Airgas to Host Session on Maintaining Gas Stream Purity at PITTCON.

RADNOR, Pa. -- Airgas, Inc., (NYSE:ARG) will host a session at the Pittsburgh Conference (PITTCON) to help lab managers make sure that they are not "drinking clean water through a dirty straw" in their analytical applications. Frank Kandl, national technical manager of specialty gas equipment for Airgas, will present the session on "Maintaining Gas Stream Purity" on Monday, February 28 at 4:45 p.m.

Gas chromatography equipment relies on the purity of the carrier gas to assure consistent results. Yet, contaminants like oxygen, moisture and hydrocarbons can get into an on-site gas delivery system through a variety of sources, skewing results and potentially damaging analytical equipment. The presentation will help gas users reduce the sources of contamination to generate more consistent results while reducing downtime.

"Impurities can easily enter a system regardless of the initial gas purity as it moves from your gas source to the end-use," Kandl said. "The analogy to this is 'drinking clean water through a dirty straw' -- something no one wants to do. By preventing contamination from entering the gas stream, users can work more efficiently and reduce their costs."

Specific topics discussed will include:

--Proper selection of specialty gas equipment and piping components, cleaning requirements, and overall design configuration

--Proper selection of gas grades for various applications and how that choice affects decisions about gas equipment

--How quality of the gas stream affects performance and consistency

The presentation is one of four sessions that Airgas will host during PITTCON, which runs from February 27 to March 4, 2005. Additional information on the sessions, as well as on Airgas specialty gas product, service and equipment offerings will be available at Airgas booth #4301.

About Airgas, Inc.

Airgas, Inc. (NYSE:ARG) is the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases, welding, safety and related products. Its integrated network of about 900 locations includes branches, retail stores, gas fill plants, specialty gas labs, production facilities and distribution centers. Airgas also distributes its products and services through eBusiness, catalog and telesales channels. Its national scale and strong local presence offer a competitive edge to its diversified customer base. For more information, please visit www.airgas.com.