on air

C o v e r S t o r y

Gases are used in

many different ways

in winemaking.

8

14

CO2 helps

flowers and vegetables

grow faster.

6

Manfred Neuböck

on gas applications in

aircraft construction.

No. 4 · July 2007 The magazine for industrial gases

E

C o v e r S t o r y : 8 - 11

on air 04 · 2007

2 : C o n t e n t s

Imprint

Published by:

Messer Group GmbH

Corporate Communications

Otto-Volger-Straße 3c

D–65843 Sulzbach

Germany

Editorial Team:

Diana Buss – Editor-in-chief

Tel.: +49 6196 7760-361

diana.buss@messergroup.com

Benjamin Auweiler, Thomas

Böckler, Marc Dierckx,

Dr. Christoph Erdmann, Michael

Holy, Anita Kötél, Monika

Lammertz, Joachim Rohovec,

Marlen Schäfer

Concept and Realization:

Maenken Kommunikation GmbH

Von-der-Wettern-Straße 25

D–51149 Cologne

Germany

Translation:

Context GmbH

Elisenstraße 4–10

D–50667 Cologne

Germany

Photo credits:

Coca-Cola GmbH; FACC

Many thanks to

all the contributors!

Go to www.messergroup.com

for comprehensive information

about on air, as well as the

contact details of the editorial

team.

on air is published four times

a year in German, English and

Hungarian.

Marlen Schäfer from the Corporate Office at Messer (left) and Anita Kötél from Messer Hungarogáz with the precious raw materialfrom which wine-growers make fine wine. Gases from Messer helpensure perfect wine enjoyment.

Stefan Messer (l.) and Thomas Trachsel

Engine cowl at FACC

CO2 promotes tomato growth.

E d i t o r i a l : 3

N e w s : 4 - 5

I n t e r v i e w : 6 - 7

“Nitrogen on tap”

Manfred Neuböck, the Chief Technology

Officer of FACC, on gas applications in aircraft

construction and working with Messer.

M e s s e r W o r l d : 1 2 - 1 3

Everything to do with CO2

Messer acquires the CO2 specialist

Asco in Switzerland.

The allure of growing markets

Peru’s economy is booming.

G a s - o - t h e q u e : 1 4

An advantage ripe for the picking

Growing plants and vegetables cheaply and

easily with carbon dioxide.

G a s e t t e : 1 5

Tips, dates, things to know

Gas – the good spirit of wine

There is a growing interest in gas applications in today’s wine

technology. Wine growers can use gases in the different stages of

winemaking. An overview.

E d i t o r i a l : 3

on air 04 · 2007

Wine connoisseurs are used to testing

and judging the appearance, bouquet

and flavor of wines. Meanwhile, the

wine growers rely on their know-how

and a little luck to ensure that their

product is of the best possible quality.

Gases can have a positive effect on qual-

ity at every stage between harvesting

and bottling, and can give the wine its

special character. In this issue of on air,

you can read about wine treatment

from the grape to the “invisible cork”.

A smooth gas supply is absolutely

vital, and this is certainly the case at

FACC, a global supplier to the aerospace

industry. In an interview with on air, Manfred Neuböck, the Chief Technology Officer

of FACC, describes it as having “nitrogen on tap”. The Austrian company uses the

inert properties of nitrogen to ensure safe manufacturing processes, and has decided

in favor of installing nitrogen generators at its own premises.

on air shows you the diversity of applications with industrial gases worldwide:

in Polish steelworks, French canteens, Swiss warehouses, Romanian soft drinks,

Croatian glass furnaces, Peruvian mining trucks or Belgian greenhouses. Huge bene-

fits are “ripe for the picking” as a result of the natural fertilization of flowers and

vegetables with pure carbon dioxide. This saves energy and costs, and the CO2 is

completely absorbed by the plants.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue of on air!

