(Archived) Praxair Upgrades Online Purchasing System

DANBURY, Conn., May 8, 2006 — Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX) announced today that it has introduced major upgrades to its popular Praxair Express™ online order processing system.

The system now allows Praxair customers with established accounts the ability to view unpaid invoices and signed delivery receipts in Adobe^® PDF format. These two enhancements make it easier for customers to match Praxair invoicing and delivery documents, and so reconcile ordered items with those that have actually been invoiced and received into inventory.

A third enhancement automatically creates custom order groups for regular customers with just one click. Based upon the users order history, this feature presents frequently ordered products on screen for reorder, eliminating time that might be spent searching the database of over 30,000 items.

When the Praxair Express program went online in 2001, Praxair's objective was to help improve its customers' productivity and make it easy for customers to do business with Praxair. Initially, the Praxair Express system allowed users to search and purchase items from Praxair's inventory of gases and gas blends, gas apparatus and accessories, welding and cutting products, power tools and abrasives.

After the successful launch of the system, products from leading manufacturers, specifically selected by Praxair, were added to offer customers complete applications solutions. With the latest enhancements, Praxair Express is now a complete, easy to use procurement system that helps Praxair customers efficiently manage their orders, invoicing and inventory.

For those without an established Praxair account, the Praxair Express system allows easy sign-on for credit card purchases of all but gases and gas blends. However, establishing an account with Praxair is easy to do at any of its over 400 locations throughout North America. Praxair locations are also listed on Praxair Express which can be found at: http://express.praxair.com.

Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2005 sales of $7.7 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