Xenon Market
Air Liquide
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Classification: ●●RESTRICTED
Subject: Xenon Market
Air Liquide, world leader in gases for industry, health and the environment
October 2014
What are Rare Gases?
■ Rare Gases are present in air in very small quantities. Air contains
0.001818% of Neon, 0.000114% of Krypton and 0.0000087% of Xenon.
■ Rare Gases are produced as a by-product of oxygen production. Large
air separation units (ASUs) producing more than 1000 TPD of oxygen
are sources.
■ Rare Gases can be extracted by adding a Krypton-Xenon column.
a football
size
of Krypton
a Passenger
balloon of air
a tennis
ball size
of Xenon
contains….
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Classification: ●●RESTRICTED
Subject: Xenon Market
Air Liquide, world leader in gases for industry, health and the environment
October 2014
How are Rare Gases made?
Air separation through
distillation
(1000 TPD oxygen production)
Air
(Kr = 1,1 ppm, Xe = 0.09 ppm)
Kr-Xe
concentrated in
O2
Primary
purification
Crude Kr-Xe is
concentrated to 99%
(CnHm & O2 is removed)
Final purification
and separation of
crude Kr/Xe
Kr = 92 %, Xe = 7 %
(standard split)
Krypton: 920 kL /year
Xenon: 70 kL /year
Kr Xe
(before production losses)
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Classification: ●●RESTRICTED
Subject: Xenon Market
Air Liquide, world leader in gases for industry, health and the environment
October 2014
Xenon worldwide sourcing split
8,6 mL
(2014 estimate)
* Source: Air Liquide internal
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Classification: ●●RESTRICTED
Subject: Xenon Market
Air Liquide, world leader in gases for industry, health and the environment
October 2014
Xenon applications
Lighting
Satellites
Xenon is used as a fill gas in ECO
halogen, HID (high intensity discharge),
and cinema projector lamps
Used as a propellant for satellites.
Forecasted as the next generation of
propulsion technology, brings cost
benefits.
Laser mixtures
PDP backlighting
Small amounts of Xenon is used for
industrial lasers (Rofin) and excimer
lasers (XeF) for semiconductor
manufacturing and eye surgery
Individual cells in a plasma display use
a mixture of Xenon and neon, which is
converted into a plasma using
electrodes
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Classification: ●●RESTRICTED
Subject: Xenon Market
Air Liquide, world leader in gases for industry, health and the environment
Research & Others
•Dark matter research: liquid xenon is
used in dark matter detectors
•Xenon difluoride (XeF2)
•Etching semiconductors
•Anesthesia: general anesthetic
•Doping: inhaling xenon/oxygen mixture,
increases red blood cell production and
athletes' performance
•Imaging: Xenon can be used to image
the heart, lungs, and brain
•R&D
October 2014
Summary
■ Xenon is RARE
A single source can only produce small quantities
 Inflexible sourcing, production is linked to oxygen demand (by-product)
 Co-produced with Krypton

■ Air Liquide is one of the world’s largest Xenon producers.
■ Xenon demand currently exceeds supply, but investments on new
sources can be made with long-term commitments from end-users.
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Classification: ●●RESTRICTED
Subject: Xenon Market
Air Liquide, world leader in gases for industry, health and the environment
October 2014
End of presentation
Thank you for your attention
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Classification: ●●RESTRICTED
Subject: Xenon Market
Air Liquide, world leader in gases for industry, health and the environment
October 2014