LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. - On March 31, Air Products, Lehigh Valley, Pa., completed the acquisition of Tomah3 Products of Milton, Wis., for approximately $115 million in cash. The acquisition, initially announced on March 22, increases the size of Air Products' Performance Materials business and will capitalize on the company's surface-science expertise and high-growth-market opportunities. Tomah3 produces specialty surfactants and processing aids.

Tomah employs approximately 90 people and has production facilities located in Milton, Wis., and Reserve, La. The Milton plant produces amine-based surfactants, while the Reserve facility produces alcohol ethoxylate surfactants.

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. - Air Products has also announced that it has consolidated its efforts to commercialize its nanotechnology offerings and strengthen its strategy around the sale of nanoparticle dispersions through a technology acquisition from its Nanogate Advanced Materials GmbH (NAM) joint venture. Air Products purchased NAM's nanoparticle dispersion production and related dispersion technologies and assets located in Saarbrücken, Germany. Air Products' initial nanoparticle dispersion offerings include zinc oxide, silver, and indium and antimony tin oxides in a variety of organic, aqueous and 100-percent-solids systems.

The process of making nanoparticle dispersions compatible with the systems they are being incorporated into is a critical requirement to gain the maximum benefit from the use of nanoparticles in many applications, including several markets for formulated systems such as coatings, adhesives, inks and composites, that Air Products currently serves.