AP Brings Third ASU On-Stream at Guofeng Steel 2009.05 Air Products (www.airproducts.com) brought on-stream its third air separation facility (ASU) in Tangshan, Hebei Province, Northern China to supply oxygen, nitrogen, and liquid argon to Tangshan Guofeng Steel Co., Ltd., and its other local customers.
Air Products was awarded three long-term industrial gas supply contracts by Guofeng Steel and has built three ASUs adjacent to the Guofeng Steel mills since mid-2005. The onsite gases supplied by Air Products are used in Guofeng Steel’s blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace for iron and steel making. The latest ASU was designed and built primarily by Air Products’ engineering center in Shanghai and its cryogenic manufacturing center in Caojing, near Shanghai, and will support Guofeng Steel’s expansion plan for steel making.
Air Liquide Heathcare Busy in Southern Africa 2009.05 Air Liquide Healthcare has been awarded the contract to service medical facilities, including approximately 140 hospitals, with medicinal gases approved by the Medicines Control Council in South Africa. Air Liquide will service government hospitals and state-owned medical facilities in Mpumalanga Province, North West Province, Free State Province, and Limpopo Province. In addition, Air Liquide Botswana renewed its contract to supply 10 hospitals in Botswana with medicinal gases, and four hospitals were added to the service list.
Meshack Lekeru, Air Liquide Healthcare Managing Director, said: “We realized that the healthcare market in South Africa was expanding in-line with government’s efforts to make healthcare services more accessible to the public. It made sense for us to extend our offer to the public sector and to actively support that process.”
Meshack adds, “Our strategy is to offer the patient shorter and safer hospital stays, to reduce patient pain, and to minimize recovery from long and high risk surgeries thanks to a full range of hospital services, [and] therapeutic and anesthetic medical gases that will be introduced in the southern Africa market.”
Air Products Announces Executive Management Changes 2009.05 Air Products (www.airproducts.com) has announced a number of organizational changes, effective April 1.
Scott A. Sherman, currently Senior Vice President and General Manager, Tonnage Gases, Equipment and Energy, is appointed Senior Vice President, Strategic Development and Execution, reporting to John E. McGlade, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. He will have responsibility for Strategic Planning, Technology, Energy and Materials, Global Engineering, and Global Operations, and continue to serve on the Corporate Executive Committee (CEC). Sherman’s broad company experience includes leadership roles for Europe Engineering, Corporate Planning, and Energy and Process Industries. He joined the company in 1975 as a participant in the company’s Career Development Program.
Stephen J. Jones, currently Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, is appointed Senior Vice President and General Manager, Tonnage Gases, Equipment and Energy (TGEE). He will report to McGlade and continue to serve on the CEC. Jones joined the company in 1992 as an attorney supporting TGEE businesses, among others, and subsequently became Area Manager for Tonnage Gases on the West Coast. In 2003, Jones was named Vice President and General Manager for the Industrial Chemicals Division. He was appointed to his current position in 2007.
John Stanley, currently Assistant General Counsel — Corporate and Commercial, Americas and Europe, is appointed Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Stanley will become a member of the CEC reporting to McGlade and be responsible for the Law Department, Corporate Relations, and the Corporate Secretary’s Office. He joined the company in 1988 as an attorney and has represented various commercial and functional organizations during his tenure, including merger and acquisition activities, Performance Materials, Metals Tonnage Gases, and Human Resources. In 2004, Stanley became Assistant General Counsel — Corporate and Commercial, for activities in the Americas, and in 2007, his role expanded to cover similar activities in Europe.
Mary Afflerbach, currently Assistant General Counsel — Securities and Corporate Governance, is appointed Corporate Secretary and Chief Governance Officer, reporting to Stanley. In this role, Afflerbach will advise the CEC and the Board of Directors on legal and regulatory matters pertaining to corporate governance, be accountable for the company’s US securities law compliance, and manage the Corporate Secretary’s Office. Afflerbach joined Air Products in 1989 as a tax attorney and was named to her current role in 2004.
Air Products has also named John W. Marsland Vice President and General Manager, Global Liquid Bulk, Generated Gases, and Helium, effective April 2009. He will be responsible for the worldwide leadership and management of the businesses that supply gases in liquid bulk form, generated gases, and helium to customers. Most recently, Marsland served as Vice President, Business Services, where he led the company’s efforts to streamline business support services globally.
Marsland joined Air Products in 2002 as Director, Business Development and subsequently was named Vice President, Corporate Development Office. In 2005 he was appointed Vice President and General Manager, Global Healthcare, and in 2006 assumed overall responsibility for the global healthcare business. Prior to joining Air Products, Marsland was employed by The Stanley Works and GE, where he held positions in financial planning and analysis, mergers and acquisitions, corporate audit, treasury, and global supply chain.
Air Products Introduces More in Xenon Recovery 2009.05 Air Products (www.airproducts.com) introduced two new versions of its XeCovery® xenon recovery system. Building upon the success of Air Products’ initial XeCovery xenon recovery offering, which targets the semiconductor and MEMs industries, the company’s Mark II and Mark III systems have been developed to handle larger volumes and higher concentrations, respectively, of this valuable rare gas.
The XeCovery xenon recovery is an on-site service that extracts xenon from process effluent streams. An enriched mixture of recovered xenon is compressed and stored. Full vessels are then transported offsite for distillation. Air Products assumes responsibility for owning, operating, and maintaining the units placed at a site, which limits a customer’s investment only to costs associated with installation and utilities to operate the equipment. The high xenon recovery rates can translate into savings of more than 50 percent of a customer’s xenon costs at current market prices.
The Mark II system is a larger version of the original package that is able to address simultaneous recovery of xenon from multiple process reactors. This enables the Mark II to process volumes of xenon in excess of 100,000 liters/year at a customer site using a single equipment package. The Mark II is equipped with stream selection logic that enables Air Products to acquire xenon only from the processes that employ xenon.
Since introducing the XeCovery service, Air Products has also seen interest in adapting the service to a variety of other applications that employ xenon in both large and small volumes. These include lighting, aerospace, and materials processing. To address the needs of users of higher concentrations of xenon, Air Products developed the Mark III system. (Look for a special feature by Air Products on xenon recovery in CGI’s July 2009 Rare Gases Issue.)
Air Products Supplies CO2 Purification and Capture Technology 2009.05 Air Products announced it will play a key role in the world’s first full demonstration of oxyfuel carbon capture and sequestration with the signing of an agreement with Vattenfall AB, one of Europe’s leading energy companies. Air Products will install its proprietary carbon dioxide (CO2) capture, purification, and compression system at Vattenfall’s research and development facility in Schwarze Pumpe, Germany. Air Products will focus specifically on the purification and compression of oxyfuel combustion flue gas. The two companies also executed a joint research and development agreement related to the project. Air Products’ pilot plant is to be operational at Schwarze Pumpe in December 2010. (www.airproducts.com/CO2_capture)
“This is the world’s first full demonstration of oxyfuel CO2 capture and sequestration, and our unique CO2 purification and compression technology will be validated at pilot scale through this work,” said David J. Taylor, Vice President, Energy Businesses at Air Products. “We are honored to have been chosen by Vattenfall for this project.”
