BOC Gases Licenses CGM(TM) Advanced Melting Technology to Stein Heurtey.

MURRAY HILL, N.J. -- BOC Gases, a member of The Linde Group, a world-leading industrial gases and engineering company, has licensed its patented CGM[TM] advanced heat transfer technology to Stein Heurtey SA of France.

This agreement enables Stein Heurtey, one of the world's largest suppliers of glass melting and manufacturing equipment, to incorporate the BOC CGM technology into the furnaces it designs and builds for glassmakers around the world.

This is the first time BOC has licensed the CGM melting technology to a glass engineering firm. Until now BOC offered the technology directly to glass makers, as has Linde Gas under a marketing agreement with BOC.

"We licensed the CGM technology to Stein Heurtey so glassmakers can reap the benefits it yields from the start of their furnace's campaign, rather than only using it to enhance productivity and performance as the furnace begins to age," said Dick Marshall, glass marketing director, BOC Gases.

To date, BOC and Linde have installed over 35 CGM melting systems at existing furnaces around the world in all segments, including float glass, container, specialty and fiberglass, as a way to boost production, improve quality and increase efficiency.

"Incorporating the CGM technology from BOC in a new furnace allows manufacturers to reduce the size of furnace needed for the same capacity output, thus reducing capital costs and energy per ton of melted glass," Marshall said.

Jean Paul Sauteraud, deputy CEO, Stein Heurtey, said, "In today's competitive markets for glassmakers, there is a need for energy-efficient furnaces that will deliver a higher quality product at a lower capital and operating costs. Incorporating the CGM melting technology into the new furnace's design enables our customers to realize these benefits sooner rather than later, while providing a more flexible furnace to meet the changes in market demands."

The CGM technology from BOC, which has burners located in the melter's crown that apply oxy-fuel flames directly on the batch in the furnace, melts glass faster than side-fired configurations. The resulting improved heat transfer rate has several benefits, including better glass quality, increased pull rate of melted glass, decreased furnace size, decreased NOx emissions and improved thermal efficiency.

Linde and BOC are committed to designing and delivering innovative solutions to address glassmakers' productivity, environmental and economic challenges. Since the companies merged in September, customers in 70 countries around the world now have access to a range of tried and tested offerings to meet their combustion technology and glass processing requirements.

The Linde Group is a world leading industrial gases and engineering company with more than 53,000 employees working in around 70 countries worldwide. Following the acquisition of The BOC Group the company has gases and engineering sales of approximately $15 billion. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services.

For more information, please see:

* The Linde Group online at http://www.linde.com

* Stein Heurtey online at http://www.stein-heurtey.com