(Archived) Praxair Announces CoJet® Gas Injection System Results with Usiminas

DANBURY, Conn., March 3, 2003 — Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX) and Usiminas announced the results of the CoJet® gas injection system in operation at the Brazilian steelmaker's basic oxygen furnace (BOF) melt shop.

According to Usiminas, the Praxair licensed CoJet system has delivered increases in metallic yield of 0.4% and in productivity of 15%. Between July and December of 2002, while operating Praxair's CoJet technology, Usiminas measured a steel conversion rate improvement from 93.5% to 93.9% as well as a reduction of five minutes in blow times.

As a result of the success of the CoJet system at Usiminas, the steel company has announced their intention to install the technology at another furnace at the same site as well as at its Cosipa shop (Cosipa is a subsidiary of Usiminas located in Sao Paulo, Brazil).  Usiminas has also agreed to demonstrate the coherent jet technology at their site and provide technical assistance to future CoJet system licensees.

Usiminas is a leader in providing steelmaking technology in Latin America. Usiminas, with 8,400 employees, had sales in 2000 totaling $1.7 billion from the sale of 3.7 million metric tons of finished steel, manufactured from a total production of 4.5 million metric tons of steel. The company is headquartered in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State in east-central Brazil.

Praxair Metals Technologies is the Praxair business unit responsible for the development, marketing and licensing of Praxair's technology for process control software and technical services in energy conservation, product quality and productivity to steel, aluminum and other metals customers around the world.  For more information, visit us on the Internet at www.praxair.com/metals.

Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2002 sales of $5.1 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric and process gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services and technologies bring productivity and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, food and beverage, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, metals and others. More information on Praxair is available on the Internet at www.praxair.com.

*CoJet is a registered trademark