At the Schwarze Pumpe facility, Air Products will take flue gas directly off Vattenfall’s 30 megawatt (MW) wall-fired boiler at the oxyfuel pilot plant. It will purify and compress the carbon dioxide, a portion of which will ultimately be transported for sequestration. Air Products’ proprietary sour compression technology uses a staged compression process to optimize pressure, hold-up, and residence time to allow removal of impurities during the compression process. This allows cost savings in the oxyfuel combustion process and minimizes the concentration of acidic components, important in preventing corrosion during the CO2 sequestering process. This pilot will demonstrate the efficient purification of CO2, and remove inert gases, in particular oxygen. In addition, it will incorporate novel membrane technology, targeting carbon capture rates as high as 98 percent.
Air Products is currently working on several other carbon capture and storage demonstration projects around the world. In early March the company announced work with the US Department of Energy (DOE) to design and construct a CO2 purification system in support of an oxyfuel technology development project at a boiler simulation facility in Windsor, Connecticut. In 2008, it was announced that Air Products’ oxyfuel sour compression technology had been demonstrated in experimental work carried out by Imperial College London with flue gas from a 160 kilowatt coal-fired combustion installation at Doosan Babcock’s facility in Renfrew, Scotland, as part of the Oxycoal-UK Project. Air Products has also announced a CO2 capture study for gasification in collaboration with the Alberta Energy Research Institute. The study, focused on advanced carbon dioxide capture technology for use with gasification, is to be completed in October 2010 (See "Carbon Capture Primer" on p. 32, for more information on this topic).
Airgas Names New Presidents 2009.05 Airgas, Inc., (www.airgas.com) announced that J. Samuel Thompson has been named President of Airgas West. Thompson replaces Glen Irving, who has joined the Airgas corporate sales department in a new role expanding marketing expertise in metal fabrication markets. Michael T. Chandler has been named to fill the role vacated by Thompson as President of Airgas Northern California and Nevada (NCN).
Airgas West, with about 1,000 associates working in more than 70 locations and headquartered in Lakewood, CA, serves customers in southern California, Hawaii, Arizona, and the Las Vegas area of Nevada. Thompson joined Airgas in 2000 as an area Vice President in Georgia and Tennessee after serving five years as a Regional Manager and Director of branch operations for Holox, Ltd., which later became part of the US Linde packaged gas business that Airgas acquired in 2007. Prior to that, Thompson served as Regional Sales Manager for Worthington Cylinders after starting his career in 1975 working for his father’s company, Gulf Welding Equipment Company, Inc., which was acquired by Airgas in 1989.
Succeeding Thompson as President of Airgas NCN is Michael T. Chandler, previously the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at another region, Airgas Southwest. Headquartered in Sacramento, CA, Airgas NCN serves customers in northern California and northern Nevada and includes about 600 associates working in more than 45 locations. Chandler came to Airgas in the Company’s 2006 acquisition of Union Industrial Gases, where he had worked as President of Valley Gases in New Mexico for six years. Prior to that, Chandler served in various capacities at Matheson Tri-Gas after beginning his career at Big Three Industries in 1974.
Airgas Revises Q4 2009.05 Airgas, Inc. (www.airgas.com) lowered earnings guidance for the quarter ending March 31, 2009. The Company revealed it expected fully diluted earnings per share to be in the range of $0.64 to $0.67 for the fourth quarter and $3.07 to $3.10 for the full year, and reiterated that prevailing economic conditions offer limited visibility into future sales and earnings, which should be taken into consideration when evaluating the Company’s guidance. The previously announced guidance was $0.73 to $0.76 per share for the fourth quarter and $3.16 to $3.19 for the full year. The broad-based pressure on sales volumes in Q4 prompted the Company to implement additional cost control measures. In addition to previously announced actions expected to generate $35 million in annual expense savings and $10 million in annual operating efficiency savings, the Company instituted a salary and wage freeze to mitigate future cost pressures. It also took steps to realize another $10 million in annual expense savings.
American Welding Consolidates 2009.05 American Welding & Tank LLC, a Division of Taylor-Wharton International LLC, (www.twiglobaltech.com) will consolidate its propane tank manufacturing and refurbishing service operations at the Bloomfield, IA factory into the Company’s three remaining facilities. The Bloomfield production and services processes will be relocated to the Fremont, OH, Crossville, TN, and Salt Lake City, UT facilities. The incorporation of the Bloomfield propane tank production and service activities into these facilities will also provide AWT’s customers with the opportunity to consolidate shipments and collect the resulting transportation savings.
Current production and service operations, related to propane tanks at the Bloomfield factory, will cease on or about May 15, 2009. Approximately 43 additional employees at the Bloomfield facility will be furloughed as a result of the plant closing.
Ted Reilly, VP/GM of American Welding & Tank LLC, commented that, “Declining demand for propane tanks across the US have forced us to right-size our manufacturing footprint to more efficiently serve our customers from our other three existing factories. We expect this consolidation will be transparent to our customers and suppliers and do not anticipate any delays in shipments or deliveries. We have sufficient capacity at our three remaining factories to satisfy demand.”
Jerry Gilliam, AWT’s Director of Operations, added, “The consolidation of the Bloomfield production into our remaining three facilities will also generate manufacturing efficiencies, streamline administrative duties, and provide opportunities to leverage raw materials, inventories, and labor skills.”
A reduction of AWT’s imprint on the environment will be an additional benefit of the consolidation decision. The Company expects energy consumption related to the overall propane tank business to decrease and forecasts a reduction in waste generation. Gilliam noted that, “AWT’s green initiative commitment to the ongoing development of products and services that contribute to a cleaner environment is always a paramount consideration in the Company’s business planning.” He pointed to the 500 pounds of coal, 1,250 pounds of iron ore and 5,400,000 BTUs of energy preserved for every “refurbished” tank that AWT recycles back into the marketplace.
Australia and Europe to Receive CO2 Recovery Units 2009.05 Air Liquide (www.airliquide.com) will invest around EUR 10 million in Australia in a carbon dioxide recovery unit. The Australian market for carbon dioxide utilizes about 200,000 tons per year (tpy). The market for CO2 has been growing by four percent annually, driven by food and water treatment segments. Air Liquide’s new Austrialian unit, based in the Gippsland region of Victoria, will re-use up to 69,000 tons of CO2 from the BassGas natural gas plant and be commissioned in 2010. The CO2 recovered will be purified, liquefied, and recycled for commercial use instead of being directly released into the atmosphere.
In Europe, CO2 applications use three million tons per year of CO2. This market has been growing by three percent annually. Air Liquide is investing about EUR 20 million in two new carbon dioxide recovery units to support this growth, with a unit in Bazancourt, France and one in Rozenburg, the Netherlands.
The Bazancourt unit, to be commissioned at the end of 2009, will recover 120,000 tpy of CO2. The Rozenburg unit, scheduled for commissioning in the first half of 2010, will recover 50,000 tpy of carbon dioxide and will support the growing greenhouse cultivation market in the Netherlands. (See related story “Cogeneration and Greenhouse Power,” CGI, November 2008, p. 16.)
In total, Air Liquide’s European carbon dioxide production capacity will be increased by more than 250,000 tons from 2008 to 2010, with CO2 being purified and liquefied for reuse instead of being released into the atmosphere.
