LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa.,
Dec. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/
-- Air Products (NYSE: APD) today announced it has brought a
large-scale, on-site ammonia (NH3) plant onstream in China's Anhui
Province to supply ultra high-purity NH3 to Anhui Sanan
OptoElectronics Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Sanan OptoElectronics
(Sanan). The plant, located at Sanan's new high brightness LED
(light emitting diode) manufacturing facility in the Wuhu Economic
and Technological Development Area, is the largest on-site
high-purity NH3 facility in the world with a supply capacity of
2,000 metrics tons per year.
Sanan is the largest high quality LED manufacturer in
China. To support Sanan's
expansion plan, Air Products is also building a second high-purity
NH3 plant with the same capacity, which is expected to be onstream
in the middle of 2012. Large volumes of NH3 are needed to provide
the nitrogen source for the gallium nitride layers used in the
manufacture of LEDs.
A grand opening ceremony was held on December 12 at Sanan's Wuhu facility to celebrate
the milestone. Attendees included Steve
Jones, Air Products' China
president and senior vice president and general manager of Global
Tonnage Gases, Energy and Equipment; Joseph
Stockunas, director of electronics materials for Air
Products; and representatives from Sanan.
"Air Products has a long and proven record of building
large-scale, on-site industrial gas plants around the world. We are
pleased Sanan OptoElectronics chose Air Products for their
high-purity ammonia supply to support its increased LED production.
By working closely together, we successfully brought the world's
first and largest on-site facility onstream. It is a milestone for
both Sanan and Air Products," said Steve
Jones. "LED is an exciting market for Air Products. We will
continue to leverage our leading technologies, excellent
reliability and safety records to support the growing market
needs."
"We are pleased to have partnered with Air Products as we rely
on its leading technologies and global expertise to provide us
ammonia with the purity necessary for high-quality LED production,"
said Wei Daman, general manager of
Anhui Sanan OptoElectronics. "We hope the long-term partnership can
reinforce our leadership in the LED market."
Air Products pioneered the on-site industrial gas supply mode in
the 1940s. Since then, it has been building on-site facilities
serving refining, chemicals, steel and glass-making industries
around the world.
LEDs are used in applications such as automotive and traffic
signage, and are displacing conventional lighting alternatives
based on their ability to operate at reduced power, lower
temperature and with extended lifetimes. LEDs are also increasingly
finding use as backlighting for televisions and displays.
For more information, please go to
www.airproducts.com/electronics.
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. In fiscal 2011, Air Products had revenues of
$10.1 billion, operations in over 40
countries, and 18,900 employees around the globe. For more
information, visit www.airproducts.com.
***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements
within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are
based on management's reasonable expectations and assumptions as of
the date of this release regarding important risk factors. Actual
performance and financial results may differ materially from
projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking
statements because of many factors not anticipated by management,
including risk factors described in the Company's Form 10K for its
fiscal year ended September 30,
2011.
SOURCE Air Products