Best Regards,

Stefan Messer

Dear Readers,Editor-in-chief:

The editorial team

Diana Buss

Corporate Office:

Benjamin Auweiler

Marlen Schäfer

Application Technology:

Thomas Böckler

Monika Lammertz

Production & Engineering:

Dr. Christoph Erdmann

Western Europe region:

Marc Dierckx

Central Europe region:

Michael Holy

Joachim Rohovec

Southeastern Europe region:

Anita Kötél

Stefan Messer

4 : N e w s

on air 04 · 2007

Rapid success with customer

Staff restaurants, hospitals and school canteens

are benefiting from the new Snowline technol-

ogy, a joint development by Messer and its partner

Electrocalorique. Centrally prepared meals are

chilled in special carts during transportation to

the consumer and later heated automatically.

An integrated computer system regulates the

temperature through the injection of dry ice snow.

The heating element is only activated shortly

before consumption, thus ensuring that the fresh

part of the meal is cool while the cooked part is

served hot.

Marc Dierckx, Messer France

Perfect for precooked meals

In the Huta Sendzimira works of Mittal Steel in the Polish city of Krakow,

nitrogen has been used for heat treatment since the beginning of May – another

milestone in a dynamic collaboration. Mittal Steel is by far the biggest steel

producer in Poland. Messer has been supplying the Huta Cedler plant with liquid

nitrogen and hydrogen for six years,

while the Huta Sendzimira steel plant

has been receiving cylinder gases since

2005. At the beginning of 2006, both

sides expanded this collaboration

significantly: Messer has since been

supplying gas to all the Polish steel

plants of Mittal Steel.

Danuta Dzierzak, Messer PolskaSpeed can be a decisive factor. The willingness of

Messer in Romania to make decisions at short notice

has convinced Gormet, the Romanian subsidiary of the

German company IEV, to enter into a long-term part-

nership. The metalworking company in Cluj needs the

liquid gases argon, oxygen and carbon dioxide as well

as acetylene in its production processes; and Messer

was able to help out at short notice.

Florentin Bombita, Messer Romania Gaz

Gormet also uses liquid argon and liquid carbondioxide in its production processes.

Reliable fire prevention

Extinguishing fires with water usually causes a lot of damage to stock.

In 2004, Emmi Frischprodukte from Ostermundigen in Switzerland decided that

it would rather prevent fires than extinguish them. This is achieved by reducing

the oxygen content in the warehouse from 21 to 13 to 17 per cent through the

controlled addition of nitrogen into the air. In this atmosphere, it is practically

impossible for a fire to start. The conditions

in the warehouse are then similar to those

encountered at an altitude of 3,000 meters.

It is therefore safe for people to enter the

warehouse. Messer has so far installed another

six fire prevention systems in Switzerland.

Robert Schlatter, Messer Schweiz

The Snowline technol-ogy ensures that dif-ferent foods are kept

at the right temperature.

All works supplied

Substantial damage can be avoided by preventing fires in warehouses instead of extinguishing them.

Messer supplies gas to all theplants of Mittal Steel, Poland’slargest steel producer.

N e w s : 5

on air 04 · 2007

Pharmaceutical manufacturer

protects the environment

Oxyfuel technology heats glass furnace

The most important Hungarian pharmaceutical

manufacturer, Richter Gedeon, uses solvents in the

production of pharmaceutical products and chemical

materials, as well as nitrogen for inerting. Richter

wanted to reduce the solvent-contaminated waste

gas for the sake of the environment. Successful tests

with DuoCondex have shown that emissions can

be reduced by cooling the condensers with liquid

nitrogen. The solvents that are condensed out are

collected in the DuoCondex plant and either recycled

or disposed of in a special furnace.

Anita Kötél, Messer Hungarogáz

Sparkling carbonic acid for Coca-Cola

The youngest of Messer’s 15 subsidiaries in China,

Zhangjiagang Messer (ZhMG), celebrated the official

opening of its air separator in the Zhangjiagang

Chemical Park. ZhMG also produces hydrogen in the

industrial park, which is located 150 kilometers to the

north west of Shanghai.

As part of the ceremony, ZhMG donated motorized

bicycles to the Zhangjiagang child welfare service in

order to make the long journey to school easier for five

pupils with slight disabilities. The donation was accepted

by Gu Huijuan, president of the child welfare service.

Yolanda Zhou, Messer China

Youngest subsidiary in China

Five motorized bicycles were donated to children withslight disabilities in order to make their long journeyto school easier.