Battelle to Monitor Oceanic CO2 2009.05 Battelle will launch an innovative cooperative effort with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) to manufacture and commercialize an analytical instrument that will help scientists understand and predict climate change. The new instrument measures the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) in the ocean and atmosphere, which is needed to understand the global ocean uptake of atmospheric CO2. The need for ocean carbon measurements is becoming increasingly important because high levels of carbon dioxide in the oceans have led to ocean acidification in surface waters, which could have significant effects on a variety of marine organisms and ecosystems.
In 1992, MBARI scientists Gernot Friederich and Francisco Chavez designed the pCO2 monitoring system using known gasequilibration chemistry and state-of-the-art non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) spectroscopy. Measuring the partial pressure of CO2 gives scientists an idea of whether the ocean is acting as a source or sink of CO2 (relative to the atmosphere) at a given place and time. Such fluxes of CO2 vary dramatically from place to place and over time. In 2003, MBARI transferred the technology to NOAA.
The self-contained, modular design is designed to operate unattended for more than 12 months at a time. Currently, more than a dozen systems are placed on a variety of buoys around the world. NOAA is using this system to develop a global array of moored observation systems to determine air-sea flux in support of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). The autonomous pCO2 monitoring system will be manufactured at Battelle’s specialized scientific instrument manufacturing facility and will be commercially available summer 2009.
BOC Provides More Pain Relief 2009.05 The introduction of new analgesic delivery systems at the maternity unit of Sheffield Teaching Hospital’s NHS Foundation Trust (STH) has been so successful that it is now being introduced into other areas of the hospital. The Obstetrics & Gynecology (O&G) Unit at STH was replacing its existing delivery systems, and it chose BOC’s (www.bocgases.com) specially designed demand valves.
The hospital is now extending its use to patients in the Urology Unit and considering it for other departments as well. STH O&G uses gases both in the wards — where it is supplied through the hospital’s pipelines — and also in the home. This means that some of the equipment used in the hospital environment has to be taken safely into women’s homes. The fact that the equipment is easy to clean was an important infection control consideration.
In hospital and homecare situations, women breathe the mixture through BOC’s demand valves, specially-designed and manufactured by BPR Carnet®. Patient comfort and equipment reliability were important factors in the purchasing decision. “We have not had a single unit needing to be repaired in the first four months of the contract,” explains Sue Arnold, the Healthcare Governance Coordinator for Obstetrics, Gynecology, Neonatology, and Urology at the Trust. “That is a marked improvement on the previous system. We have all the units available to us all the time. In addition, routine maintenance is reduced: although they have the mandatory safety check each year, a full service is only required once every three years.”
Carbon Capture Technology 2009.05 Babcock Power Inc. of Danvers, MA (www.babcockpower.com) and ThermoEnergy Corporation (www.thermoenergy.com) have formed of a limited liability company called Babcock-Thermo Carbon Capture LLC, which will develop and commercialize a new and advanced carbon capture power plant design. Since joining forces in April of 2008, the two companies have worked together to further advance the ThermoEnergy Integrated Power System (“TIPS”) technology and will now develop subsystems and designs for pilot plant application.
Based on high pressure oxy-fuel chemistry, TIPS combines the combustion of carbonaceous fuels, including coal, oil, natural gas, municipal waste, and biomass, into energy with near-zero air emissions and no smoke stack. In addition, it effectively captures carbon dioxide (CO2) in clean, pressurized liquid form ready for sequestration or beneficial reuse, such as enhanced oil recovery. The TIPS technology promises to achieve greater fossil-fuel power plant thermal efficiency. Coupled with the recovery of pipeline quality liquid CO2, TIPS is expected to have an economic and environmental edge over competing carbon capture technologies.
“The progression of the TIPS technology coincides well with the timeline of anticipated forthcoming CO2 legislation,” stated James F. Wood, President and CEO of Babcock Power Inc. “As we evolve TIPS into a commercial scale product utilizing pilot plant results, Babcock-Thermo Carbon Capture LLC will be well positioned to compete in the multi-billion dollar CO2 capture market.”
CO2 Improves Product and Process 2009.05 The Slovenian company Kolicevo Karton has reduced its use of chemicals in paper production by about 20 percent thanks to CO2 from Messer (www.messergroup.com). The company, which produces around 650 tons of cardboard a day, hired Messer in Slovenia to optimize its production processes. The sixmonth trial operation was a success: in addition to a marked reduction in environmentally damaging chemicals, the use of CO2 also led to an improvement in the quality of the paper. Beginning in January 2009, it is expected that Messer will supply 400 tons of CO2 a year to Kolicevo Karton. The company is part of the Mayr-Melnhof Group, Europe’s largest producer of recycled cardboard.
CO2 Storage Research 2009.05 The United States Geological Society (USGS) released a report to describe its methodology to assess the nation’s potential for carbon sequestration — the injection of liquid carbon dioxide into rocks below the earth’s surface. The new methodology identifies a means to assess the volume of pore space in subsurface rocks that is able to store carbon dioxide for tens of thousand of years.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar commented, “Rather than emitting carbon into the air, our nation can and should move toward capturing carbon emissions and storing them underground. The report will help us find the best places in the country for this type of carbon sequestration. The development of this assessment methodology marks a critical first step in our understanding of how much carbon dioxide can be stored in the subsurface. The USGS is uniquely qualified to undertake this effort, given their experience with national and international assessments of natural resources, such as oil and gas, and their knowledge of ground-water systems and chemistry.”
The true global storage capacity of CO2 in geologic formations is unknown. This method allows for an assessment that can characterize the storage potential in two types of storage units (saline formations and oil and gas reservoirs) in a uniform manner across the US. This assessment methodology for storing CO2 focuses on the “technically accessible resource,” which is the geologic resource that may be available and sequestered using present- day geological and engineering knowledge and technology. No economic factors are used in estimating the volume of resource.
Cold Jet's Deep Cleaning Strategy 2009.05 Cold Jet (www.coldjet.com), a leader in dry ice blast cleaning technology, will provide technical expertise for a new Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) program being conducted by the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) at the University of Minnesota Duluth. NRRI’s wood products team will also use Cold Jet’s dry ice blast cleaning systems to conduct hands-on training for wood product manufacturers that will emphasize a deep cleaning strategy for equipment as the first step in implementing and maintaining a successful TPM program. Dry ice blasting will replace the manufacturers’ conventional cleaning methods, which include grinders, wire wheels, vacuums, spray cleaners, degreasers, and hand scraping. Primary and secondary hardwood manufacturers are facing tremendous economic pressures. Implementing TPM programs, like dry ice blast cleaning, improves productivity.
