Praxair Brazilian Subsidiary Starts New Air Separation Plant for Usiminas Steel Mill.DANBURY, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 19, 1998--Praxair, Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : PX) today announced that its Brazilian subsidiary, White Martins Gases Industriais S.A., started up a new, 1,500 metric tons- per-day air separation plant for Usiminas S.A., a steel manufacturer in Ipatinga, Minas Minas may refer to:
As part of the 20-year contract, White Martins also assumes operation of three existing air separation plants at the site, gaining full responsibility for all industrial gas supply to Usiminas. Praxair will supply oxygen, nitrogen and argon argon (är`gŏn) [Gr.,=inert], gaseous chemical element; symbol Ar; at. no. 18; at. wt. 39.948; m.p. −189.2°C;; b.p. −185.7°C;; density 1.784 grams per liter at STP; valence 0. to the steel mill's furnaces and finishing operation via pipelines. Consistent with the company's strategy to source new liquid products from on-site plants, liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon will be supplied to other customers in the region from the new plant. The new plant produces up to 1,500 metric tons-per-day (1,650 tons) of oxygen, 1,000 metric tons-per-day (1,100 tons) of nitrogen, and 75 metric tons-per-day (83 tons) of argon. Together, the existing plants produce 1,800 metric tons-per-day (1,980 tons) of oxygen, 1,230 metric-tons-per- day (1,350 tons) of nitrogen and 4 metric tons-per-day of argon. Usiminas, a privatized steel company, has 12,000 employees and annual sales of about US$2.1 billion. With annual output of about 4.3 million metric tons, it manufactures flat-rolled steel products used in line pipe, automobiles and appliances. Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America South America, fourth largest continent (1991 est. pop. 299,150,000), c.6,880,000 sq mi (17,819,000 sq km), the southern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. , and one of the largest worldwide, with 1997 sales of US$4.7 billion. The company is a leading supplier of industrial gases and application technologies used by manufacturers of steel, aluminum, copper and other primary metals, with 1997 sales to this segment of more than US$750 million. Praxair has received over 275 patents for steel-making technologies using industrial gases in innovative, money-saving ways, including technologies for burners, ladles, melting, refining, and reheating Reheating The addition of heat to steam of reduced pressure after the steam has given up some of its energy by expansion through the high-pressure stages of a turbine. . For more information about Praxair or the text of this release, visit Praxair on the Internet at www.praxair.com. CONTACT: Praxair, Inc., Danbury Media Relations Eric Jones
e-mail: eric_jones@praxair.com or Investor Relations Investor relations The process by which the corporation communicates with its investors. Joe Cappello, 203/837-2073 e-mail: Joe_cappello@praxair.com |
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