We all know that in the industrial gas business, safety is an issue of utmost importance and most distributors have a safety program. In working with distributors on improving their businesses, however, I have found that while a...
Bing Crosby was famously dreaming of a white Christmas, and so were many Americans this snowless holiday season [December 2011]. But a review of historical documents, archival photographs, and press clippings shows that GE scientists led by Nobel Prize winner Irving...
Large quantities of hydrogen are used by oil and gas refineries, basic and specialty chemical manufacturers, and food processors. As we have detailed in past reports, hydrogen demand has been steadily increasing in the petroleum sector, where low sulfur fuels...
Hydrogen is used in numerous refining and petrochemical processes. In refining, hydrogen is needed to upgrade crude oil, which is becoming increasingly heavier and more sour. In petrochemicals, hydrogen is needed as a necessary reactant for various synthesis reactions.
Discovered early in the twentieth century, argon was one of the first rare gases to find commercial application. Making up slightly less than one percent of air, argon is best known for the properties it lacks—color, odor, and taste—and for...
Recent announcements of domestic air separation unit expansions and builds indicate that 2012 is going to be a busy year for the US air gases markets. Changes in the economic landscape during 2011 have led to an increase in demand...
In just the recent past, “Specialty Gases,” to the Independent Gas and Welding Distributor, were considered mysterious and novel. They were to be purchased from and sold as directed by the major gas companies. Independents regarded these gases as too...
Silane (SiH4) is produced by large chemical companies such as Dow Corning (www. dowcorning.com) and is supplied to the end user via tube trailers. One of silane’s primary applications today is in semiconductor manufacturing, where electronic-grade silane is used when applying...
Rare gases, which include krypton (Ke), xenon (Xe), and neon (Ne), are byproducts of air separation units (ASUs) that produce large quantities of oxygen and nitrogen. Historically, to be economically feasible, the rule of thumb was that an ASU must...
The world needs energy—and it will need a lot more of it as we move forward. This presents us with a daunting challenge. Economic development over the coming decades will most likely hinge on the ways we source and...