CryoGas International Interviews William J. Kroll, Chairman, President and CEO of MTG 2009.05 In view of this significant, albeit pending, addition to MTG’s US business and to TNSC’s worldwide scope, we asked William J. Kroll, Chairman, President, and CEO of MTG to explain his views on this important transaction and how VNG will fit with MTG’s and TNSC’s long-term company goals. Kroll is a prominent board member of Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation, and in addition to his US responsibilities, Kroll is responsible for MTG’s operations in Europe, Korea, Taiwan, and the new Global Helium business. He also shares with TNSC the management of their operations in China. CryoGas International (CGI): Could you briefly describe MTG’s current business scope and size? William Kroll (Kroll): MTG is a single source for industrial, medical, specialty and electronic gases, gas handling equipment, high performance purification systems, engineering and gas management services, and on-site gas generation with a mission to deliver innovative solutions for global customer requirements. MTG is the largest subsidiary of TNSC. I estimate that today, before the VNG acquisition (which is not yet closed as we are in the midst of the antitrust approval process), MTG’s total business is close to one billion dollars in sales. This is largely from our industrial gas businesses, including bulk, tonnage, and retail. VNG, headquartered in Independence, OH, is the largest domestic, privately-held packager and distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases, welding supplies and propane. VNG operates 95 branches in 18 states, with 12 production and distribution centers in the eastern and midwestern US. VNG was acquired in February 2007 by New York-based private equity firm CI Capital. CGI: MTG has acquired several companies during the last five years. What was your motivation behind acquiring VNG, particularly as the current conventional wisdom during these challenging times suggests that M&A activity in general is quite slow? Kroll: The timing of the VNG acquisition for us was not affected by the current economic slowdown. In fact, we feel the slowdown will give us the time necessary to make the integration of VNG into MTG a smooth one. VNG has been an MTG customer for years, but the notion of an acquisition developed from very casual recent conversations regarding the business. This acquisition creates a tremendous opportunity for MTG by adding distribution capacity throughout the eastern and midwestern regions of the US and helps to solidify our national supplier status. As we’ve demonstrated over the past several years, achieving rapid growth through select acquisitions is a priority for us. MTG’s strategy, and that of our parent company TNSC, is to grow our business in the US. The past five years have been remarkable for growth at MTG. We have increased profitability and expanded our markets, both geographically and in product scope, organically and through mergers and acquisitions. In 2004, we acquired six air separation units from Air Liquide and since that time we have extended our bulk and packaged gases network with the acquisitions of Linweld, Polar Cryogenics, Five Star, and Aeris. We have also built and commissioned air separation units in Southern California and plan to commission two more plants in Des Moines and San Antonio within the next six months. Having done business with VNG, we were also aware of the talented management team who would become part of the MTG team as a result of this acquisition. And importantly, we feel VNG shares a business culture that is very similar to ours. This is an element we look for in acquisitions as it makes the integration of a new company easier. CGI: How do you see VNG fitting into your current organization? Kroll: VNG is regionally complementary to MTG. With this acquisition we will be able to take advantage of many cross-selling opportunities, especially in the specialty gases and helium markets. We believe safety can be leveraged to drive quality and profitability for high growth and, where safety is concerned, VNG has a business culture similar to ours. CGI: One of VNG’s strengths is their propane business. They are currently the 17th largest propane distributor in the US. Does the propane business dovetail with MTG’s plans for building its US operations? Kroll: MTG has a propane business currently serving the industrial market. Our parent company, TNSC, has a large LNG business and a very good idea of how to manage fuel gases in various geographies and cultures. Running a propane business effectively (residential or industrial) takes a different mindset than running an industrial gas operation. Propane requires more market scrutiny and attention to market prices, energy hedging, etc. If you have the proper focus, it can be a good business. We believe VNG really understands the propane business and brings that value to MTG. CGI:You are a prominent member of several gas industry associations including CGA, GAWDA and IOMA. From your wellinformed vantage point, how do you see the gas business and its related technologies and hardgoods market shaping up during the rest of 2009 into 2010? Kroll: Our activity in organizations like CGA, which promotes safety in our business, is very important. And as a retailer and manufacturer of industrial gases, we consider GAWDA a key link to our customers and our associated distributors. Regarding the future of the industrial gas business, we are optimistic. While we have seen large drop-offs in many sectors, I think we may now be rattling around at the bottom of the cycle. Electronics is an important business for us and that segment dropped 35–40 percent in the US and even more so in Japan, as a result of the current global downturn. Recently, however, there has been some upward movement. And the pipeline business, which seems to react most quickly to downturns and upswings, has recently picked up a bit. So, I see some signs of light and think by next spring the economy will be in better shape. I view our business from a surfer’s perspective. Like the guy with the surfboard trying to catch the next big wave, you need to be positioned correctly. At MTG, we have not stopped R&D or commercial development because the seas are flat. We have added scientists and engineers and are keeping our eyes on the horizon. We plan to stay in position and become part of the solution to the current economic crisis, not part of the problem. We plan to catch the next big wave and come out ahead of the pack. CGI: We want to thank you for sharing your thoughts on the VNG acquisition. In closing, what is your vision for MTG in the US — a very important part of TNSC — going forward? Kroll: At MTG our goal is to be number 1 or number 2 in all the markets we serve, both from a geographic and product perspective. We intend to achieve this by being the leader in safety, quality, and profitable growth. MTG accomplishes this by continually building a strong business culture. As Mr. Matsueda said when we announced this acquisition, the development and expansion of the gas business in the US is a very important part of TNSC’s worldwide growth strategy.
Cryomagnetics Acquires Cryoconcept 2009.05 Cryomagnetics, Inc. (www.cryomagnetics.com), which develops and produces high-performance cryogenic superconducting magnet systems, has completed the acquisition of Cryoconcept (www.cryoconcept.com).
Cryoconcept joins R&D Precision Fabrication in the Cryomagnetics’ group of companies. Cryoconcept, a company based near Saclay, France, was formed in 2000. The company specializes in the design and production of ultra low temperature cryogenic research tools. Its technology is largely based on the low temperature research work at the CEA and CNRS national research laboratories in France. It specializes in dilution refrigerator systems capable of producing temperatures below 10MMK. In addition to traditional dilution refrigerator products, which offer 30uW–300uW cooling power at 100MMK, the company’s new offerings include a liquid cryogen-free dilution refrigerator and a novel Inverted-DR.
Cryostar Supplies LNG Refuelers 2009.05 LNG Refuellers Pty Ltd. (LNGR) (www.lngrefuellers.com.au), an Australia based consortium comprising seven Tasmanian transport operators, has struck a deal with industrial gas company BOC/Cryostar for the supply of LNG fuel for more than 120 LNGpowered heavy-duty vehicles. BOC, with the support of Cryostar (www.cryostar.com), will design and construct the entire supply chain infrastructure for LNG Refuellers including LNG road tankers and six refueling stations. This project includes Cryostar equipment such as the new submerged SUBTRAN pump and its dedicated skid, the station PLC control system, and the brand new LNG dispenser.
Eco-Snow Cleans Up 2009.05 Eco-Snow Systems™, an affiliate of The Linde Group (www.linde.com), has a new, automated technology for cleaning image sensors. The Eco-Snow Precision Clean 1000 uses CO2 snow to clean the sensors, removing up to twice as many small particles as competing technologies from the sensor or cover glass, without damaging delicate wire bonds. This efficiency results in significantly higher yield — a key consideration for manufacturers of high volume consumer products such as camera phones. Joe Clark, General Manager, Eco-Snow Systems, said, “The Eco-Snow Systems process injects CO2 snow under high velocity and pressure onto the sensor surface, removing the particles more effectively and efficiently than alternate methods.”
