Reporting on the business and technologies
driving today's global industrial gas industry

Reporting on the industrial gases business has become more complex due to the dramatic changes in the US and world economies. This article describes the large and dynamic oxygen and nitrogen business in the US on a macro level from both a historical and a current perspective. It takes a look at the oxygen and nitrogen production capacities and the related supply of argon from oxygen and nitrogen plants. Included in this report are installed nameplate US oxygen and nitrogen capacity by market source and by player source, US on-site/pipeline oxygen and nitrogen volumes between 1991–-2008, US merchant LOX and LIN volumes between 1991–2008, and an estimate of 2008 merchant LOX and LIN volumes.

Select:

In large combustion processes, a significant amount of energy produced by conventional air-fuel burners is lost when it heats up the nitrogen in the combustion air. In this article, two marketing specialist at Linde (www.linde.com) describe how oxyfuel technologies, which have a higher melt or heating rate, create fuel savings and lower CO₂ emissions. Oxyfuel technology is currently used in the steel and metals industry and in glass making.

Select:

Nitrogen refrigeration systems for trucks were produced as early as 1961 but were plagued by operational problems. With the world searching for ways to reduce pollution the Ukrainian-American company, Ukram Industries, has introduced the new ecoFridge nitrogen-cooled truck (www.ecofridge.info/). Running on nitrogen instead of diesel, the ecoFridge units do not emit harmful levels of carbon dioxide like their diesel counterparts and eliminate the use of hydro fluorocarbons, which are linked to global warming. The ecoFridge is now being used by a large supermarket chain in the UK with nitrogen supplied by Air Liquide (www.airliquide.com).

Select:

Praxair Distribution Inc. (PDI), a subsidiary of Praxair (www.praxair.com), is a major packaged-gases player in the US and Canada. This article discusses how PDI’s rigorous operational discipline provides a solid basis for the company’s growth. PDI’s acquisitions program is one example of how this operational discipline translates into marketplace strength. Much of the success of this program is attributed to the way in which PDI integrates acquired companies, including maintaining and promoting the employees of these companies.

Select:

Industrial gas distributors are looking for ways to minimize losses in the current economic downturn. In this article, TAP Resources (www.tapresources.biz) discusses Activity Based Accounting, a method to measure profitability by accounting for the costs of each resource and activity for all products and services. Using a model of a typical P&L for a cylinder filling company, the authors discuss how a distributor can identify ways to improve profitability.

Select:

Fred Seimer, a chartered financial analyst with over 25 years in chemical and investment industries, reviews the most recent results for industrial gas and related technology companies for CyroGas International.

Select: