Air Products' Membrane Manufacturing Facility Expanding to Meet Growing Demand
December 07 2006 - 10:30AM
PR Newswire (US)
LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Air Products
(NYSE:APD) today announced that it is doubling manufacturing
capacity at its PRISM(R) membrane production plant in St. Louis,
Mo. The 25,000-square-foot building expansion project, expected to
be on-stream in the summer of 2007, will provide the additional
capacity to meet membrane product demand from several major market
applications. Air Products currently produces approximately 20,000
membrane modules per year at the location. The St. Louis facility
produces advanced proprietary hollow fiber membranes which separate
mixtures of gases by permeating molecules through membrane fibers
at varied rates. For example, the PRISM membranes can separate
compressed air -- oxygen from nitrogen -- to produce an inert
nitrogen gas with 95 to 99.5 percent purity. In addition to
generating nitrogen from compressed air, Air Products' membranes
are also used to dry air and natural gas, and to recover for reuse
industrial process gases such as hydrogen. Air Products' PRISM
membranes have a wide array of applications ranging from producing
gases to inert fuel tanks aboard aircraft, to use in coal mine
methane recovery operations in China, for use in enriching oxygen
for passengers on the world's longest and highest highland railway
-- the Qinghai-Tibet railway, and to produce nitrogen for
blanketing chemical, methanol and liquefied gas shipments around
the globe. "The expansion of the St. Louis plant ensures we can
maintain our leadership and meet increasing requirements for
membrane separators from our customers," said Charles Page,
business manager for Air Products' PRISM Membrane division. "The
expansion will support the tremendous worldwide growth in demand
that we have experienced over the last two years across most of our
major market segments." Air Products markets robust, reliable gas
separation equipment that is field-proven in a wide variety of
applications. It has been operating at the St. Louis facility since
1984 and currently employs over 80 people. The production expansion
has the potential to increase workforce levels by 30 to 45
positions. "We have a skilled workforce at St. Louis and are
pleased to be expanding at a site where we've been manufacturing
for over 20 years," Page said. "There is a favorable climate for
business fostered by the Economic Council of St. Louis County and
Missouri Department of Economic Development." "We're delighted Air
Products chose St. Louis County for its expansion," said St. Louis
County Executive Charlie A. Dooley. "This is a great example of
economic incentives making the difference in the retention and
expansion of good jobs for our workers and residents." Air Products
(NYSE:APD) serves customers in industrial, energy, technology and
healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of atmospheric
gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and
equipment and services. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built
leading positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor
materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare services, natural gas
liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. The company is
recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and
commitment to safety and the environment and is listed in the Dow
Jones Sustainability and FTSE4Good Indices. The company has annual
revenues of $9 billion, operations in over 40 countries, and over
20,000 employees around the globe. For more information, visit
http://www.airproducts.com/. ***NOTE: This release may contain
forward-looking statements. Actual results could vary materially,
due to changes in current expectations. DATASOURCE: Air Products
CONTACT: Media Inquiries: Art George, +1-610-481-1340, ; Investor
Inquiries: Nelson Squires, +1-610-481-7461, , both of Air Products
Web site: http://www.airproducts.com/
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