Air separation units (ASUs) are at the heart of the industrial gases business. Towering structures with clean lines and vast lengths of piping, these mega facilities are also synonymous with the image of the industry, just like the cryogenic tankers that ship the gases produced.
Oxygen, nitrogen and argon are the primary products of an ASU, but these facilities are integral to the production of all industrial gases. A cryogenic ASU exploits the fact that air can be cooled sufficiently for it to become a mixture of liquids and the difference in their boiling temperatures allows the component gases to be separated by distillation – ultimately producing an array of industrial and specialty gas products.
This groundbreaking process was invented by refrigeration pioneer, Carl von Linde, when, in 1895, he liquefied air, swiftly following this achievement in 1902 by separating it into its constituent gases – and laying the foundation for the modern industrial gases industry. During this same period, French engineer George Claude successfully developed a new air liquefaction process and along with his business partner, Paul Delorme, launched the public company Air Liquide in 1902 to research Claude’s processes.