Eleet Cryogenics Continues to Grow 2009.05 Mike Saffell has just been named Manager of Quality Control at Eleet Cryogenics (www.eleetcryogenic.com) a full service provider for rehab and new bulk tanks sales and services in Bolivar, OH. Saffell has over 30 years of experience in the industrial gas industry. His focus will be maintaining the high level of quality products and services that Eleet provides. Prior to joining Eleet, Saffell represented Praxair as a Safety Manager with oversight of five manufacturing facilities nationwide. Previous experiences include project management of high-pressure pumping skids, small air separation plants, and high-pressure purification skids. Saffell began his career as a cryogenic technician and certified pipe welder.
GTC Supports Futuregen 2009.05 The Gasification Technologies Council (GTC) (www.gasification.org) has called on the Department of Energy to renew support for the FutureGen project as it was originally planned: an integrated gasification- based plant that uses coal to produce electricity, operates on a commercial scale, and captures and sequesters carbon dioxide (CO2). (See description of FutureGen in “The Four C’s of Power,” CGI, April 2008, p. 28.)
“Using commercially proven technologies together for the first time in the plant would provide scale and certainty,” said James Childress, Executive Director of the GTC. “It would demonstrate that we can generate electricity using coal while capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide, resulting in near-zero emissions. This will help assure a place for coal as a reliable source of electricity in the United States over the long term.”
The US has 25 percent of the world’s coal reserves, and half of its domestic electricity is produced from coal. Gasification does not involve combustion, but instead uses intense pressure combined with oxygen and steam to convert carbon-based materials such as coal directly into gas, which can be used in efficient turbines to produce electricity. It provides a much-needed alternative to natural gas, while helping to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide is already being captured efficiently at gasification plants — using existing technology. Since 2000, the Great Plains Synfuel Plant in North Dakota has been capturing CO2 and sending it via pipeline to Canada for enhanced oil recovery.
“While the initial cost of the FutureGen plant may be high, gasification provides the lowest-cost solution to produce power from coal, while capturing carbon dioxide for sequestration,” Childress said. “This way of producing energy provides the path forward for crucial sectors of the economy by using lower cost domestic energy resources.”
Help for Sleep Apnea Patients 2009.05 Sleep apnea affects about five percent of the world’s adult population. The standard treatment for sleep apnea is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), handled daily and in the patient’s home. Air Liquide (www.airliquide.com) provides services for 15 percent of all patients, working with their doctors, in Europe and has strengthened its international position with acquisitions in the Netherlands (Comcare Medical) and Tunisia (Air Separation). Air Liquide also just opened its first “sleep center” in China, for the care of sleep apnea patients.
With VitalAire (www.vitalaire.com) an Air Liquide subsidiary, Air Liquide is launching a new, personalized support program for sleep apnea patients in France. Telephone support by nurses, as well as new educational tools (a sleep diary, manual, patient DVD, etc.) created with the help of medical experts, will be available to doctors for their apneic patients, in addition to the traditional follow-up home visits by technicians. The aim is to increase patients’ motivation and compliance to make treatment more successful.
Jean-Marc de Royere, Senior Vice-President in charge of the Healthcare World Business Line and a member of the Air Liquide Executive Committee, declared: “Sleep apnea has become a major public health issue. Air Liquide worked from the start, with the best international specialists, at a comprehensive management of this disorder. The goal is to reach the best quality of life for patients at the lowest cost to the community. Key to achieving this is patient compliance.”
Hydrogenics Electrolyzers Are Hot Sellers 2009.05 Hydrogenics Corp. (www.hydrogenics.com) of Mississauga, Ontario, a leading developer and manufacturer of hydrogen generation and fuel cell products, has been awarded $1.8 million of orders for electrolyzers to be used in various industrial applications worldwide. The company anticipates delivery of these units in 2009.
“These orders further demonstrate the strong, global leadership position of our On- Site Generation business unit, particularly for applications that require a high standard of performance, durability, and reliability,” said Daryl Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Included in these awards is a repeat order from the largest power utility in Africa for electrolyzers to upgrade its electrical generating capacity. We continue to see a steady pace of proposals for a variety of industrial gas applications, primarily to increase operating efficiencies or replace outdated on-site generating equipment.”
Keeping it Cool 2009.05 Two southern California aerospace companies, Microcosm, Inc., (www.smad.com) and Scorpius Space Launch Company (SSLC), (www.scorpius.com) have teamed up to create a series of all-composite, cryogenic pressure vessels called PRESSURMAXX Sapphire*77; they are tested down to 77K, the temperature of liquid nitrogen and colder than liquid oxygen. (See “Scorpius Builds NASA Tank” CGI, May 2007, p. 7.)
According to Dr. James Wertz, President of Microcosm, “All-composite bosses replace older, very heavy metal bosses and are superior because the tank is now a uniform material throughout with a single, near-zero thermal coefficient of expansion. In addition, the vessels can now be built with an integral stringer system, designed to customer specifications, that allows the tank to completely replace the structure that was previously required to hold it.”
Jack Kulpa, CEO and President of SSLC stated, “The net results of these multiple advances is a system solution that is lower cost, much lighter weight, performs better, and can replace both pressure vessels and their supporting structure with a single, integrated system that can carry much higher loads and is faster to build than older, metal containing systems. This technology also provides attach points and mounting features that are seamlessly integrated into the tank wall.”
Application areas may include uses such as firefighting, clean energy, superconductor power transformation and distribution, homeland security, bio hazard, and special ops military related devices as well as medical systems. The Sapphire technology also offers very promising advantages to alternative fuel vehicles and the refueling infrastructure.
Linde Adds New Shielding Gases 2009.05 Linde North America (www.linde.com) has introduced two new LASGON® H shielding gas mixtures that lower operating costs and increase welding speed and product quality. The new LASGON® H gas mixtures combine helium, hydrogen, and argon in special formulations for laser welding of stainless steel with CO2 and solid state lasers.
“Linde’s LASGON® H product line lowers fabricators’ operating costs, while enabling them to boost productivity through higher welding speeds. What’s more, the LASGON® gas mixtures create less oxide buildup than pure noble gases, resulting in a clean, shiny weld surface. It’s truly a win-win product for the laser welder,” said Joe Berkmanns, Manufacturing Segment Manager, Linde North America.
LASGON® H3 mixtures can also be applied to solid state lasers such as disc, diode, and fiber lasers which, compared with CO2 gas lasers, produce light with a shorter wavelength allowing for an easier helium substitution. These solid state lasers are generally used when non-linear welding or threedimensional welding applications require delivery of the beam through a flexible optical fiber.
Linde Freezers Raise the Bar 2009.05 Linde (www.linde.com) has introduced the CRYOWAVE™ multi-purpose freezer to the North American market. This Europeandesigned, multi-purpose freezer can efficiently freeze individual quick frozen (IQF) as well as flat and trayed products, including diced poultry. The freezer’s versatile and flexible design, which uses either liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide, agitates the product as it is conveyed through the freezer, giving it the ability to crust freeze products individually, irrespective of shape, form, or orientation, without affecting product integrity.
CO2 Technology for Thermal Spraying Linde North America has developed a carbon dioxide (CO2)-based cooling system that minimizes the overheating risk during thermal spray operations and enhances the quality of the thermal spray process. The company’s new LINSPRAY® CO2 cooling technology significantly reduces cooling time in the thermal spray process, maintains the correct temperature and minimizes the risk of overheating. This is especially important when working on parts with thin walls or with heat-sensitive substrate materials such as titanium, magnesium, and aluminum.
