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REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

1. Description: DLA Strategic Materials is seeking information regarding various grades of, material content within, and testing verification for Electrolytic Manganese Metal (EMM).

2. Objective: To adjust the Statement of Work for better integration of the standard industry packaging methods and the DLA Strategic Materials storage requirements. DLA Strategic Materials may issue a new request for proposal (RFP) without limitations or security requirements.

3. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service. Further, DLA Strategic Materials is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that DLA Strategic Materials will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Business Opportunities website SAM.gov https://sam.gov/content/opportunities. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

4. Requested Information: DLA Strategic Materials is seeking information on EMM metal flake which could be used in steel making (especially stainless steels), specialty steels, and non-ferrous alloys. Proprietary specification information submitted to the Government will be held as Business Confidential and not disclosed outside of DLA Strategic Materials or the chain of command responsible for the operation of the National Defense Stockpile (NDS). Specification information is important, as it helps ensure that the materials acquired for the NDS are useable by the defense industry base in the event of a National Emergency.

Material Specifications

• What are the forms and grades of EMM that you provide? Do you provide EMM with a minimum of 99.0% by mass Mn content with respect to all other elements and compounds?


• Describe the form of EMM (ie. flakes, lumps, etc.) and size description and size range or distribution of that form your customers who use EMM in the manufacture of alloys prefer.


• Assuming one will store EMM, which is intended for use in the manufacture of alloys, for an extended period of time (ie. years); what form of EMM would you recommend for long term storage such that the original properties of the EMM at time of purchase are maintained (ie. minimal change in percent by mass of Mn due to surface oxidation of Mn at ambient conditions)?


• Assuming one will store EMM, which is intended for use in the manufacture of alloys, for an extended period of time (ie. years); what type of packaging and what type of conditions would you recommend the EMM be stored to minimize unfavorable effects on the properties of the EMM intended for use in the manufacturing of alloys (ie surface oxidation of Mn metal)?


• What is the maximum amount of oxygen, in percent by mass or ppm with respect to all other elements and compounds, typically accepted by your customers who will use the EMM for alloys or other products?


• Is testing performed in a laboratory certified in ISO/IEC 17025:2017 done by McCreath Laboratories, or a comparable contiguous-United-States-based independent sampler and/or laboratory with qualifications and certifications equivalent to McCreath Laboratories an acceptable approach for the Government to find material acceptable?


• If an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 certified laboratory chose to determine manganese content using ASTM E248, would the results be considered acceptable?


• Describe the impact a high oxygen content EMM material would have on your customers who use EMM for alloy manufacturing? For example, would those customers using EMM for the manufacture of alloys have higher processing costs with a high oxygen content EMM? Would their alloy product quality be changed? Would those customers using EMM for the manufacture of alloys be able to use a low grade (ie. welding grade) EMM if that grade of EMM was the only available EMM?


• If high oxygen content of EMM has an unfavorable effect on your customers’ alloy manufacturing processes and/or quality of alloys, yet is still a feasible feedstock for alloy manufacture, albeit at higher alloy manufacture cost, are price discounts common for high oxygen content EMM material, other than welding grade EMM


• Please provide a typical specification for EMM material which is intended for the use in the manufacturing of alloys. Include percent by mass, with respect to all other elements and compounds, of Mn and maximum percent by mass (or ppm), with respect to all other elements and compounds, of impurities of interest to customers using EMM in the manufacture of alloys. If you are unable to provide such a specification, please provide as much information about desired chemical properties, in percent by mass (or ppm) with respect to all other elements and compounds. Please provide as much information about form specification of EMM intended for use in the manufacture of alloys (ie. form description, size range or distribution, etc.)


• Outside of Mn content, what impurity content limit differences exist between the different grades of EMM you produce, or the different grades of EMM in the market?


• What grade of EMM that is more amenable to long-term storage and why is that grade more amenable to long term storage? Does purity or any specific impurity determine this? If so, please describe and explain why?


• Is ASTM A601/A601M-10(2020) – Standard Specification for Electrolytic Manganese Metal used currently? If not, please explain why.


• Which standard do you use to verify EMM content?


• Does your laboratory, which provides data for your EMM products’ Certificates of Analysis, meet ISO/IEC 17025:2017 - General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.?


• Is such testing performed internally or externally? If externally, what sources provide this testing?


• Are there any anticipated manufacturing process changes, mature technology development programs, or shifts in end-user requirements in the near future that may result in a change in the material properties and the material specifications with respect to your customers who use the EMM in the manufacture of alloys?

Supply

• What is the unit of measure that you use to price this material?


• What is your average output (i.e., material produced) per year? What is your average delivery rate (i.e., material produced and accepted by a customer) per year?


• If you produce multiple grades of EMM, do you maintain differing capacity and/or production values for multiple grades?


• What additional amount of material per year could you deliver without disrupting deliveries to your current customers, hiring additional personnel, or expanding output capacity?


• Does your company accept spot orders? If so, what is the maximum amount of material that could be spot ordered, and how much time would be required to deliver that material?


• Does your company accept long-term supply orders? Is there a minimum quantity, order value, or period of performance required?


• What factors could disrupt the market in the future? What is the probability of those factors occurring?

5. Responses: DLA Strategic Materials requests responses to the questions provided in Section 4 from industry, other Government agencies, and all other interested parties. Interested parties may respond to all or only some of the questions. Not responding to this RFI, in whole or in part, does not preclude participation in a future RFI or RFP, if issued. However, response to this RFI may assist the Government with revision of the SOW to industry standard.

Interested parties are requested to include a cover sheet for their responses to this RFI. The cover sheet shall include the following, at a minimum:

• Interested Party Name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from the mailing address), phone number, and fax number;


• Business type (e.g., large business, small business) based upon North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 331110 – Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing (1500 employees);


• A designated point of contact of the Interested Party, including that contact’s name, title, direct phone number, and e-mail address; and


• A statement providing the conditions, if any, under which the Government may release Proprietary Information (PROPIN) to Government support contractors assisting with technical evaluation.

If an interested party’s response contains PROPIN, contact the Contracting Officer for additional instructions.

Responses with a Cover Sheet shall be submitted electronically, in Microsoft Word Office 2010 compatible) format or in PDF, not later than 03 APR 2023, 12:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time), but responses may be submitted at any time prior to this deadline. Submissions shall be e-mailed to Christine.HHopper@dla.mil and Wanda.Willis@dla.mil. Respondents are strongly encouraged to send an e-mail notifying the Contracting Officer that a response has been submitted.

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