Sustainability in Action

December 2024

Carburos Metálicos, part of the Air Products group, has participated in the successful launch of an initiative in Spain designed to use hydrogen to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, instead of natural gas, in the production of ceramic frits. 

Ceramic frits are a ceramic glass material made from powdered minerals that are melted, cooled, and ground into a fine powder. Frits are used to enhance the appearance and functionality of glass. 

The H₂frit Project is led by the National Association of Manufacturers of Ceramic Frits, Glazes, and Colors (ANFFECC), which is collaborating with Carburos Metálicos, Esmalglass, bp, and The Institute for Ceramic Technology (ITC-AICE) on the trial designed to test the production of various Esmalglass products (frits) using a hydrogen/natural gas blend, with the potential to reach 100% hydrogen fuel usage. 

The pilot project is a three-year initiative funded by the Ministry of Industry of the Generalitat in Valencia, Spain. It aims to explore the technical feasibility of replacing natural gas with hydrogen in the melting process of ceramic frits as a way to decarbonize the sector.

Key aspects of the project include: 

• Engineering and Installation: Designing and installing the necessary equipment at the Esmalglass plant, including hydrogen panels supplied by platforms, skids for the natural gas/hydrogen blend and oxygen, control panels, and specific burners for hydrogen combustion.
• Testing and Analysis: The project includes a 40-week combustion trial in a frit furnace using different hydrogen-natural gas blends. The goal is to determine the technical adjustments needed to maximize hydrogen use and minimize CO₂ emissions.
• Technological Innovation: The use of Air Products’ Cleanfire® HRₓ™ Burners, which are specially designed to handle high hydrogen concentrations, is a key technological advancement in this project.

The H₂frit Project is not only a significant step towards reducing the carbon footprint of the ceramic frit industry, but also serves as a model for future sustainability initiatives in other markets and industries. 

As the project progresses, it will continue to provide valuable insights and contribute to the broader goal of decarbonizing the industrial sector. The final results and findings will be published in December 2025.

November 2024

Air Products Membrane Solutions was recently awarded the Lorenzo Cagnoni Award for Green Innovation for its PRISM® GreenSep LNG Membrane Separator at Ecomondo, a green technology expo, in Rimini, Italy. 

The PRISM® GreenSep LNG Membrane Separator, launched earlier this year, received the award in the bioenergy and agriculture sector. The Lorenzo Cagnoni Award for Green Innovation is awarded to the most cutting-edge technology in the various exhibition sectors and the three most innovative start-ups. The recognition is awarded in the following categories: waste as a resource, water cycle and blue economy, bioenergy and agriculture, circular and regenerative bio-economy, site and soil restoration, and environmental monitoring and earth observation. 

“Our PRISM® GreenSep LNG membrane solution for bio-LNG producers delivers both financial and environmental sustainability benefits for our customers, by enabling a smooth, direct feed of biomethane into the liquefaction process,” said Dr. Erin Sorensen, Air Products’ General Manager, Membrane Solutions. ”I am honored to see our innovative technology be recognized by the Italian Exhibition Group with the Lorenzo Cagnoni Award for Green Innovation as evidence of the work that our team does every day to generate a cleaner future.”  

PRISM® GreenSep LNG membrane separators eliminate the need for intermediate purification technologies such as amine scrubbing or thermal swing adsorption during bio-LNG production, allowing for a higher yield of bio-LNG while also reducing operational expenses and energy consumption. Bio-LNG is liquefied biomethane created from an organic source such as food, animal, or municipal waste.

Ecomondo is a key event for the green and circular economy where industrial groups, stakeholders, policy makers, opinion leaders, local authorities, research bodies and institutions come together and put in place key elements that define the strategies for the development of European Union environmental policy.

For more information on Air Products Membrane Solutions visit https://membranesolutions.com.

November 2024

José Hernández shared the inspirational story of his journey from migrant farm worker to astronaut during a recent visit to Air Products’ Corporate Headquarters in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Hernández was invited to speak at Air Products by the Hispanic Organization of Latinos and Amigos (HOLA), an Air Products’ Employee Resource Group (ERG). Students from the nearby Bethlehem Area School District were also invited to attend.   

During the session, Hernández told the students and Air Products’ employees of his time growing up in California where he worked as a migrant famer with his family and how watching TV news clips of the Apollo 17 mission as a 10-year-old boy inspired him to want to be an astronaut. 

He also stressed the importance of persistence, noting that he had been rejected 11 times for the NASA astronaut program before being selected in 2004. 