Linde Posts 2008 Results 2009.05 The Linde Group (www.linde.com) achieved sales growth in FY 2008 and operating profit increased at a faster rate than sales. “This really solid business performance, despite the onset of the financial and economic crisis, indicates that our Group reorganization has proved worthwhile,” said Professor Dr. Wolfgang Reitzle, Chief Executive Officer of Linde AG. For the rest of 2009, Linde reports, “It still looks possible from today’s standpoint that Group sales and earnings will be slightly higher than or at the same level as in 2008. However, we have to consider the possibility of a decline in sales and earnings,” explained CEO Reitzle.
Matheson Tri-Gas Acquires Valley National Gases From CI Capital Partners A CryoGas International Profile 2009.05 Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. (MTG) a global manufacturer and supplier of industrial, medical, electronics and specialty gases and welding supplies headquartered in Basking Ridge, NJ, and CI Capital Partners LLC (CI Capital), a New York-based private equity firm, announced on March 30, 2009 that they had signed a definitive agreement under which MTG will acquire Valley National Gases (VNG) (www.vngases.com), the largest privately-held distributor of industrial and medical gases and welding supplies in the US. MTG (www.mathesontrigas.com), is the largest subsidiary of Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (TNSC), one of the top five global producers of industrial, medical, electronics and specialty gases, headquartered in Japan.
Hirosuke Matsueda, President of TNSC, said, “The acquisition of Valley National Gases supports TNSC’s global expansion strategy, and we are thrilled that our MTG team has successfully finalized the agreement. This acquisition also reinforces our commitment to developing a national presence in the United States.”
“We are excited to become part of MTG and look forward to providing our customers with an expanded line of products and services,” said Michael Ziegler, Chief Executive Officer of VNG. “Our operations complement one another very well, and the combination will allow MTG to establish a national distribution network. Both VNG and MTG share a commitment to the highest standards of safety and customer service, a commitment that will remain the core focus once the acquisition is complete.”
Joost Thesseling, Principal at CI Capital, said, “VNG is a great example of our long history of partnering with high-caliber management teams in growing fundamental businesses operating in large and fragmented markets. VNG’s management team has done an extraordinary job of managing rapid growth while maintaining consistently good service and safe operations. CI Capital and management repositioned VNG for growth and completed eight add-on acquisitions, increasing pro-forma revenue by more than 33 percent since 2007.”
Frederick Iseman, Chairman of CI Capital, added, “We are very pleased with an excellent outcome for our investors.”
CI Capital’s President, Steve Lefkowitz, said, “We are fortunate to have partnered in this transaction with Mike Ziegler and Howard Hubert, who shared our vision of the significant opportunities in the industrial gas distribution market.”
CryoGas International Interviews William J. Kroll, Chairman, President and CEO of MTG
In view of this significant, albeit pending, addition to MTG’s US business and to TNSC’s worldwide scope, we asked William J. Kroll, Chairman, President, and CEO of MTG to explain his views on this important transaction and how VNG will fit with MTG’s and TNSC’s long-term company goals. Kroll is a prominent board member of Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation, and in addition to his US responsibilities, Kroll is responsible for MTG’s operations in Europe, Korea, Taiwan, and the new Global Helium business. He also shares with TNSC the management of their operations in China.
CryoGas International (CGI): Could you briefly describe MTG’s current business scope and size?
William Kroll (Kroll): MTG is a single source for industrial, medical, specialty and electronic gases, gas handling equipment, high performance purification systems, engineering and gas management services, and on-site gas generation with a mission to deliver innovative solutions for global customer requirements. MTG is the largest subsidiary of TNSC. I estimate that today, before the VNG acquisition (which is not yet closed as we are in the midst of the antitrust approval process), MTG’s total business is close to one billion dollars in sales. This is largely from our industrial gas businesses, including bulk, tonnage, and retail.
VNG, headquartered in Independence, OH, is the largest domestic, privately-held packager and distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases, welding supplies and propane. VNG operates 95 branches in 18 states, with 12 production and distribution centers in the eastern and midwestern US. VNG was acquired in February 2007 by New York-based private equity firm CI Capital.
CGI: MTG has acquired several companies during the last five years. What was your motivation behind acquiring VNG, particularly as the current conventional wisdom during these challenging times suggests that M&A activity in general is quite slow?
Kroll: The timing of the VNG acquisition for us was not affected by the current economic slowdown. In fact, we feel the slowdown will give us the time necessary to make the integration of VNG into MTG a smooth one. VNG has been an MTG customer for years, but the notion of an acquisition developed from very casual recent conversations regarding the business. This acquisition creates a tremendous opportunity for MTG by adding distribution capacity throughout the eastern and midwestern regions of the US and helps to solidify our national supplier status. As we’ve demonstrated over the past several years, achieving rapid growth through select acquisitions is a priority for us.
MTG’s strategy, and that of our parent company TNSC, is to grow our business in the US. The past five years have been remarkable for growth at MTG. We have increased profitability and expanded our markets, both geographically and in product scope, organically and through mergers and acquisitions. In 2004, we acquired six air separation units from Air Liquide and since that time we have extended our bulk and packaged gases network with the acquisitions of Linweld, Polar Cryogenics, Five Star, and Aeris. We have also built and commissioned air separation units in Southern California and plan to commission two more plants in Des Moines and San Antonio within the next six months.
Having done business with VNG, we were also aware of the talented management team who would become part of the MTG team as a result of this acquisition. And importantly, we feel VNG shares a business culture that is very similar to ours. This is an element we look for in acquisitions as it makes the integration of a new company easier.
CGI: How do you see VNG fitting into your current organization?
Kroll: VNG is regionally complementary to MTG. With this acquisition we will be able to take advantage of many cross-selling opportunities, especially in the specialty gases and helium markets. We believe safety can be leveraged to drive quality and profitability for high growth and, where safety is concerned, VNG has a business culture similar to ours.
CGI: One of VNG’s strengths is their propane business. They are currently the 17th largest propane distributor in the US. Does the propane business dovetail with MTG’s plans for building its US operations?
Kroll: MTG has a propane business currently serving the industrial market. Our parent company, TNSC, has a large LNG business and a very good idea of how to manage fuel gases in various geographies and cultures. Running a propane business effectively (residential or industrial) takes a different mindset than running an industrial gas operation. Propane requires more market scrutiny and attention to market prices, energy hedging, etc. If you have the proper focus, it can be a good business. We believe VNG really understands the propane business and brings that value to MTG.
CGI: You are a prominent member of several gas industry associations including CGA, GAWDA and IOMA. From your well-informed vantage point, how do you see the gas business and its related technologies and hardgoods market shaping up during the rest of 2009 into 2010?
Kroll: Our activity in organizations like CGA, which promotes safety in our business, is very important. And as a retailer and manufacturer of industrial gases, we consider GAWDA a key link to our customers and our associated distributors.