Installation of hardware at the glass-packagingmanufacturer Vetropack.Messer is the largest gasproducer and supplier inCroatia, employingaround 250 people atseven locations.

The pharmaceutical industry not only uses nitrogen for inerting but also for reducing solvent-contaminated waste gas.

A major step forward has been taken

in the fiercely competitive Romanian

beverage market. Since March, the

soft drinks producer Coca-Cola has

been procuring its carbon dioxide from

Messer in Romania. Key to this suc-

cess was our excellent relationship

with Coca-Cola in Serbia. Until the

transport capacity for liquid CO2 has

been expanded in Romania, deliveries

will be carried out by the Serbian

company.

Paula Sterian, Messer Romania Gaz

An advertisement from1954 still works today.

The glass manufacturer Vetropack in Croatia was looking for an efficient

heating alternative while repairs were being carried out on its glass furnace flue.

The solution came in the shape of an oxygen burner and Oxyfuel technology.

Messer supplied and installed all the hardware for this project and kept the plant

supplied for 40 days with a total of 2.1 million cubic meters of liquid oxygen.

Miljenka Debeljak, Messer Croatia Plin

Ph

oto

: Co

ca-C

ola

Gm

bH

6 : I n t e r v i e w

on air 04 · 2007

on air: What role does nitrogen play in the produc-

tion of fiber composite components?

Manfred Neuböck: With our products, it is import-

ant to produce precisely molded parts – for example

the engine cowling – that are as lightweight as

possible but robust at the same time. All the parts

produced in our factories are hardened in gas-tight

pressure vessels. These so-called autoclaves are

inerted with nitrogen for quality assurance and fire

safety reasons.

on air: What are the advantages of the new nitrogen

generator?

Manfred Neuböck: The supply from on-site nitrogen

generators is considerably cheaper than having liquid

nitrogen delivered by tanker. Even nitrogen with a

purity of 96 per cent is optimal for us. That is why we

have now installed the third of these units.

on air: What was the key factor in your decision?

Manfred Neuböck: Messer were very committed

and thorough in dealing with the brief set out in our

tender specifications. And that is why they were able

to provide such an optimally designed solution for

the supply of nitrogen. That is what convinced us.

on air: What stood out for you in the project’s imple-

mentation?

Manfred Neuböck: We were amazed at the compre-

hensive prefabrication of all of the nitrogen gener-

ator’s components. Not just the process equipment,

but also the container with the compressor, process

management system and analyzers were delivered

complete and ready for start-up. The start-up team

proved to be extremely flexible, even when faced with

Lightweight construction with fiber composites is a mega-trend in

the aerospace industry. Composites already account for up to 50 per cent of

the structure of the Airbus A 380 and Boeing 787. FACC is benefiting from this.

on air spoke to the Chief Technology Officer of FACC, Manfred Neuböck, about

the project, Messer’s nitrogen generators and new gas applications.

“Nitrogen on tap”

Worldwide clientele

Fischer Advanced Composite Components AG (FACC), which

was founded in 1989, is a globally operating company special-

izing in the development and production of fiber composite

components for the aerospace industry. At its four produc-

tion plants in Upper Austria, FACC produces, among other

things, structural components and systems for the fuselages

and tail units, engine cowlings as well as the interiors of com-

mercial aircraft. With 1,282 employees, the company generat-

ed a turnover of 182.5 million euros in the last financial year.

FACC exports nearly 100 per cent of the lightweight struc-

tural components it produces. It numbers among others the

large aircraft manufacturers Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier

among its worldwide clientele.

FACC employees fitting an engine cowling.

Ph

oto

: FA

CC

I n t e r v i e w : 7

on air 04 · 2007

special requirements, such as the change to the piping

layout and the positioning of the heater.

on air: Were your operational procedures adversely

affected?

Manfred Neuböck: No. Deliveries were made in normal

trucks and we were notified of the deliveries in good

time. Messer managed well with the storage area that

had been designated beforehand. The integration into

our nitrogen network and operating resources supply

system was completed by our people as part of their

normal daily schedule.

on air: How is control and maintenance of the plant

organized?

