Air Products Accelerates Electronic Materials Product Development Through Collaboration With China University of Geosciences Wuhan

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Aug 23, 2011, 05:13 ET

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Aug. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products (NYSE: APD) today announced it has initiated a joint research and development (R&D) project with the Sustainable Energy Laboratory of the China University of Geosciences Wuhan to accelerate the development of materials for the microelectronics industry.

By utilizing computational modeling, the project will enable better understanding of the chemical mechanisms responsible for the deposition of thin films. The knowledge gained from such studies will help guide the selection of new chemical precursors that address a wide variety of needs for next generation logic and memory devices.

"Air Products has been cooperating with leading universities in China to accelerate the introduction of innovation to the marketplace. By leveraging the computational modeling capabilities of the China University of Geosciences, we are accelerating new product development to fulfill the requests we are receiving for electronics materials from our industry partners and customers in China and Asia," said Ed Shober, director for Advanced Integration Materials at Air Products.

Since 2006, Air Products has established a longstanding research collaboration program with the Sustainable Energy Laboratory of the China University of Geosciences Wuhan. The two organizations have previously signed several R&D agreements and the collaboration has been highly successful in developing young talent, improving research facilities at the university and enabling Air Products to accelerate the development of multiple advanced technologies and industrial gas applications. In the past five years, several U.S. patents and patent applications were filed and a number of research articles were published in high-profile scientific journals as a result of this collaboration.

Professor Yanxin Wang, president of the China University of Geosciences, said, "We are delighted to form a partnership with leading international technology companies like Air Products. Our collaborations in the past five years have proven to be extremely fruitful. Our faculty members and students have benefited by gaining global industrial perspectives. I am confident that the newly initiated projects will be successfully executed. We look forward to further strengthening our relationships with Air Products."

Professor Zhenyu Bao, dean of School of Chemistry and Materials Sciences of the China University of Geosciences, is also pleased with the partnership, commenting, "Air Products is recognized as a highly innovative global industrial gases and performance materials company. The collaboration will facilitate technology transfer from academic research to industrial gas applications. We are very excited about this partnership."

Air Products was the first global industrial gas company to establish an internal R&D capability in China when it set up its Asia Technology Center in 2005, which today serves high growth market segments in China and the rest of Asia, including performance materials, electronics and merchant industries.

About Air Products

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 2010, Air Products had revenues of $9 billion, operations in over 40 countries, and 18,300 employees around the globe. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

About Sustainable Energy Laboratory of China University of Geosciences

Established in January, 2010, the Sustainable Energy Laboratory of China University of Geosciences is a platform with a strong emphasis on materials research and development related to renewable energies and energy efficiencies. The organization was founded from the former Institute of Theoretical Chemistry and Computational Materials Science and by faculty members engaged in energy related research. Since its inception, the Sustainable Energy Laboratory has established itself as a center of excellence in research on hydrogen storage, fuel cell catalysis, and molecular and materials simulations, design and synthesis.

***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, 2010.

SOURCE Air Products