Regarding the future of the industrial gas business, we are optimistic. While we have seen large drop-offs in many sectors, I think we may now be rattling around at the bottom of the cycle. Electronics is an important business for us and that segment dropped 35–40 percent in the US and even more so in Japan, as a result of the current global downturn. Recently, however, there has been some upward movement. And the pipeline business, which seems to react most quickly to downturns and upswings, has recently picked up a bit. So, I see some signs of light and think by next spring the economy will be in better shape.
I view our business from a surfer’s perspective. Like the guy with the surfboard trying to catch the next big wave, you need to be positioned correctly. At MTG, we have not stopped R&D or commercial development because the seas are flat. We have added scientists and engineers and are keeping our eyes on the horizon. We plan to stay in position and become part of the solution to the current economic crisis, not part of the problem. We plan to catch the next big wave and come out ahead of the pack.
CGI: We want to thank you for sharing your thoughts on the VNG acquisition. In closing, what is your vision for MTG in the US — a very important part of TNSC — going forward?
Kroll: At MTG our goal is to be number 1 or number 2 in all the markets we serve, both from a geographic and product perspective. We intend to achieve this by being the leader in safety, quality, and profitable growth. MTG accomplishes this by continually building a strong business culture. As Mr. Matsueda said when we announced this acquisition, the development and expansion of the gas business in the US is a very important part of TNSC’s worldwide growth strategy.
Messer's New Design 2009.05 Designs for Messer’s (www.messergroup.com) new corporate headquarters in Bad Soden, Germany, which include 20 townhouses, are taking shape. In addition to the five-story main administration building with approximately 4,000 square meters of rental space, Messer is also constructing a 1,000 square meter Event Center to house events and exhibitions. Messer plans to exhibit an historic air separation building in this space. The townhouses are designed for individual families and include garage space. Each will be located on its own plot of land, giving the new headquarters a community-like setting. And as part of Messer’s corporate sustainability efforts, the entire site will be heated by a combined heat and power unit.
MTG Celebrates 50 Years at Pittcon 2009.05 This year marked Matheson Tri-Gas’ 50th year exhibiting at Pittcon, the premier conference and exposition for laboratory science. Edward P. Ladner, Jr., President, 2009 Pittcon, presented a plaque to Mary Smickenbecker, Corporate Vice President Marketing, Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc. during the Pittcon press conference on March 8th.
In accepting the plaque on behalf of the Company, Mary Smickenbecker commented, “It’s such a great honor to be recognized by Pittcon on this accomplishment. We are excited to be celebrating this major milestone. Matheson Tri-Gas has been a major player in the laboratory science market for more than 80 years. We were the first company to offer a reliable source of high quality scientific gases and equipment to the lab market, and our ultra pure gases served as standards for the first gas chromatographs.”
Praxair Busy in China 2009.05 Praxair China (www.praxair.cn) will supply liquid nitrogen (LIN) to Chery Automobile Co., Ltd., one of the leading automobile manufacturers in China and a developer of an independent Chinese-branded vehicle.
Chery, a major exporter of Chinese cars, will use LIN during the heat treating process for the manufacture of automotive parts at its plant in Wuhu in Anhui Province. With its independent intellectual properties, Chery places great importance on technical solutions related to supply.
Prior to this contract, Praxair China supplied industrial gases to Wuhu Bonaire Automotive Electrical Systems Co., Ltd., an affiliate company of Chery, and to Tower Automotive (Wuhu) Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Tower and Chery in China.
“Praxair is proud to support the growth and development of Chery with our quality products and technical strength,” said David Chow, President of Praxair China.
Praxair China also signed a contract with Huizhou BYD Electronics Co., Ltd. to supply liquid nitrogen for its light-emitting diodes (LED) manufacturing facility. Huizhou BYD is located in Guangdong Province, and is a subsidiary of BYD Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese enterprise engaged in the production of components for the electronics industry and auto manufacturing. “This is an important contract with one of the fastest growing LED manufacturers in China, and we anticipate additional business with BYD and others in the electronics industry,” said David Chow.
In another deal, Praxair China signed a contract with Hebei Baiqi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Baiqi) to supply nitrogen for its pharmaceutical production requirements. Baiqi will use nitrogen for blanketing and inerting the production process, which will result in increased drying efficiency as well as improved functionality and safety performance of the reactor.
Praxair in Tongling 2009.05 Praxair China (www.praxair.cn) started up a new ASU for Jinlong Copper Co. Ltd., in Tongling, Anhui Province. This is the third plant owned and operated by Praxair for Jinlong Copper and the fourth plant built overall by Praxair for Jinlong’s flash furnacesmelting process.
Praxair and Jinlong, the largest copper smelting joint venture in China, have a 15- year cooperative agreement for the supply of oxygen for its operations. Prior to the new plant, Praxair had already built three noncryogenic vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) plants for the customer. With the startup of this new cryogenic plant, Jinlong now can expand its production capacity from the previous 300,000 tons per year of copper to 400,000 tons per year. It meets current requirements and future growth needs.
Praxair Issues Bonds 2009.05 Praxair, Inc. (www.praxair.com) priced $300 million of five-year bonds maturing March 31, 2014 at a coupon interest rate of 4.375 percent and a price of 99.684 percent. The offering was expected to close on March 26, 2009. The notes were offered under its universal shelf registration statement filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The company anticipates using the proceeds of the offering to repay short-term debt, which was incurred in part to repay maturing long-term debt, and for general corporate purposes. The company’s long-term debt is rated A2 by Moody’s Investors Service and A by Standard and Poor’s Corporation.
Praxair Most Admired 2009.05 Praxair (www.praxair.com) has again been named one of Fortune magazine’s “most admired” chemical companies. Praxair moved up from fourth in 2008 to third in this year’s list. Competition was tougher this year; Fortune combined the former America’s Most Admired Company survey and the former World’s Most Admired Company survey into one. The impact of the change is a slight increase in the number of foreign competitors in the US-market industries and reduction in the number of smaller American companies in the international industries. We salute Praxair on this achievement.
Servomex Supplies Gas Analyzer System to New Plant in Brazil 2009.05 Servomex will supply a complete analyzer system to a PTA plant being constructed by PetroquímicaSuape in Ipojuca, Pernambuco, Brazil. Contracted through Aker Solutions, a provider of engineering and construction services, technology products and integrated solutions, Servomex will supply six SERVOTOUGH OxyExact (2200) oxygen analyzers, six SERVOTOUGH SpectraExact (2500) process analyzers, sampling systems and three TOC analyzers to the new PTA plant. Servomex also will oversee the design and build of two bespoke analyzer houses, which will include full HVAC systems to ensure a stable operating environment as well as all internal plumbing and cabling required to monitor the gas streams and to report data.
Servomex Wins Award 2009.05 Servomex’s (www.servomex.com) new SERVOTOUGH Oxy oxygen analyzer has won the prestigious Gold award in the Gas Analysis category of the 2009 Golden Gas Awards. The Golden Gas Awards is sponsored and presented by Gases & Instrumentation International. Each entry was rated by an independent panel of industry experts on five criteria, based on the product’s: ability to solve an important challenge to the gas industry; technological innovation; environmental “green” attributes; superior specifications in terms of power requirements, speed, footprint, portability, and maintenance; cost effectiveness; and other quality considerations. The Oxy was able to demonstrate overwhelming advantages and innovations across all categories, with highlights including the specific environmental benefits of Servomex’s Pressure Sensing Compensation system, which directly reduces emissions targets by the ability to vent gases to flare stacks.