Manfred Neuböck: Very professionally. We now have

nitrogen virtually “on tap”. Our Facility Manager,

Christoph Jell only has to organize a daily ten-minute

Dr. Christoph Erdmann Head of Sales On Site EuropeMesser Group GmbHTel.: +49 (0) 6196 7760-155christoph.erdmann@messergroup.comLanguages:

YOUR CONTACT PERSON:

The Chief TechnologyOfficer of FACC, ManfredNeuböck (r.), answers Uwe Rosenow’s questions:“Messer were able to pro-vide an optimally designedplant solution.”

inspection round. The plant is continuously monitored

by Messer via a remote control system. The on-site

maintenance team from Messer in Austria checks our

plant at regular intervals.

on air: Given all these positive experiences, would you

consider purchasing any other products from Messer?

Manfred Neuböck: On the basis of our solid working

relationship, we have transferred the supply of all

welding and test gases required by us to Messer. And

we also use dry ice blasting machines for cleaning the

molds. Messer supplies the CO2 for this. The excellent

growth prospects in our markets will further boost the

potential for gas applications. We therefore look for-

ward to developing our partnership in the future.

Interview: Uwe Rosenow, Messer Austria

At four factories in Upper Austria, FACCmanufactures, among

other things, structuralcomponents and interiors

for commercial aircraft.

Christopher Jell (l.) and Walter Bergauer (r.)starting up the new nitro-gen generator.

Ph

oto

: FA

CC

8 : C o v e r S t o r y

on air 04 · 2007

Wine cellar in Hungary:gases give more freshness

Gas – the good spirit of wineWines with a fresh, fruity character are in high demand these

days. Essential to their production are quick and careful wine

preparation, must purification, controlled fermentation

and oxidation, as well as thorough hygiene. One

noticeable development in the wine technology

of today is the growing interest in gas applications.

C o v e r S t o r y : 9

on air 04 · 2007

continued on page 10

The use and combination of gases depends on the

character of the wine and the expectations of the con-

sumers. Carbon dioxide is particularly suitable for the

treatment of rosé and white wines. For red wines, on

the other hand, nitrogen is used to a greater extent.

The gases that are used in the treatment of wine can

be divided into two groups. The first group includes

inert gases such as nitrogen and argon. They do not

react with the individual components of the wine. The

second includes gases such as oxygen and carbon

dioxide, which influence the character of the wine.

Nitrogen and carbon dioxide are used in winery

management. Both gases are used separately as well as

in combination with each other. Carbon dioxide, however,

dissolves much more readily in liquids than nitrogen.

Wine growers can use gases in the various stages

of wine production – from the grape harvest through

to improving the shelf life. Here is an overview:

Grape harvest

If temperatures during the grape harvest are over

25 degrees Celsius, there is the danger that the grapes

will start to ferment prematurely. Here, the use of car-

bon dioxide snow offers the ideal solution for cooling

the grapes. The advantage of this method compared

with normal ice cooling is that there is no water for-

mation when carbon dioxide snow melts.

Wine processing

The removal of the atmospheric oxygen from the must

provides microbiological protection against oxidation

and prevents premature fermentation. This is done by

either putting dry ice pellets directly into the press or

adding them to the prepared must.

Cold maceration

The technology of cold maceration facilitates an

enhanced extraction of fruit aromas. With this process,

the wine growers prolong fermentation through low

must temperatures. In order to prevent oxidation, they

treat the ripe, healthy grapes with carbon dioxide prior

to processing.

Must purification

Flotation technology is one of the most modern

methods of must purification. During this process,

the must is continuously filtered before being

mixed with nitrogen or carbon dioxide in a pressure-

resistant container. Finally, the must is exposed to

atmospheric pressure. This pressure causes the clear

liquid to be separated from the suspended solids.

Storage

The inerting of tanks – the removal of atmospheric

oxygen from the liquid – provides protection against

At one of our customers, PVS Pavelka in Slovakia, treatment with dry ice snow prevents premature fermentation of the grapes. The company can look back on many generations of family tradition. Gases from Messer play a role in the success of the winery.

10 : C o v e r S t o r y

on air 04 · 2007

Wine growers in Tokaj, Hungary’s top wine-growing region, also use gas mixtures such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

Source: Hungarian article in trade journal.

