Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Leonard Parker Pool founded Air Products in 1940 in Detroit, Michigan, and it was his novel idea of 'on-site' built oxygen plants at the customer site to produce and sell industrial gases.

Leonard Parker Pool founded Air Products in 1940 in Detroit, Michigan, and it was his novel idea of "on-site" built oxygen plants at the customer site to produce and sell industrial gases.

Founded in 1940, Air Products has a proud history of innovation, operational excellence, and an unwavering commitment to safety and environmental stewardship. Working together, we are taking our passion and diverse backgrounds forward to reimagine what’s possible and generate a cleaner future for our customers, our communities and the world.

Air Products leases its first oxygen gas generator to a small Detroit steel company in 1941.

In 1944, Air Products moves to Chattanooga, Tennessee and produces 240 oxygen generators for the military.

Grede foundries plant, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; an R-750 generator, typical of generators sold and leased in the 1940s and 1950s.

Grede foundries, Milwaukee, WI plant, 1947. An R-750 generator.

Spencer Chemical 200-ton-per-day oxygen-nitrogen plant, Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Spencer Chemical 200-ton-per-day oxygen-nitrogen plant, Vicksburg, MS, January, 1953.

Mobile and stationary oxygen generators under construction in Chattanooga.

Oxygen generators under construction at Chattanooga, TN 1954.

The Santa Susana Plant, featuring four 75-ton-per-day oxygen generators.

In 1957, Air Products enters the international market for industrial gases through Air Products (Great Britain), Ltd., a joint venture with the Butterley Company.

4, 75 ton-per-day plants at Santa Susana, CA, 1957.

In 1961, Air Products begins manufacturing chemicals through a joint venture to convert refinery by-products into oxo-alcohols for use in producing plasticizers.

Air Products begins manufacturing chemicals through a joint venture to convert refinery by-products into oxo-alcohols for use in producing plasticizers.

Air Products' stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange for the first time in 1962 as its sales pass $100 million.

In 1962, the Company acquires the Houdry Process Company and its subsidiary, the Catalytic Construction Company.

Hometown, Pennsylvania Groundbreaking Ceremony, July 8, 1971.

Cryo-Quick unit freezing McDonald's hamburger patties, 1973.

By the 1970s, nitrogen applications grew alongside oxygen, and the Company expanded into chemicals and electronics — reaching Fortune 500 status in 1978 with $1 billion in sales.

With changing clean air regulations and growing fuel demand, our Port Arthur, Texas facility launched a JV with KTI (now Technip) to supply hydrogen processing equipment, making us the leading global provider for refinery hydrogen.

In 1983, Air Products acquired Gardner Cryogenics, which continues today designing and manufacturing high-performance, highly reliable, long lasting storage tanks used to transport hydrogen and helium molecules for the industrial gas industry around the globe.

Carburos plant, Tres Cantos (Madrid) in the 1990s, Air Products acquires a 49 percent interest in Sapio in Italy and completes the acquisition of Carburos Metálicos in Spain and Korea Industrial Gas.

A main cryogenic heat exchanger, which was part of Air Products' AP-X® liquefaction process technology.

The Company strengthens its worldwide leadership in natural gas liquefaction process technology by introducing a debottlenecking process that enables as much as a 60 percent capacity increase in production without sacrificing existing efficiency.

Air Products builds on its surface science expertise by acquiring Tomah³ Products for industrial and institutional cleaning.

Air Products becomes the leading industrial gas supplier in central Europe by acquiring the industrial gas business of BOC Gazy.

LNG Heat Exchanger: A main cryogenic heat exchanger, which was part of Air Products' AP-X® liquefaction process technology.

ASU pad for Lu’An coal gasification project in Shanxi Province, China.

Air Products acquires DuPont’s interest in DuPont Air Products NanoMaterials LLC, the two companies’ 50-50 joint venture serving the global semiconductor and wafer polishing industries.

Air Products' gasification project supplies syngas and other industrial gases to Lu'An Clean Energy in Shanxi, China.

