Manufacturers of photovoltaic (PV) devices are under constant pressure to improve the cost per watt in order to drive market growth and compete with other forms of energy. Reducing manufacturing costs has enabled significant market growth, but...
Numerous CO2-related organisations and publications provide guidance and govern the aspects surrounding safety in the merchant CO2 industry. The material safety data sheet (MSDS), which is provided by the CO2 suppliers, is quite a comprehensive...
The carbon dioxide (CO2) industry is a complex one. Some companies within the industry both produce and distribute CO2, others buy crude and process it, while others are strictly distributors. The CO2 itself is delivered as crude, gas, liquid, and...
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 But a review of historical documents, archival photographs, and press clippings shows that GE scientists led by Nobel Prize winner Irving...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...