Following his selection, Hernández went through several years of additional training before being chosen for a mission to the International Space Station. For the mission, Hernández was part of the crew on the Space Shuttle Discovery tasked with delivering approximately seven tons of equipment to be installed at the International Space Station in 2009. Air Products provided liquid hydrogen used by the shuttle to fuel its mission. 

Air Products has a long history of working with NASA, stretching from the beginning of the United States’ space program, to the Apollo 11 moon landing, and to more recent missions to study Mars. In 2023, Air Products announced it was awarded several supply contracts from NASA totaling more than $130 million to provide liquid hydrogen for several NASA locations including the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and other NASA facilities.

HOLA is one of 12 Air Products’ ERGs, which play a pivotal role in building a positive employee experience. HOLA’s mission is to help the company achieve its goal of being the world’s safest, most diverse and most profitable industrial gases company by raising awareness of the crucial role and impact of the Hispanic community in the company; building strong bonds between the Hispanic community and others; facilitating guidance and networking opportunities; and championing achievements to promote and empower others to achieve successful careers. 

To learn more about Air Products’ ERGs, visit the Air Products Belong and Matter webpage. 

August 2024

Air Products recently received three safety awards from the Powder Metallurgy Equipment Association (PMEA) during the organization’s annual meeting held this summer at PowderMet2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Air Products received the 2023 PMEA Safety Award in the Large Company category, which includes companies that have more than 200,000 total employee work hours per year.

The company also received 2023 PMEA Safety Awards for Achieving One Year Without a Lost Time Accident at two Air Products’ facilities in Creighton, Pennsylvania and Cleveland, Ohio. Air Products has air separation units at both facilities that serve customers in the powder metallurgy market. 

Safety is a core value and fundamental to Air Products’ goal of being the safest, most diverse and most profitable industrial gas company in the world. 

PMEA is one of six trade associations under the Metal Powder Industries Federation, a not-for-profit association formed by the powder metallurgy industry to advance the interests of the metal powder producing and consuming industries. 

PowderMet2024 is the leading technical conference on powder metallurgy and particulate materials in the Americas and a hub for technology transfer for professionals from every part of the industry, including buyers and specifiers of metal powders, tooling and compacting presses, sintering furnaces, furnace belts, powder handling and blending equipment, quality-control and automation equipment, particle-size and powder-characterization equipment, consulting and research services.

To learn more about Air Products’ commitment to safety please see our 2024 Sustainability Report.

March 2024

Air Products has received a score of 95 out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. Air Products is one of more than 1,000 major U.S. businesses ranked in the 2023-2024 CEI.

“Everyday Air Products strives to create a workplace where every employee knows they belong and matter. Our goal is to cultivate a culture where employees are proud of their contributions and feel free to be their authentic selves,” said Victoria Brifo, Air Products’ senior vice president and Chief Human Resources Officer. “Air Products is honored to be recognized by the 2023-2024 Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, but we know there is always more work to be done.”

The HRC Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars: non-discrimination policies across business entities, equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families, supporting an inclusive culture, and corporate social responsibility.

In addition to taking part in the Corporate Equality Index, Air Products’ has also recently been recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity for 2024.

Air Products was one of seven large companies in its industry group to receive a five-star rating by Newsweek. According to Newsweek, the publication, along with market data research firm Plant-A Insights Group, created a scoring process using publicly available data, interviews with human resource professionals, and an anonymous online survey conducted among a diverse group of employees in the U.S. Respondents shared insights into corporate culture, working environments and other aspects of both their own companies and others they were familiar with, resulting in over 1.5 million company reviews.

January 2024

At our El Morrell plant in Tarragona, Spain, a Labrador-sized four-legged robot patrols a 12,000-square meter industrial plant.

The robot, called Keyper, is an innovative safety device used at the Carburos Metálicos industrial gas facility to detect and warn about issues at the facility that separates industrial gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and argon from the air.

Using advanced artificial intelligence, Keyper supports the safety and maintenance teams with its information processing capacity that allows it to detect and anticipate anomalies. Predictive actions that facilitate the normal operation of the plant are enabled through data analysis and tools such as cameras, microphones and sensors.

Keyper carries out maintenance rounds at the El Morell facility to collect, record and interpret data that could be significant for improving safety, such as thermal imaging, detection and reading of pressure gauges and meters, sound analysis of engines and equipment, and 3D mapping of the entire environment. Thanks to its advanced autonomous navigation technology, Keyper is able to warn in real time of any potential issues it detects during maintenance rounds.

