Company Profile
Company Overview
Praxair, Inc., a Fortune 300 company, is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest in the world, with 2009 sales of $9 billion. The company also produces high-performance surface coatings.
Praxair online: www.praxair.com Number of Employees: 27,000 worldwide
Markets:
Industrial gases - Aerospace, chemicals, electronics, energy (refining, oil & gas recovery, utilities), food and beverage, healthcare, manufacturing, metals and others
Surface coatings - Aircraft, electronics, printing and textiles, chemicals, primary metals.
Products:
Industrial gases - Atmospheric gases (oxygen, nitrogen, argon and rare gases). Process gases (carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, semiconductor gases, specialty gases and acetylene).
Surface coatings - Metallic and ceramic coatings and powders that help metal parts resist wear, high temperatures and corrosion.
Services:
On-site gas management, gas-handling and monitoring systems; pipeline and plant services; utility management and co-generation; turnkey design and construction; beverage-carbonation services; supply-chain management and inventory control. Surface coatings -- aircraft-engine component repair.
Technologies:
Industrial gases - Introduced cryogenic air separation to U.S. industry in the early 1900’s and led development of advanced non-cryogenic and other supply systems. Continuing innovation in application technologies specific to particular industries. Leadership in combustion and air separation technologies. Almost 3,000 patents.
Surface coatings - Thermal spray coatings, including detonation gun, plasma, high-velocity oxy-fuel and diffusion processes. Anilox and hydrophilic roll surfaces. Thermal spray powder development and manufacturing.
Global Capabilities:
More than half of Praxair’s sales is generated outside the United States through subsidiaries and regional companies in more than 30 countries in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.
Examples of how Praxair products are used:
Food packagers use Praxair's nitrogen to keep potato chips fresh longer. Praxair's nitrogen, carbon dioxide and dry ice -- and specially designed chillers and freezers -- are used to preserve the flavor of burgers, bakery goods and other foods during storage and transportation.
Steel makers use Praxair's oxygen-based combustion technologies to increase efficiency and reduce emissions.
Beverage companies use Praxair's carbon dioxide to put the fizz in soft drinks.
Electronics manufacturers use a variety of highly specialized, high-purity Praxair gases and technologies to produce computer chips, LED displays and photovoltaic cells.
Municipalities use Praxair's oxygen to aerate wastewater during treatment and Praxair's carbon dioxide to treat drinking water.
Hospitals use Praxair's medical oxygen to help patients breathe and Praxair's helium in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.
Movie producers use Praxair's SaFogliquid synthetic air to create special effects in movies such as Spider-Man, Batman and Robin, Armageddon, Deep Impact and Bruce Almighty.
Telecommunications companies use Praxair's helium in the production of fiber-optics, and, thanks to Praxair technology, they can recycle most of the helium they use.
Oil refiners use Praxair's hydrogen to produce cleaner-burning gasoline and diesel fuels.