Air Liquide acquires PoroGen Corporation

Air Liquide Advanced Technologies U.S. LLC (“Air Liquide”) has recently acquired PoroGen Corporation (“PoroGen”), a leading manufacturer of porous polymeric membranes for use in many industries including oil and gas, refining and petrochemicals, energy, power generation, and aerospace.

PoroGen is based in Woburn, MA, and employs approximately 25 people. The PoroGen product line offers a unique and robust portfolio of products based on polyether ether ketone (PEEK) membrane materials for a wide range of applications, including gas separation, gas / liquid transfer, hybrid absorption, nanofiltration, and microfiltration.

PoroGen membrane technology complements Air Liquide’s MEDAL™ line of polymeric membranes, giving Air Liquide the most robust and highest performing hollow fiber membrane portfolio in the industry. The natural gas industry, particularly the offshore market, will immediately benefit from Air Liquide’s all-membrane solutions from the well-head to the gas pipeline.

The acquisition also strengthens Air Liquide’s leadership position within the aerospace, refining and petrochemical markets. End-users will benefit from a smaller equipment footprint and weight compared to conventional technologies, operational simplicity, and less spare parts, resulting in a significant reduction in capital and operational expenditures.

The acquisition of PoroGen supports Air Liquide's broader global commitment to constant innovation and sustainable development. PoroGen technology complements many ongoing efforts of Air Liquide's global research and development network, adding to its growing portfolio of technologies that are less energy intensive and enable the Group’s customers to reduce the environmental impact of their operations in various ways.

“We are happy to announce the acquisition of PoroGen, a company that shares our commitment to innovation in membrane science, and I am pleased to welcome the PoroGen team to the Air Liquide family. We are always looking for new opportunities to expand our offers and exceed the needs and expectations of our customers. The acquisition of PoroGen enables us to further expand our portfolio of industry-leading membrane technologies, as well as our production capacity, to meet growing demand in many sectors,” said Ole Hoefelmann, CEO of Air Liquide Advanced Technologies U.S. LLC.

Ben Bikson, president of PoroGen, commented: “Combining PoroGen and MEDAL technology platforms affords unique synergies and value creation for customers, company employees and shareholders. The technology benefits will now be available to a broad range of global customers.”