The layout of the El Morell plant is another challenge that Keyper overcomes, given that facility has areas of grass, stones, asphalt, slopes and stairs. The plant also houses Carburos Metálicos' fleet of tankers in Tarragona, so Keyper coexists and interacts with lorries circulating inside the plant.

Miquel Lope, general manager of Carburos Metálicos, said "with this pioneering initiative in the industry, we are anticipating the future. Keyper, the most advanced robot of its kind in the world, will allow us to enhance the control capacity of the plant's operating parameters and its direct application in safety and predictive maintenance. This is not only important for Carburos Metálicos, but also represents a very important advance for the entire chemical sector."

November 2023 

Air Products has been recognized by Time magazine on its inaugural list of the World’s Best Companies 2023. Time and Statista ranked companies based on a formula of revenue growth, employee-satisfaction surveys, and rigorous environmental, social and corporate governance data.

The Time magazine recognition is the latest for Air Products’ sustainability and diversity efforts. Earlier this year, we also earned a spot on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies list for the 5th consecutive year, ranking 46th on this year’s list.

For its annual ranking of the most sustainable companies, Barron’s worked with Calvert Research and Management, which analyzed the 1,000 largest publicly traded companies by market value. Calvert then ranked each one by how it performed for five key constituencies: shareholders, employees, customers, community, and the planet. Specifically, Calvert looked at more than 230 ESG (environmental, social and governance) performance indicators from seven ratings companies including ISS, MSCI, and Sustainalytics, along with using other data and Calvert’s internal research.

Air Products also has been recognized by Forbes magazine as a Net Zero Leader and one of America’s Best Employers for Women 2023. In addition to Air Products’ inclusion on the overall Best Employers for Women list, we were ranked second in the construction, oil and gas operations, mining and chemicals industry group.

To create the Net Zero Leaders list, Forbes used data from research providers Sustainalytics and MorningStar to rank the U.S. Companies best positioned to be net zero by 2050.

To learn more about the organizations that have recognized Air Products’ sustainability and diversity efforts, visit our Sustainability Recognition page.

September 2023

Early corporate campuses in the U.S. were originally designed for research scientists and engineers who would be familiar with landscaped gardens or tree-lined lanes from their university-like campuses. It was seen as a serene workplace, but that serenity came at a price―using water and fossil fuels, and constant landscaping management.

Today’s diverse landscaping at Air Products' global headquarters is quite different. The native plantings in the meadows mirror our workforce―diverse, hardy and symbiotic, always with an eye towards sustainability. This move towards more environmentally friendly landscaping was the focus of a recent New York Times article that featured Air Products.

One thing that has not changed is the manicured corporate campuses of yesteryear and today’s global headquarters still have something in common―a sense of community. With a Fitness Center and outdoor social spaces, the Air Products landscaping is designed symbolically and practically to promote interaction and collaboration with colleagues and nature.

For some employees and neighbors, it has taken some time to readjust the way we see our surroundings, but the headquarters’ multi-year meadow project is already winning hearts and minds.

July 2023

Carburos Metálicos, a leading company in the industrial and medical gases sector in Spain that is part of the Air Products Group, has installed its first nitrogen dispenser to inflate vehicle tires at the El Cubillo service station in Telde, Gran Canaria, Spain.

Compared to commonly used compressed air, nitrogen is an inert gas devoid of dust, oil and moisture, which are the main factors in premature tire ageing. Nitrogen is also more stable and delays pressure loss, which means tires last longer under optimal conditions, extending their resistance and service life.

With the addition of the nitrogen dispenser, Carburos Metálicos is offering drivers a product that until now was primarily used by professionals in sectors such as aviation and racing competitions.

Previously, European regulations limiting pollutant emissions from motor vehicles did not consider the environmental and human health impact of vehicle tires. However, the future Euro 7 standard, which is expected to come into effect in 2025, will limit not only the emission of polluting gases but also particles that are generated by friction between the tire and the road. The new regulation will apply to all vehicles, including electric vehicles.

Tires inflated with nitrogen reduce fuel consumption because they retain the optimum pressure level longer, thus reducing the vehicle's rolling resistance. This ultimately results in lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The nitrogen supplied by Carburos Metálicos for this service station is produced and packaged in the Canary Islands, specifically at the plant that the company operates in Telde.

"Sustainability is at the heart of Carburos Metálicos' activity and the promotion of nitrogen use in tire inflation is aligned with our desire to offer products that allow drivers to increasingly reduce polluting emissions. Therefore, through this type of initiative we collaborate to generate a cleaner future," said Miquel Lope, General Manager of Carburos Metálicos.