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Air Liquide S.A., or Air Liquide ((:ɛʁ likid); ; literally "Liquid Air"), is a French multinational company which supplies industrial gases and services to various industries including medical, chemical and electronic manufacturers. Founded in 1902, it is the world's second largest supplier (after The Linde Group) of industrial gases by revenues and has operations in over 80 countries.〔"()." Air Liquide. Retrieved on 31 January 2011.〕 It is headquartered in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France.〔"(Legal notice )." Air Liquide. Retrieved on 7 July 2010.〕 Air Liquide owned the patent for Aqua-Lung until it time-expired. Although Air Liquide's headquarters are located in Paris, France, it also has a major site in Japan (ALL), as well as in Houston, TX, and Newark, DE, USA. There is an emphasis on research and development (R&D) throughout the Air Liquide company. R&D targets the creation of not only industrial gases, but also gases that are used in products such as healthcare items, electronic chips, foods and chemicals. The major R&D groups within Air Liquide focus on analysis, bioresources (foods and chemicals), combustion, membranes, modeling, and the production of Hydrogen (H2) gas. The company is a component of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index.〔(Frankfurt Stock Exchange )〕 As of 2009, the company is ranked 484 in the Fortune Global 500.〔"("Air Liquide in Fortune Global 500 2009" ), July 20, 2009. Accessed August 18, 2010.〕 == History == * 1902: Georges Claude Edison and Domino and Paul Delorme develop a process for liquefying air to separate the components. First drops of liquid air and creation of the company of the same name. Paul Delorme is the first president. * 1906: Launch of international expansion, first in Belgium and Italy, then also in Canada, Japan and Hong Kong. * 1913: Air Liquide joins the Paris Bourse. * 1938: Acquisition of La oxígena S.A. in Argentina * 1943: Engineer Émile Gagnan (employee at Air Liquide) and ''lieutenant de vaisseau'' (ship-of-the-Line Lieutenant) Jacques-Yves Cousteau, order to Air Liquide the construction, at its factory in Boulogne-Billancourt, of two scuba sets prototypes that Cousteau and Frédéric Dumas used to shoot the underwater film ''Épaves'' (''Shipwrecks''), directed by Cousteau the same year.〔Those two scuba sets made by Air Liquide are mentioned in the opening credits of the film as ''scaphandre autonome "air liquide" système Cousteau'' ("air liquide's scuba set, Cousteau system").〕 They were the first modern diving regulators. * 1945: After the war, Jean Delorme, second president of the Group seeks to restore roads, renovate, develop the tool industry. * 1946: Air Liquide founds La Spirotechnique, its own division destined to conceive and commercialize regulators and other diving equipment. The same year La Spirotechnique launches the CG45, the first modern regulator to be commercialized. The year 1946 represents thus the beginning of the popularisation of scuba diving. * 1957: Launch of great activity and industry networking pipes irrigating several major industrial areas in the world. * 1962: Launch of space adventure * 1986: Deployment in the USA with the acquisition of Big Three and implementation in many countries, particularly in Europe and Asia. Acquisition of SEPPIC, the French specialty chemicals company, as part of its Healthcare World Business Line. * 1995: Creation of Air Liquide Health: structure, teams, a gas supply medical equipment and services, fully dedicated to the medical sector, first at the hospital, then to patients' homes. * 1996: Acquisition of Schuelke and Mayr in Germany. * 2001: Acquisition of Messer Griesheim in South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, Egypt, Argentina and Brazil. * 2003: Creation of a joint venture with The BOC Group in Japan: Japan Air Gases, strengthening the group's presence in the Far East market. * 2004: Acquisition of Messer Griesheim in Germany, UK and the USA. * 2007: Acquisition of Linde Gas UK. * 2007: Acquisition of the German engineering company Lurgi, which doubles the capacity of the engineering group. * 2007: Acquisition of Scott Specialty Gases, LLC. in the USA, UK and Netherlands. * 2008: The investment company Eurazeo, which owns 5.6% since 2006 group, announces to divest its stake. From 2005 to 2008, Air Liquide increased its hydrogen production by more than 50 percent.〔("Air Liquide signs letter of intent with ConocoPhillips to construct new hydrogen unit in the San Francisco Bay Area" ), ''euronext.com''. January 30, 2006. Accessed May 16, 2008.〕 In early 2008, Air Liquide entered a long term contract with Neste Oil’s Renewable Diesel Plant to supply hydrogen. Air Liquide is building a unit on Jurong Island to provide the means for the deal. They plan to turn the unit into an integrated Hydrogen Pipeline Network that will provide services to regional companies.〔 In November 2015, Air Liquide announced it would acquire American firm Airgas for a total of $13.4 billion including debt.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/18/us-airgas-m-a-air-liquide-idUSKCN0T62H420151118#WxBxHW9OBvdJwLXI.97 )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Air Liquide」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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