Lu'An ASU

In China, Air Products lands its two largest ASU orders ever, the first with Shanxi Future Energy Chemical Co., Ltd. (12,000 TPD of oxygen) and the second with Shanxi Lu’An Mining (Group) Co., Ltd. (10,000 TPD of oxygen). The ASUs are driven by large-scale coal gasification and petroleum projects throughout China.

In 2012, Air Products acquires a controlling stake in INDURA, the largest independent industrial gas company in South America at the time. The acquisition brings new sales and gives the Company a significant presence in a fourth region of the world.

Air Products acquires EPCO Carbon Dioxide Products, Inc. in 2013, adding liquid CO₂ to its North American offerings through EPCO’s 12 CO₂ purification and liquefaction plants.

In 2015, Air Products is awarded a contract by Saudi Aramco under a JV of Air Products and ACWA Holding to build, own and operate the world's largest industrial gas complex to supply Saudi Aramco's refinery being built in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

Air Products completes the separation of its Electronics Materials Division through the spin-off of Versum Materials, Inc. in 2016.

Air Products completes the sale of its Performance Materials Division to German specialty chemicals producer Evonik Industries AG in 2017.

in 2017 with the sale of its Performance Materials Division to German specialty chemicals producer Evonik Industries AG.

In 2018, Air Products acquires the Rotoflow turboexpander business from Baker Hughes, a GE company.

In 2018, Air Products inaugurated its new world-scale industrial gas complex within the Integrated Refinery Expansion Project (IREP) of the BPCL Refinery located in Kochi, India. Air Products' Kochi Industrial Gas Complex, which generates hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and steam, is an invaluable supplier of BPCL's IREP to manufacture auto-fuels complying with Euro-IV/Euro-V specifications.

Air Products acquires the Rotoflow turboexpander business from Baker Hughes, a GE company.

Air Products inaugurated its new world-scale industrial gas complex within the Integrated Refinery Expansion Project (IREP) of the BPCL Refinery located in Kochi, India.

Air Products demonstrates its culture and character as the Company stands in solidarity in the world's collective fight against COVID-19. Designated by governments around the world as a 'critical industry,' Air Products responds to the crisis by continuing to run its facilities safely, delivering critical products to customers, and winning new projects, all while keeping health and safety its top priority.

Air Products, ACWA Power and NEOM sign an agreement for a world-scale carbon-free hydrogen-based ammonia production facility powered by renewable energy. Once operational, the facility will export up to 1.2M tonnes of green ammonia annually, supporting global energy and decarbonization efforts.

Air Products completes construction of its new global corporate headquarters in 2021. Located just over one mile from its previous location in Allentown, the modern, sustainable facilities reflect the Company's culture as a world-leading industrial gas company.

In 2023, Air Products signed an agreement with the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Uzbekneftegaz JSC ('UNG') to acquire, own and operate a natural gas-to-syngas processing facility in Qashqadaryo Province, Uzbekistan.

In January 2023, Air Products reached financial close and transfer of the second group of assets for the $12 billion gasification and power JV in Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Air Products signed an agreement with the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Uzbekneftegaz JSC ('UNG') to acquire, own and operate a natural gas-to-syngas processing facility in Qashqadaryo Province, Uzbekistan.

Air Products reached financial close and transfer of the second group of assets for the $12 billion gasification and power JV in Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Air Products announces its then largest-ever investment in the U.S. in winning a long-term onsite business model supply agreement for a project with Gulf Coast Ammonia (GCA) in Texas City, Texas. Air Products will build, own and operate (BOO) its largest-ever steam methane reformer to produce hydrogen; BOO an air separation unit (ASU) to supply nitrogen; and will own and operate a steam turbine generator to supply power and other utilities to GCA's new world-scale ammonia production plant.

Air Products completes the sale of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) process technology and equipment business to Honeywell in September 2024. The Company continues focus on its industrial gas business.

In August 2025, Air Products announced it has successfully completed the first fill of the world's largest hydrogen sphere at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Kennedy Space Center located on Merritt Island, Florida.