Air Products Brings World's First On-site High-Purity Ammonia Plant Onstream in China to Support Booming LED Market

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Dec 14, 2011, 01:27 ET

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Dec. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products (NYSE: APD) today announced it has brought a large-scale, on-site ammonia (NH3) plant onstream in China's Anhui Province to supply ultra high-purity NH3 to Anhui Sanan OptoElectronics Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Sanan OptoElectronics (Sanan). The plant, located at Sanan's new high brightness LED (light emitting diode) manufacturing facility in the Wuhu Economic and Technological Development Area, is the largest on-site high-purity NH3 facility in the world with a supply capacity of 2,000 metrics tons per year.

Sanan is the largest high quality LED manufacturer in China. To support Sanan's expansion plan, Air Products is also building a second high-purity NH3 plant with the same capacity, which is expected to be onstream in the middle of 2012. Large volumes of NH3 are needed to provide the nitrogen source for the gallium nitride layers used in the manufacture of LEDs.

A grand opening ceremony was held on December 12 at Sanan's Wuhu facility to celebrate the milestone. Attendees included Steve Jones, Air Products' China president and senior vice president and general manager of Global Tonnage Gases, Energy and Equipment; Joseph Stockunas, director of electronics materials for Air Products; and representatives from Sanan.

"Air Products has a long and proven record of building large-scale, on-site industrial gas plants around the world. We are pleased Sanan OptoElectronics chose Air Products for their high-purity ammonia supply to support its increased LED production. By working closely together, we successfully brought the world's first and largest on-site facility onstream. It is a milestone for both Sanan and Air Products," said Steve Jones. "LED is an exciting market for Air Products. We will continue to leverage our leading technologies, excellent reliability and safety records to support the growing market needs."

"We are pleased to have partnered with Air Products as we rely on its leading technologies and global expertise to provide us ammonia with the purity necessary for high-quality LED production," said Wei Daman, general manager of Anhui Sanan OptoElectronics. "We hope the long-term partnership can reinforce our leadership in the LED market."

Air Products pioneered the on-site industrial gas supply mode in the 1940s. Since then, it has been building on-site facilities serving 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 temperature 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 2011, Air Products had revenues of $10.1 billion, operations in over 40 countries, and 18,900 employees around the globe. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

***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, 2011.

SOURCE Air Products