Air Products to Build the World’s First On-Site, Large-Scale Specialty Gas Plant

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. – Air Products (NYSE:APD) today announced it has signed a contract with Anhui Sanan OptoElectronics Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Sanan OptoElectronics, to build two on-site ammonia (NH3) plants at Sanan’s new high brightness light emitting diode (LED) manufacturing facility in the Wuhu Economic and Technological Development Area, Anhui Province, China. These new facilities, which will supply ammonia with state-of-the-art purity to Sanan, will be the first and largest on-site specialty gas plants in the world.

Each plant Air Products is building will be capable of supplying 2,000 metric tons per year. Large volumes of NH3 are needed to provide the nitrogen source for the gallium nitride layers used in the manufacture of LEDs. Air Products currently supplies Sanan OptoElectronics’ two other LED facilities in China.

“We are pleased Sanan OptoElectronics chose Air Products for their high purity ammonia needs at Anhui,” said Corning Painter, vice president and general manager, Electronics, for Air Products. “At these volumes, Air Products is the only company providing ammonia with the purity at the source necessary for LED production.”

Air Products has a long history of building on-site industrial gas plants. In fact, the company pioneered the process in the 1940s. Since then, it has been building on-site facilities serving the 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 temperatures 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 2009, Air Products had revenues of $8.3 billion, operations in over 40 countries, and 18,900 employees around the globe. For more information, visit:
www.airproducts.com