000 dummy cell. System Assurance: Includes a two-year standard system assurance plan. Line Item 003: Interface Power Hub (120V) (Quantity: 1) The Contractor shall provide a centralized desktop multi-unit docking station and power management infrastructure hub meeting the following specifications: Capacity: Must include all internal slots, power lines, and generic Type B power cables necessary to support up to eight (8) interface cable kits or distinct instrument channels simultaneously. Temporal Clock Synchronization: The infrastructure must include dual interface family bipotentiostat synchronization links/cables to physically tie the internal master clocks of separate channels together. This must guarantee microsecond-level clock alignment and remove temporal latency during concurrent dual-channel (disk and ring) measurements. Electrical Isolation: Connected channels must maintain independent, fully floating ground states to eliminate risk of parasitic ground loops during multi-working electrode setups. Included Accessories: Must include the main 120V Interface Power Hub unit, a 6 ft USB 2.0 cable, and 8 Interface cable kits Warranty: Includes a two-year warranty on the Interface Power Hub. Line Item 0004: RxE 10k Rotating Electrode (Quantity: 1) The Contractor shall provide a complete laboratory rotator system providing hydrodynamic boundary layer management meeting the following specifications: Rotational Dynamics: Adjustable, continuous operational rotation speed spanning from 100 RPM to 10,000 RPM. Rotational Precision: Speed control must be regulated to maintain a constant accuracy of 1 RPM across the entire velocity range to ensure linear, repeatable Koutecky-Levich data. Included Components: Package must feature the core rotator motor, a heavy-duty laboratory baseplate equipped with a height-adjustable vertical stand, a dedicated electronic motor control unit with matching control cable, a power supply unit, and a USB communications cable. Software: Full integration with the primary electrochemical software to automate Levich and Koutecky-Levich analysis without manual data extraction. Warranty: Includes a two-year limited warranty. Line Item 0005: Description: RDE/RCE Shaft (Quantity: 1) The Contractor shall provide a specialized, dual-purpose drive shaft assembly compatible with the Line Item 0004 rotator meeting the following specifications: Mechanical Integrity: Built with a structural mechanical runout of < 0.1 mm to prevent mechanical wobble and shield low-current signals from hydrodynamic background noise. Dual-Compatibility: The shaft thread pattern must accept interchangeable laminar RDE tips or threaded turbulent RCE cylinder sleeves to allow for both fundamental transport modeling and high-shear industrial scale-up testing. Line Item 0006: Rotating Disk Electrode (RDE) - Glassy Carbon (GC) (Quantity: 1) The Contractor shall provide a thread-mounted Rotating Disk Electrode (RDE) tip consisting of high-purity Glassy Carbon (GC) embedded symmetrically within a chemically inert shroud, engineered to generate perfect laminar fluid flow profiles under uniform rotation. Line Item 0007: Cell Kit for Rotating Electrode Experiments (Standard) (Quantity: 1) The Contractor shall provide a fundamental laminar flow volumetric cell kit containing the following components: Glassware: One (1) 200 mL standard glass cell tailored for sample volumes from 25 mL to 150 mL. Cell Cap: One (1) compatible chemical-resistant PTFE cell cap featuring at least five (5) ports for electrode insertion and gas purging. Electrodes and Bridges: One (1) reference electrode bridge tube, one (1) counter electrode bridge tube, one (1) solid Platinum counter electrode, and one (1) 6-inch secondary Graphite counter electrode. Purge system: One (1) integrated gas bubbler line. Line Item 0008: Silver/Silver Chloride Reference Electrode (Quantity: 1) The Contractor shall provide one (1) premium Silver/Silver Chloride Ag/AgCl laboratory reference electrode, sized and configured to fit securely within the reference electrode bridge tube provided in Line Item 0007. Line Item 0009: Power Cord - 6' to 7.5' Generic Plug Type B (Quantity: 4) The Contractor shall provide four (4) generic Type B grounded electrical power cords, measuring between 6 feet and 7.5 feet in length, to supply main power lines to the infrastructure hub, rotator controller, and associated computer systems. Line Item 0010: Interface Family Bipotentiostat Synchronization Cable (Quantity: 2) The Contractor shall provide two (2) dedicated interface family bipotentiostat synchronization cables engineered to physically link the internal master clocks of the Line Item 0001, Line Item 0002 and Line Item 0003 channels together. This hardware link must ensure microsecond-level clock alignment and remove temporal latency between the working electrodes during simultaneous disk and ring measurements. Line Item 0011: Description: RRDE Shaft (Quantity: 1) The Contractor shall provide a dedicated Rotating Ring-Disk Electrode (RRDE) drive shaft assembly configured with…