Linde AG : Trade News - Linde unveils revolutionary new gas cylinder GENIE®

Munich, 24 January 2012 - In a major development for the compressed gases industry, Linde Gases, a division of The Linde Group, today introduced GENIE® - a technologically advanced, ground breaking new range of gas cylinders which represents a significant departure from traditional steel cylinders. The lightweight, greater volume and easily portable cylinder design incorporates extensive new features, including in-built digital intelligence, unique regulators and an unprecedented range of accessories, which significantly enhance functionality and the user experience. It is the first time that a gas cylinder of its type has been introduced to the market. GENIE® will be available in several European countries in 2012. Further international availability will be announced at a later date.

"Before the introduction of GENIE®, customers have had limited options when sourcing compressed gas cylinders and due to their size and weight, traditional cylinders have demanded that customers adapt to them rather than cylinders adapting to their needs", said Steve Penn, Global Head, Merchant and Packaged Gases, Linde Gases Division. "Linde plays a pioneering role in compressed gases industry and we are constantly innovating in order to provide customers with the most efficient and effective solutions to meet their gas handling needs. For customers requiring real gas cylinder mobility, GENIE® also provides the ease of customer experience and safety enhancement they are seeking."

GENIE® has been primarily developed for low volume, but highly mobile gas users and customers seeking smarter, cleaner, more portable and user-friendly gas packages. These include a wide range of compressed and liquid gases applications - from analysis in laboratories, welding in auto repair shops or in remote locations such as farms and railways, or for engineering contractors in HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), plumbers and other contractors on the move. GENIE® will also transform gas usage for other less industrial applications including those within the events and hospitality markets and artisan and craft industries.

A highly innovative and ergonomically designed cylinder, GENIE® comprises of a steel lined, carbon fibre wrapped pressure vessel encased within a tough, all-weather and recyclable High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) jacket. GENIE® is significantly lighter than its steel cylinder counterpart - and added to its pioneering ergonomic design and highly stable, stackable, wide-diameter construction - it has a strikingly different appearance from any previous compressed gas cylinder design.

GENIE® gas packages currently come in a range of pressures, including a greater volume 300 bar version which has 30 percent more capacity than its standard 200 bar steel counterpart. GENIE® also comes in three sizes suitable for different gases and mixtures including argon, shielding gases, nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide (CO2), refrigerants and liquid petroleum gas (LPG).

GENIE® is also offered with unique built-in, user-friendly intelligence, providing the user not only with information on contents, but usefully converting scientific units into meaningful measurements in relation to the users' specific task - for example, for a cylinder containing argon, how many minutes of welding time are left, or for one containing helium, how many balloons can be filled. All data is communicated by an integrated digital display and provides the user with increased accuracy for their gas application.

The cylinder's lightweight, wide-diameter construction also allows for excellent portability as well as considerably enhanced safety. Small and medium sized GENIE® cylinders can be easily picked up, while all three cylinders sizes, including the larger version, cannot easily be knocked over. Additionally, GENIE®'s unique range of proprietary "clip-on" accessories includes a rugged wheel base and extendable handle to make transportation across longer distances very easy, mitigating strain on the user.

GENIE® is also environmentally friendly as all materials used in the construction are fully recyclable. GENIE® is also refillable which sets it apart from disposable cylinders often used for low volume applications. The lightweight, stackable cylinders will also help to reduce fuel consumption and emissions during deliveries.

About The Linde Group
The Linde Gases Division, part of The Linde Group, is a leader in the international industrial and healthcare gases markets, providing compressed, bulk, specialty and medical gases, as well as chemicals to virtually all fields of industry globally. The company adds value to its customers' businesses through the provision of state-of-the-art application technology, process know-how, services and equipment.

The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 50,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2010 financial year, it achieved sales of EUR 12.868 bn. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment - in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.

Further information:

Susan Brownlow Public Relations Manager Linde Gases Division Phone [phone] E-Mail: [e-mail]

Chris Pratt Associate Director Hill & Knowlton  Phone +44.207.413-3025 E-Mail: [e-mail]