Available for Licensing: Fluorescent Tracer Technology for Hydrofluoric Acid Exposure Detection
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is offering a Fluorescent Tracer Technology for licensing. This innovative technology provides a method for detecting Hydrofluoric Acid (HF) exposure on skin, clothing, and surfaces using a UV-fluorescent tracer additive. This is a licensing opportunity, and INL is not seeking to procure products or services. Interested parties are invited to discuss licensing terms and partnership opportunities. Responses are due by June 30, 2026.
Technology Overview
The technology addresses the critical safety gap in HF handling, where early exposure often presents no immediate symptoms, leading to delayed treatment and significant physiological damage. The UV-fluorescent tracer, derived from xanthene powder, is chemically inert and designed to be added to HF. It allows workers to survey for contact using a UV light source, enabling immediate decontamination and first aid before acid penetrates tissue.
Key Advantages & Applications
- Post-task detection capability: Enables active worker self-survey, a capability not offered by current commercial safety approaches.
- Chemically inert formulation: Does not alter HF reactivity or function.
- Early-window treatment support: Facilitates detection prior to symptom onset, expanding the effective window for decontamination.
- Leak detection: Improves identification of HF leaks in industrial processes.
Potential applications include industrial HF handling operations (petroleum refining, semiconductor manufacturing, glass, pharmaceutical synthesis), worker post-task self-survey, facility leak and spill detection, and laboratory environments.
Licensing Details
- Opportunity Type: Technology Licensing (Special Notice)
- Agency: Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Technology Deployment office
- Response Due: June 30, 2026, at 2:00 PM MDT
- Contact: Javier Martinez (javier.martinez@inl.gov)
INL emphasizes that this is a technology transfer process, and no procurement activity is associated with this notice.