Johnson Matthey Granted United States Patent for V-Purge Hydrogen Purification System

WEST CHESTER, PA, March 28, 2005– Johnson Matthey's Gas Purification Technology (GPT) group announced today that the United States Patent Office has granted a patent for their V-Purge Hydrogen Purification System (US patent number 0182239 A1), an innovative product for rapid and complete purging of hydrogen from palladium (Pd) membrane purifiers.The patented V-Purge design ensures total hydrogen removal in the event of power outages and emergency shutdowns. The system was designed specifically to meet the needs of today's largest MOCVD production platforms.  Palladium purifiers provide the highest purity of hydrogen and the V-Purge ensures its' durability and performance in production environments.

The newly patented system removes all of the hydrogen in the cell prior to the cell cooling below 300º C, the temperature limit at which significant stresses on the membrane can occur if hydrogen is present. In fact, when automatic purge is activated, a complete purge can be achieved in less than 10 minutes – that's five times faster than conventional purging methods – greatly improving reliability during the longest power failures. The Johnson Matthey V-Purge System has the added capability to switch from full nitrogen purge to full hydrogen flow up to 200 slpm in a minute while maintaining the cell temperature within +/-5º C, offering unmatched uptime and performance capability.

The Johnson Matthey V-Purge is a fully automated device that helps ensure Pd membrane life. The V-Purge incorporates Johnson Matthey's latest developments in temperature control – including a preheater that delivers improved heat management – and automatic purge capabilities into one compact, easy-to-install unit. Innovation, coupled with extensive knowledge and experience in palladium membrane technology, secures Johnson Matthey's leadership position as the premier purification solution provider to the compound semiconductor industry.

About Johnson Matthey

Traded on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: JMAT), Johnson Matthey is a specialty chemicals company focused on its core skills in catalysts, precious metals and specialty chemicals. The $8.0 billion company is 188 years old, employs almost 7500 people in 34 countries and offers over 40 years of experience in gas purification. Backed by a reputation for superior reliability, customer service and technological expertise – and having installed over 5,000 gas purification units around the world – the company is a global leader in the design, engineering, manufacture and distribution of state-of-the-art purification systems for all pure, inert and specialty gases used in the semiconductor industry. The Johnson Matthey GPT group maintains locations in North America, England, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, China and Hong Kong.

Contact Information:

For further information on Johnson Matthey products contact: Jeff Lucht, Johnson Matthey Gas Purification Technology, Business Manager, 1397 King Road, West Chester, PA 19380; tel: (610) 232-1968, (800) 624-2204; fax: (610) 232-1934; E-mail: luchtjl@jmusa.com; Web site: http://www.pureguard.net.