[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20360-20361]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8117]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Application(s) for Duty-Free Entry of Scientific Instruments

    Pursuant to Section 6(c) of the Educational, Scientific and 
Cultural Materials Importation Act of 1966 (Pub. L. 89-651, as amended 
by Pub. L. 106-36; 80 Stat. 897; 15 CFR part 301), we invite comments 
on the question of whether instruments of equivalent scientific value, 
for the purposes for which the instruments shown below are intended to 
be used, are being manufactured in the United States.
    Comments must comply with 15 CFR 301.5(a)(3) and (4) of the 
regulations and be postmarked on or before April 24, 2012. Address 
written comments to Statutory Import Programs Staff, Room 3720, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230. Applications may be 
examined between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the U.S. Department of 
Commerce in Room 3720.
    Docket Number: 12-008. Applicant: Stevens Institute of Technology, 
Castle Point on Hudson, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Instrument: Electron 
Microscope. Manufacturer: FEI Company, Czech Republic. Intended Use: 
The instrument will be used to study the interfacial wetting phenomena 
and develop robust superhydrophobic surfaces for anti-corrosion and 
anti-icing surfaces. The experiments will involve the examination of 
evaporation, condensation, and icing of water droplets on 
nanostructured surfaces. Justification for Duty-Free Entry: There are 
no instruments of the same general category manufactured in the United 
States. Application accepted by Commissioner of Customs: March 8, 2012.
    Docket Number: 12-009. Applicant: Humboldt State University 
Sponsored Programs Foundation, 1 Harpst St., Arcata, CA 95521. 
Instrument: Electron Microscope. Manufacturer: FEI Company, Czech 
Republic. Intended Use: The instrument will be used in research 
activities including olfactory epithelium of amphibians, plant 
gravitropism, analyses of high temperature and high pressure mineralogy 
and petrology experiments, analyses of the microstructures and rock 
textures formed in active fault zones, and the weathering properties of 
minerals and formation of soils. Justification for Duty-Free Entry: 
There are no instruments of the same general category manufactured in 
the United States. Application accepted by Commissioner of Customs: 
March 5, 2012.
    Docket Number: 12-010. Applicant: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 
4000 Jones Bridge Rd., Chevy Chase, MD 20815. Instrument: Electron 
Microscope. Manufacturer: FEI Company, The Netherlands. Intended Use: 
The instrument will be used for medical research; the proteins to be 
studied are often malfunctioning in diseases such as diabetes, cancer 
and heath disease, and understanding how the proteins are built can 
help in understanding what goes wrong and help to design 
pharmaceuticals to correct the problem. The instrument will also be 
used to teach students in the use of electron microscopy for protein 
structure determination. Justification for Duty-Free Entry: There are 
no instruments of the same general category manufactured in the United 
States. Application accepted by Commissioner of Customs: March 19, 
2012.
    Docket Number: 12-012. Applicant: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, 
1617 Cole Blvd. Golden, CO 80401-3305. Manufacturer: FEI Company, Czech 
Republic. Intended Use: The instrument will be used in part as rapid 
feedback for synthesis of inorganic solution fabricated nanocrystals. 
By allowing a user to image their sample immediately following 
synthesis, the tool will allow development of new material with better 
monodispersity, size and shape control. The main experiments to be 
conducted are imaging at low and high resolution, with additional 
capabilities such as material identification using EDAX and electron 
diffraction. Justification for Duty-Free Entry: There are no 
instruments of the same general category manufactured in the United 
States. Application accepted by Commissioner of Customs: March 19, 
2012.
    Docket Number: 12-014. Applicant: California Institute of 
Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91125. Manufacturer: 
FEI Company, Czech Republic. Intended Use: The instrument will be used 
to study semiconductors and heterogeneous catalysts in order to 
accelerate the rate of discovery of Earth-abundant, robust materials 
that can capture and convert the energy of sunlight into chemical 
fuels. The objective is to quantitatively characterize material 
morphology, conductivity and composition, which will aid in analyzing 
results from performance testing via electrochemistry and other 
techniques. The instrument will enable higher-precision nano-micro 
scale images of the materials, and it will also allow elemental 
analysis and current mapping. Justification for Duty-Free Entry: There 
are no instruments of the same general category manufactured in the 
United States. Application accepted by Commissioner of Customs: March 
19, 2012.
    Docket Number: 12-015. Applicant: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 
1700 Y St., Lincoln, NE 68588. Manufacturer: FEI Company, Czech 
Republic. Intended Use: The instrument will be used for detailed 
characterization of surface and near-surface topography, dimensions, 
and elemental composition of chiral nanostructured hybrid materials, 
novel low work function and semiconducting materials, nanoscale hard 
magnet materials, as well as many other metals, ceramics, and composite 
materials. The properties to be studied are magnetic, electronic, 
mechanical, optical, and other properties that are enhanced or

[[Page 20361]]

attained because the materials are nanoscale or novel in structure. 
Justification for Duty-Free Entry: There are no instruments of the same 
general category manufactured in the United States. Application 
accepted by Commissioner of Customs: March 21, 2012.
    Docket Number: 12-016. Applicant: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 
1700 Y St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0645. Manufacturer: FEI Company, the 
Netherlands. Intended Use: The instrument will be used for detailed 
characterization of surface and near-surface topography, dimensions, 
and elemental composition of chiral nanostructured hybrid materials, 
novel low work function and semiconducting materials, nanoscale hard 
magnet materials, as well as many other metals, ceramics, and composite 
materials. The properties to be studied are magnetic, electronic, 
mechanical, optical, and other properties that are enhanced or attained 
because the materials are nanoscale or novel in structure. 
Justification for Duty-Free Entry: There are no instruments of the same 
general category manufactured in the United States. Application 
accepted by Commissioner of Customs: March 21, 2012.

    Dated: March 28, 2012.
Gregory Campbell,
Director, IA Subsidies Enforcement Office.
[FR Doc. 2012-8117 Filed 4-3-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P