Lehigh Valley, PA, December 12:  Air Products and Linde today announced the signing of a Teaming Agreement to pursue refrigeration services for the proposed International Linear Collider (ILC). Air Products and Linde will combine industrial know-how in seeking the business of providing, operating, and maintaining the cryogenic equipment for the ILC. A site for the ILC has yet to be announced, however, Production Test Site refrigerators and related equipment for the ILC may be selected as early as 2007, with overall project bids to occur in 2010.

The International Linear Collider is a proposed new electron-positron collider allowing physicists to explore energy regions beyond the reach of today's accelerators. At these energies, researchers anticipate significant discoveries that could lead to a radically new understanding of what the universe is made of and how it works. One of the keys to the project's success will be in the operation of the Superconducting RF Cavities, which will need to be super-cooled to function properly. An international team leads the global design effort for the ILC. The United States Department of Energy is providing U.S. funding for this effort with Europe and Asia also providing funds.

"This is an international project which will require highly technical knowledge and skills. Both Air Products and Linde have specific expertise. Through this Teaming Agreement, we believe we can provide the best technology, operating practices, and safety practices to help this project succeed," said Phil Winkler, manager, Government Contracting and Licensing for Air Products.

"Following the anticipated accomplishments of the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) project, the ILC will provide a more focused view into the fundamental makeup of matter. By combining the expertise and experience in helium system technology of both companies, we are well prepared to support the cryogenic requirements of the ILC project. We are excited and look forward to contributing to the success of the ILC," said John Urbin, business unit manager for cryogenic systems at Linde Process Plants.

Air Products brings unique helium liquefaction and refrigeration capabilities to the table through its operation of one third of the world's cryogenic liquefiers and ownership of Gardner Cryogenics -- the world's leading developer, designer and manufacturer of liquid helium storage, distribution and transportation equipment. Air Products is an industry leader throughout the helium supply chain, from providing technology for crude helium extraction from natural gas, to delivering liquid helium to end users, as well as through MRI helium supply activities. Air Products has designed and installed most of the world's crude helium extraction plants, providing knowledge of available helium in gas, and is also the world leader in liquefied natural gas (LNG) heat exchanger sales, providing insight into available helium reserves around the world.

Linde designs and builds cryogenic plants and systems for the most varied fields, from fundamental research and industrial HTS applications to the cooling of superconducting accelerators and cold neutron sources, fusion and fission applications and the industrial liquefaction of helium and hydrogen. This broad coverage imposes tough standards on our engineers and technicians. Linde has engineered and supplied more than 1,000 cryogenic plants to all major research institutes and industrial companies worldwide.

About Linde

Linde is the world's leading manufacturer of cryogenic equipment. The core business of Linde Kryotechnik covers the engineering and fabrication of helium and hydrogen liquefaction plants as well as helium refrigeration plants for temperatures ranging from -193 degrees C (80 K) to -271.5 degrees C (1.5 K). With fabrication facilities in Germany and the USA, Linde is prepared to take on projects of all sizes. Our experienced and committed engineers and technicians continually work to improve and optimize Linde's technology. Linde Kryotechnik and Linde Process Plants are subsidiaries of The Linde Group. The Linde Group is a world leading industrial gases and engineering company with more than 53,000 employees working in around 70 countries worldwide. Following the acquisition of The BOC Group the company has gases and engineering sales of approximately 12 billion euro. For more information about Linde Kryotechnik, visit http://www.linde-kryotechnik.ch and http://www.lppusa.com. Find The Linde Group online at http://www.linde.com.

About Air Products

Air Products (NYSE: APD) serves customers in industrial, energy, technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment and services. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment and is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability and FTSE4Good Indices. The company has annual revenues of $9 billion, operations in over 40 countries, and over 20,000 employees around the globe. For more information, visit http://www.airproducts.com.

***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements. Actual results could vary materially, due to changes in current expectations.