György, Dr. Lo“rinc, Ákosné, Dr. Nagy – Miklós, Dr. Kállay:

Védo“gázok a borászatban, Borászati Füzetek 1997/4 sz.

Vinocor, the invisible cork – protective gases in m

In Austria, too, quality-oriented wineries are increasingly

using protective gases in wine production.

In particular, high-purity nitrogen and Vinocor, a mix-

ture of high-purity nitrogen and carbon dioxide, are used.

The Federal Office of Viticulture in Austria has tested

Vinocor and confirmed that the wine retains its very good

quality for two to three weeks if Vinocor is added within a

few hours of opening.

This procedure avoids the changes in taste and color

caused by oxidation and preserves the existing quality of

the wine.

The possible uses of gases in wine production were

explained by Messer application engineers at symposia in

Hungary, which is known for its strong wine. Wine grow-

ers from the important wine-growing regions of Tokaj

and Villány showed great interest in new technologies.

Additional expert support was provided by the Corvinus

University in Budapest: professors from the Faculty of

Wine Technology highlighted the advantages of using

gases in the treatment of wine and presented their latest

research findings.

László Kapás satisfies himself as to the quality of the red wine.

oxidation. Carbon dioxide in the form of gas or snow is

used for white wine. Nitrogen or a mixture of nitrogen

and argon is used in red wine tanks.

Freshening

Wine growers use carbon dioxide to freshen the wine.

This creates a fresher taste and fruitier aroma.

Homogenization

Carbon dioxide is used for the effective mixing of dif-

ferent vintages or types of wine. This prevents oxida-

tion of the different wines.

Bottling and gastronomy

A special gas mixture also offers oxidation protection

after the bottle is opened (see also Vinocor box).

Symposia for wine growers in Hungary

C o v e r S t o r y : 11

László KapásTechnology Manager FoodMesser HungarogázTel.: +36 1 4351 144laszlo.kapas@messer.huLanguages:

YOUR CONTACT PERSON:

A female wine grower in Tokaj

The Tokaj wine-growing region covers an area of approximately 5,000 hectares and lies

in the North East of Hungary. The special wine varieties, fertile soil and exceptional clima-

te all contribute to the fact that very fine, mostly white, wines are produced in this area.

The Dereszla wine-growing estate in Tokaj is run by a French-Hungarian team. Edit Bay

is the wine grower – not an easy job: “It helps if you view wine growing and the care and

treatment of wines as a calling, because there is a lot of work involved, not just during and

after the harvest, but the whole year round”, explains Bay. In spite of the sometimes heavy

workload, she gets a lot of

enjoyment from being a

wine grower. “The success-

ful cultivation of a new

variety of wine, a rich vin-

tage, a fine wine or the ap-

proving smile of wine

drinkers makes all the hard

work worthwhile”, says

Bay.

THE PLUS POINTS FOR THE CUSTOMER:

+++++

Prevention of unwanted oxidation through cooling of grapes with CO2

Effective purification of must using N2 and CO2

Inerting of containers

Fresher wines with fruity aroma through addition of CO2

Protection of fine wines after opening of bottles

odern winery technology in Austria

The Vinocor-Gastro appliance is spe-

cially designed to meet the needs of

the professional user. It is extremely

robust and can either be mounted on

a wall or a stand. A hose line con-

nects it to the gas cylinder contain-

ing the gas mixture. In almost

every case the gas cylinder is

situated directly under the bar. Dis-

pensing of the gas is electronically

controlled.

Walter Laimer, Messer Austria

Edit Bay (left) sees winegrowing as a calling.

Whether red or white wine – there is a wide range of uses

for gases and gas mixtures in theproduction of wine.

The Vinocor-Gastro appliance in action.

on air 04 · 2007

Everything to do with CO2

from one sourceSwitzerland: Getting “everything from one source” is a valuable advantage

for customers. One of the ways in which Messer meets this requirement is

through its associated partner companies. Messer has expanded its portfolio

with the acquisition of Asco Carbon Dioxide Ltd, the Swiss technology com-

pany specializing in all things CO2.