Siemens and E.ON Kraftwerke Team Up to Capture CO2 2009.05 Siemens (www.siemens.com) and E.ON Kraftwerke (www.eon-kraftwerke.com) will build a pilot CO2 capture plant at the E.ON power plant Staudinger in Germany. The two companies are developing a process for climate-compatible coal power generation. They will test new technology at Kraftwerke’s coalfired Staudinger Unit 5 beginning this summer. The team’s challenge is to attain a significant reduction in the CO2 emissions associated with the combustion of fossil fuels by using carbon capture and storage technologies. The post-combustion capture process developed by Siemens removes CO2 from the power plant’s flue gas and cleans gases before discharging them back into the atmosphere. This technology can be backfitted to the existing thermal power plants and has comparatively low energy consumption.
This project is sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Economics under the terms of the COORETEC Initiative. It is part of the federal government’s 5th Energy Research Program, “Innovation and New Energy Technologies” and promotes research and development in the field of low-CO2 power plant technologies.
Specialty Gases and Equipment Guide 2009.05 Airgas, Inc. (www.airgas.com) released a new multi-edition Specialty Gases and Equipment Reference Guide at the 2009 Pittsburgh Conference (PITTCON) in Chicago, IL. The literature, available in its traditional print form, is also available in CD and Internet formats. The catalogue provides detailed specifications of Airgas products used in a variety of specialty gas applications. The online version features an integrated product search toolbar, high quality photographs, and illustrated flow curves to help users locate the right products for their needs and make informed decisions based on gas application requirements.
THE COMPRESSED GAS ASSOCIATION REVISES STANDARDS PUBLICATION 2009.05 The Compressed Gas Association (CGA) released a revised publication: “Design Considerations to Mitigate the Potential Risks of Toxicity When Using Nonmetallic Materials in High-Pressure Oxygen Breathing Gas Systems” (CGA Publication ID: G-4.10). This document addresses high-pressure oxygen breathing gas systems with pressures higher than 435 psig (3000 kPa) and with oxygen content above 23.5 percent by volume. The design of components used in high-pressure breathing oxygen systems involves the selection of nonmetallic components. The selection of these nonmetallic components requires careful consideration and balance of materials properties, in particular the propensity for ignition and the toxicity level of the combustion products should ignition occur. This publication contains an extensive list of references and alternate references providing in depth information on the subject. “Design Considerations to Mitigate the Potential Risks of Toxicity When Using Nonmetallic Materials in High-Pressure Oxygen Breathing Gas Systems” applies in particular to nonmetallic materials which if ignited could contaminate the gas stream with toxic products. “This publication provides information and guidance to assist the designer in selecting the most appropriate material for their application,” states Jack Wert, Technical Manager, CGA. The recommendations of this document can be beneficially applied at pressures lower than 435 psig (3000 kPa). To purchase an electronic or hard copy of standard please visit www.cganet.com. Reference publication number G-4.10. This publication is harmonized and can also be referenced as EIGA Doc 73/08.
W2 Energy Develops Cutting Edge Clean Coal System 2009.05 W2 Energy’s (www.w2energy.com) proprietary Clean Coal Power Plant (CCPP) system converts coal into electricity, liquid fuel, or a combination of both, with zero carbon dioxide emissions. It is compatible with low BTU lignite coal that is used to fuel most of the power plants in Southeast Asia. The W2 Plant processes coal into ultra-low sulfur diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel. W2 Energy is also able to operate off the grid at any coal mine site. The technology will reduce the cost of bringing a coal mine into production, and accelerate the mining operation timelines associated with a start up or increasing production while eliminating most of the overall pollution associated with this type of operation.
Welding Solutions from KUKA Robotics Corporation 2009.05 KUKA Robotics (www.kuka.com/usa/en/) demonstrated two innovative solutions in arc welding and palletizing at the recent Automation Technology Expo South in Charlotte, NC. KUKA Robotics Corporation, with its parent company KUKA Roboter GmbH, Augsburg, Germany, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of industrial robots.
On display was the company’s KR5 ARC, an innovative arc welding solution with tooling designed by UST Technologies. This system offers compact design, low overall weight, and a reach of 1,411mm, allowing the KR 5 ARC to excel even in the closest welding cell concepts. The welding gas using KR5 ARC operates with a Fronius welding power supply.
Also displayed was Kuka’s KR 60-3 system. The KR 60-3, with tooling designed and supplied by FLEXiCELL, is a simple, user friendly palletizing solution. This system requires no external PLC for cell control, has a payload of 60kg, a long reach, and compact, lightweight design. This six axis robot can perform accurate and efficient operations in picking and packaging applications where the transfer of parts between conveyors and stations is speed critical.
Wessington Cryogenics Celebrates 25 Years 2009.05 This month, Wessington Cryogenics of Tyne & Wear, England celebrates its 25th Anniversary in business. Founded in 1984 by Eddie Rowe, Wessington specializes in making cryogenic tanks, with more than 80 percent of its output currently being sold to companies in the oil and gas sector. The company designs, manufactures, and installs a broad range of cryogenic storage vessels including ISO tank containers for the oil and gas, bio-medical, science, and research sectors. Wessington also produces and maintains nitrogen, argon, oxygen, and helium vessels, which, like all of its products, are exported to countries throughout the world. Its blue-chip clients include NASA. Wessington products have made it to the summit of Mount Everest and all the way to the South Pole.
Three years ago Wessington Cryogenics nearly went under as the Pound soared against the Dollar, damaging the Company’s export competitiveness. Since that time, this family business has doubled its turnover, production capacity, and workforce (now over 100) and is set to cap its comeback by moving into an additional factory in 2009. The new factory will provide space for Wessington to expand its production capacity for small vessels and provide more space for specific custom build projects, road tankers, and larger vessels. Eddie Rowe and his son Paul Rowe, Wessington’s Managing Director, attribute the Company’s recovery to hard work. Paul said, “The business nearly had to close, but we overcame a difficult period to have a terrific couple of years. We took a long hard look at what we do. We adopted lean manufacturing techniques, pushed harder for sales, and basically raised our game.”
New staff at Wessington include Gill Southern, daughter of founder Eddie Rowe, as Operations Director, and Martin Woodhouse, as Sales Manager. Southern now has responsibility for the overall operation of the site including production management, site development, and Human Resources and Health and Safety. Woodhouse, who joins the Company from Taylor Wharton, is now Sales Manager at Wessington responsible for all standard laboratory products, and medical and industrial applications. For more information visit www.wessingtoncryogenics.co.uk.
Worthington Cylinders Redesigns Website 2009.05 Worthington Cylinders, a Worthington Industries company, has launched its redesigned Web site — WorthingtonCylinders.com. The new site is designed to better illustrate the company’s heritage and quality products, which span from industrial gas cylinders and LPG cylinders to refrigerant cylinders and consumer products, including hand torches, hand torch cylinders, camping fuel cylinders, and Balloon Time® helium balloon kits.
New and improved WorthingtonCylinders. com functionality include, a thorough search engine for quick access to specific information; more robust product details and specifications; expanded multimedia content; the ability to find product information based on category, applications, and specifications; and detailed contact options.
