Description
The Library of Congress intends to purchase through sole source from Waters Corporation, 34 Maple Street, Milford, MA 01767, an Alliance high-temperature GPCV 2000 system that will permit the Library to characterize binding materials in magnetic media. It is the Library’s understanding that the identified high-temperature gel permeation chromatograph is the only one commercially available in the U.S. that is capable of meeting the Library’s critical performance requirement for high-temperature gel permeation chromatography that also meets the following needs: The overall design must have no more than a 36-inch wide footprint to allow its use in limited space inside a fume hood. All instrumental components must be contained in compartments internal to the single-cabinet design. These internal components must include those for solvent conditioning and delivery, and sample preparation/injection. All detectors, which must include an integrated differential refractometer, a differential viscometer, must be housed internally. There also must be an internal compartment for a laser light scattering detector that can be purchased at a later date and controlled through the same software that controls the instrument. The instrument must be controlled through user-friendly, highly-developed software that includes an integrated relational database to provide digital storage of and access to data and other information related to the Library’s collection objects being analyzed. It must include WindowsTM-based system menus and software Wizards to guide users through instrument and sample setup parameters; system menus and graphical displays that mimic indication LED’s on the main system; automatic storage of methods, sample sets, and raw data files to hard disk; a system instrument logbook; templates for standard and customizable reports; templates for standard and customizable data fields and calculations to minimize the need to export data to post-run calculation programs, while still maintaining the ability to export data and graphics to a variety of standard WindowsTM formats including WordTM, ExcelTM, and Power PointTM; the ability to monitor via software at least 10 system parameters in real-time such as refractive index, viscometer, and laser light scattering detector baselines; multiple column pressures, temperatures, and flow rates; and others; data reduction including molecular weight determinations based on light scattering, refractive index, and viscometry data; and be accessed remotely via a networked Ethernet. The temperature control of the system must include a column oven that can accommodate at least six 500-mm columns simultaneously; and column oven, injector, and detector compartments that can be each programmed from ambient (+10 °C) to 180 °C with user-programmable temperature ramp-up and ramp-down. The injector, valve, and sample system must have a set of automated inject, bypass and purge valves; an injector sample compartment with at least 24 sample positions that has an internal and fully automated ability to prepare to warm-up the samples, to spin-down and filter the samples at high temperature, to multiply inject each sample, to use 4-ml, 10-ml, and 7-ml vials, and to use 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 1000 µL injection loops; an available seal wash option for applications that use aggressive solvents; a solvent delivery system that has a flow rate precision of 0.075%; an integrated vacuum degassing to condition solvents; and a programmable two-channel valve for selecting two different solvents. The detectors must have the following characteristics: the differential refractometer must have a pressure relief valve for safety, and an automated reference purge, a LED light source with automated detection compensation, a thermally shielded optics assembly, and the ability to automatically zero the signal output for reducing noise and signal drift and for setting the baseline; the differential viscometer must have a multiple-capillary design; and a laser light scattering detector must be offered by the vendor that can be purchased at a later date and controlled through the same instrument software provided. The safety features must include: multiple solvent, vapor, and thermal monitoring functions to alert operators of possible workplace hazards; thermal insulation to make all external surfaces safe to the touch; full regulatory compliance including UL, CSA, CE, and C-Tick accreditation. Service features must include: vendor-provided local service, with service engineers local to Maryland to provide immediate on-site response; a one-year warranty on non-consumable items; unlimited telephone support must be available while under warranty; follow-up software training after on-site and start-up installation by a local vendor technical support person. Any other company that, at the time of application, (1) is either legally incorporated as a U.S. business entity or capable of demonstrating through its business plan its intention to be fully incorporated as a U.S. business, and (2) believes its high-temperature gel permeation chromatograph can meet all the above equipment performance requirements can apply to the Library for consideration.