A successful example of enhanced customer service:

as a sister company of the industrial gas specialist

Messer, Messer Cutting & Welding offers gas fittings as

well as cutting and welding technology under the same

brand around the world. As an important supplier of

carbon dioxide, the Messer Group has now also grown in

the area of CO2 and dry ice technology. The acquisition

on May 31, 2007 of Asco Carbon Dioxide Ltd, based in

the Swiss town of Romanshorn, has expanded our prod-

uct portfolio through the addition of systems and tech-

nologies covering all aspects of the production and

application of carbon dioxide.

Leading the field in CO2 pellets

Asco designs and markets systems for the production

of dry ice discs and pellets, the production of carbon

dioxide, CO2 recovery systems for dry ice machines as

well as vaporizers, CO2 pumps and other CO2 hardware.

Above all, Asco leads the field in the area of cleaning

Thomas Trachsel (r.), long-standing owner of

Asco Carbon Dioxide, hands over the business

to Stefan Messer.

with dry ice through the development and marketing

of blasting machines (Ascojet) as well as the manufac-

ture of CO2 pellets. The company is a technology leader

in dry-ice-blasting systems, which are used, among other

things, for cleaning industrial machines.

New markets

Asco Carbon Dioxide Ltd was founded in 1975. Thomas

Trachsel, its former CEO, retains a 49 per cent sharehold-

ing. Trachsel, who will continue to make himself avail-

able to Asco as a director and minority shareholder, points

out: “The Messer Group’s acquisition of the majority of

shares in Asco combined with its marketing expertise will

open up new markets for Asco in the core regions of the

Messer Group, which I will actively and continuously sup-

port.” The new CEO of Asco is Wolfgang Pöschl, who will

also continue in his role as CEO of Messer Schweiz AG.

Diana Buss, Messer Group

Investment in expertise.Messer acquired theCO2 specialist Asco onMay 31, 2007.

1 2 : M e s s e r W o r l d

on air 04 · 2007

“We have a lot to do. There are many potential areas

of activity for Messer, from the distribution of gases

and gas mixtures produced in Peru through to the sale

of production plants and the installation of pipelines”,

says Fernando Mesarina, Sales Manager for Lima.

In Yanacocha, the largest gold mine in the world,

Messer has already successfully installed a gas pipeline

system and is also supplying nitrogen as a tire-filling

gas for the huge mining trucks at the mine in Barrick.

Messer has also sold the largest nitrogen membrane

unit in Peru to Antamina, a leading copper and molyb-

denum mine.

More productivity with Messer

Motores Diesel Andinos S.A. (Modasa) is an important

customer from the growing markets. The company

used to manufacture diesel engines for heavy goods

vehicles and generators. Modasa has opened a new

plant in Lima and is now one of the leading manufac-

turers of vehicle bodies for long-distance coaches as

well as of generator engines for the Andes region.

Messer Peru had previously supplied Modasa with

oxygen, carbon dioxide, welding gas mixtures, argon,

welding rods and electrodes. Following the meeting

with Hector Garcia, CEO of Modasa, Messer Peru

began work on the installation of a gas supply system

designed to increase the customer’s productivity. The

installation of Peru’s first multi-plasma cutting system

made by Messer Cutting & Welding was also agreed.

Similar history

Shipbuilding for the fishing industry is an important

market in Peru. Construcciones Maggiolo, a leading

Peruvian shipyard and Messer customer, was able to

lower its production costs for shipbuilding and main-

tenance while increasing its productivity thanks to

Messer switching from the supply of oxygen in cylin-

ders to the bulk supply of liquid oxygen.

At a joint meeting, Nicola Rubini Maggiolo, CEO of

Construcciones Maggiolo, proudly presented the his-

tory of his successful business and was fascinated by

the similarities between his third-generation family

company and the history of the Messer Group.

Juan Bedoya, Messer Gases del Peru

Peru: The Peruvian economy is booming, with no end in sight.

That is reason enough for Messer Gases del Peru to venture into growing

markets such as shipbuilding, the manufacturing sector and mining.

The allure of growing markets

M e s s e r W o r l d : 1 3

Shipbuilding is one of the traditional markets in Peru.

Messer supplies nitro-gen for the huge miningtrucks in Barrick.

