Air Liquide Announces Two New Implementations of Its SPAL Clean Metal Inert Gas Technology.

HOUSTON -- Air Liquide Industrial U.S. LP, a leading supplier of industrial gases and melting technologies, has implemented its SPAL clean metal inert gas technology at investment casting companies MCM Precision Castings, Inc. of Ohio and Urschel Laboratories, Inc. of Indiana in their induction melting furnaces.

SPAL's patented technology improves metal cleanliness by creating an inert gas barrier between the molten metal and the surrounding atmosphere, protecting the molten metal from harmful effects of oxygen, nitrogen and moisture. The process enables companies using the technology to make cleaner metal, which results in higher quality and increased metal and alloy yields.

Commented Etienne Lepoutre, president of Air Liquide Industrial U.S. LP, "We appreciate the confidence shown by these two companies in our technology and capabilities. Air Liquide is committed to providing high levels of service and expertise by delivering advanced solutions to meet the individual application needs of customers to help them be more productive and achieve greater operational and environmental efficiencies."

MCM Precision Castings, Inc., located in northwest Ohio, specializes in an array of metal casting products. The company serves the automotive, food, business and industrial, textile, tool, agricultural, marine, material and electrical industries and has recently been selected as a new prototype and pre-production foundry for Harley Davidson Motorcycles.

Urschel Laboratories Inc. of Valparaiso, Indiana is the world leader in the design, manufacture and sales of precision food cutting equipment. Its products are used by every major food processor in the U.S. and in over 100 countries worldwide.

Air Liquide Industrial U.S. LP is the subsidiary of American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. responsible for providing bulk gases and related services to industrial customers in the U.S. including those in the chemical, food, pharmaceutical, metals and automotive industries. American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. is the subsidiary of Air Liquide Group responsible for its North American operations.

For more information on SPAL or other metals processing technologies and services, please contact Bob Oesterreich at 713-896-2332 or visit www.us.airliquide.com/en/business/industry/metals/indesx.asp.

Present in more than 70 countries, Air Liquide is the world leader in industrial and medical gases and related services. The Group offers innovative solutions based on constantly enhanced technologies. These solutions, which are consistent with Air Liquide's commitment to sustainable development, help to protect life and enable our customers to manufacture many indispensable everyday products. Founded in 1902, Air Liquide has nearly 36,000 employees. The Group has successfully developed a long-term relationship with its shareholders built on trust and transparency and guided by the principles of corporate governance. Since the publication of its first consolidated financial statements in 1971, Air Liquide has posted strong and steady earnings growth. Sales in 2005 totalled 10,435 million euros, with sales outside France accounting for almost 80%. Air Liquide is listed on the Paris stock exchange and is a component of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices (ISIN code FR 0000120073).