14 : G a s - o - t h e q u e

on air 04 · 2007

An advantage ripe for the picking

Plants form biomass through photosynthesis:

temperature, nutrients, water, light and carbon dioxide

from the air influence their growth. If one of these

factors is below the optimum level, vegetables and

flowers will grow more slowly and remain smaller. In the

greenhouse atmosphere, the concentration of carbon

dioxide steadily declines during the day due to the CO2

consumption of the plants. However, this deficiency

can be corrected with an artificial CO2 supply in com-

bination with light. Traditionally, the greenhouses are

heated with natural gas. The CO2 that is generated

in the combustion process is cleaned and fed into the

greenhouse. But natural gas is expensive, and in the

summer months there is usually no need for heating.

However, it is in the summer months, that the “bio-

logical clock” of plants is set for growth – with rising

carbon dioxide consumption. The use of pure carbon

dioxide from cylinders or storage tanks to replenish

CO2 levels in greenhouses saves costs. What is more,

this CO2 is captured as a by-product from industrial

processes and is completely absorbed by the plants.

Monika Lammertz, Messer Group

Getting a bigger, quicker and earlier harvest (than others) – the objectives

of greenhouse cultivation for horticultural enterprises are primarily

economic ones. Plants are therefore often fertilized with carbon dioxide

in order to boost their growth. It is easier and cheaper to do this with

pure CO2 – at any time of the year.

Healthy growth: flowers, too, benefit from CO2 fertilization.

Jean-Claude ClaeysSales Manager Bulk GasesTel.: +32 22570994jean-claude.claeys@messerbenelux.comLanguages:

Johan De Backer (r.) (DeBacker company) in conversation with Jean-Claude Claeys (l.): “Together with Messer we have found the optimumCO2 supply for our plants.” In the last year, Messer has won more than 25 new customers for the enrichment of greenhouse atmospheres with CO2 in Belgium and the Netherlands.

YOUR CONTACT PERSON:

Peppers, tomatoes and other vegetables thrivewith CO2 fertilization.

G a s e t t e : 1 5

?Your opinion please!

What did you particular-ly like about on air? Whatdid you not like? Whatwould you like on air tocover in the near future?Please write to us at

C O M P E T I T I O N

C O N F E R E N C E

On the Messer website – www.messergroup.com – the Messer experts

explain 15 technologies specifically for the car industry. An interactive tool

shows the applications of industrial gases in cars, ranging from the chassis

and the drive units to the electronics. Processes covering every aspect of

production are also described. Here the experts on electronics soldering,

grinding debris disposal, wastewater treatment, fire protection and retained

austenite conversion have their say.

C A R N AV I G ATO RNavigate your way around a car

… a set of Balmain bal lpoint pens

featuring the Messer logo

joachim.rohovec@messergroup.com> >

Congratulations to Seid Kapetanovic, Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina), the winner of the USB stick.

diana.buss@messergroup.com>

Win . . .

Messer at B iofue l s 2007

Messer is actively involved in this year’s Biofuels con-

ference in Vienna. The subjects that Messer will address

in particular at the conference include inerting with

nitrogen, for example as product protection with bio-

diesel or explosion protection with flammable liquids,

as well as fire fighting in silos.

More than 300 delegates from 36 countries have

registered for the three-day conference (October 29 to

31), including representatives of biofuel producers,

experts from the agricultural industry and providers

of cutting-edge technology.

* This competition is not open to

employees of Messer or their relatives.

Trzebinia in Poland is home to the first biodiesel plant inCentral and Eastern Europe.

Here’s what to do. On which page of this issue of on air does

this picture appear? Find the page and you could be the lucky

winner! Simply e-mail your answer to us.*

Entry deadline:

September 17,

2007

www.messergroup.com/de/Produkte_und_Loesungen/Automobile/index.html>

On the Messer website, experts explain gas applications for cars.

Further information at

www.wraconferences.com/wra117overview.html.

diana.buss@messergroup.com>

Coming up in the next issue:

DuoCondex – environmental protection with freezing temperatures: the DuoCondex process developed by Messer utilizes the intense cold of liquid nitrogen for waste gas cleaning and solvent recovery.People at Messer: exchange programs enable Messer employees to spendseveral months abroad familiarizing themselves with a colleague’s job.