Item 1. Business.

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., a Delaware corporation originally founded in 1940, serves customers globally with a unique portfolio of products, services, and solutions that include atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, equipment, and services. We are the world’s largest supplier of hydrogen and have built leading positions in growth markets such as helium and liquefied natural gas ("LNG") process technology and equipment. We also develop, engineer, build, own and operate some of the world’s largest industrial gas projects, including gasification projects that sustainably convert abundant natural resources into syngas for the production of high-value power, fuels and chemicals, carbon capture projects, and world-scale carbon-free hydrogen projects supporting global transportation and the energy transition.

As used in this report, unless the context indicates otherwise, the terms “we,” “our,” “us,” the “Company,” "Air Products," or “registrant” include controlled subsidiaries, affiliates, and predecessors of Air Products and our controlled subsidiaries and affiliates.

During the fiscal year ended 30 September 2020 (“fiscal year 2020”), we reported our continuing operations in five reporting segments under which we managed our operations, assessed performance, and reported earnings: Industrial Gases – Americas; Industrial Gases – EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa); Industrial Gases – Asia; Industrial Gases – Global; and Corporate and other.

Except as otherwise noted, the description of our business below reflects our continuing operations. Refer to Note 6, Discontinued Operations, to the consolidated financial statements for activity associated with discontinued operations.

Industrial Gases Business

Our Industrial Gases business produces atmospheric gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, and argon, process gases, such as hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide, and syngas, and specialty gases. Atmospheric gases are produced through various air separation processes of which cryogenic is the most prevalent. Process gases are produced by methods other than air separation. For example, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and syngas are produced by steam methane reforming of natural gas and by the gasification of liquid and solid hydrocarbons. Hydrogen is produced by purifying byproduct sources obtained from the chemical and petrochemical industries; and helium is produced as a byproduct of gases extracted from underground reservoirs, primarily natural gas, but also CO2 purified before resale. The Industrial Gases business also develops, builds and operates equipment for the production or processing of gases, such as air separation units and non-cryogenic generators.

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Our Industrial Gases business is organized and operated regionally. The regional Industrial Gases segments (Americas, EMEA, and Asia) supply gases and related equipment in the relevant region to diversified customers in many industries, including those in refining, chemical, gasification, metals, electronics, manufacturing, and food and beverage. Hydrogen is used by refiners to facilitate the conversion of heavy crude feedstock and lower the sulfur content of gasoline and diesel fuels as well as in the developing mobility markets. The chemicals industry uses hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and syngas as feedstocks in the production of many basic chemicals. The energy production industry uses nitrogen injection for enhanced recovery of oil and natural gas and oxygen for gasification. Oxygen is used in combustion and industrial heating applications, including in the gasification, steel, certain nonferrous metals, glass, and cement industries. Nitrogen applications are used in food processing for freezing and preserving flavor and nitrogen for inerting is used in various fields, including the metals, chemical, and semiconductor industries. Helium is used in laboratories and healthcare for cooling and in other industries for pressurizing, purging, and lifting. Argon is used in the metals and other industries for its unique inerting, thermal conductivity, and other properties. Industrial gases are also used in welding and providing healthcare and are utilized in various manufacturing processes to make them more efficient and to optimize performance.

Industrial gases are generally produced at or near the point of use given the complexity and inefficiency with storing molecules at low temperatures. Helium, however, is generally sourced globally, at long distances from point of sale. As a result, we maintain an inventory of helium stored in our fleet of ISO containers as well as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management underground storage facility in Amarillo, Texas.

We distribute gases to our sale of gas customers through different supply modes depending on various factors including the customer's volume requirements and location. Our supply modes are as follows:

• Liquid Bulk**—**Product is delivered in bulk (in liquid or gaseous form) by tanker or tube trailer and stored, usually in its liquid state, in equipment that we typically design and install at the customer’s site for vaporizing into a gaseous state as needed. Liquid bulk sales are usually governed by three- to five-year contracts.

• Packaged Gases**—**Small quantities of product are delivered in either cylinders or dewars. We operate packaged gas businesses in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. In the United States, our packaged gas business sells products (principally helium) only for the electronics and magnetic resonance imaging industries.

• On-Site Gases**—**Large quantities of hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon monoxide, and syngas (a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide) are provided to customers, principally in the energy production and refining, chemical, gasification, and metals industries worldwide, that require large volumes of gases and have relatively constant demand. Gases are produced at large facilities located adjacent to customers’ facilities or by pipeline systems from centrally located production facilities and are generally governed by 15- to 20- year contracts. We also deliver small quantities of product through small on-site plants (cryogenic or non-cryogenic generators), typically either via a 10- to 15- year sale of gas contract or through the sale of the equipment to the customer.

Electricity is the largest cost component in the production of atmospheric gases. Steam methane reformers utilize natural gas as the primary raw material and gasifiers use liquid and solid hydrocarbons as the principal raw material for the production of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and syngas. We mitigate electricity, natural gas, and hydrocarbon price fluctuations contractually through pricing formulas, surcharges, and cost pass-through and tolling arrangements. During fiscal year 2020, no significant difficulties were encountered in obtaining adequate supplies of power and natural gas.

We obtain helium from a number of sources globally, including crude helium for purification from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's helium reserve.

The regional Industrial Gases segments also include our share of the results of several joint ventures accounted for by the equity method, which are reported in our financial statements as income from equity affiliates. The largest of these joint ventures operate in China, India, Italy, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Thailand.

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Each of the regional Industrial Gases segments competes against three global industrial gas companies: Air Liquide S.A., Messer and Linde plc (the successor to Praxair, Inc. and Linde AG, pursuant to a combination that became effective on 31 October 2018), as well as regional competitors. Competition in Industrial Gases is based primarily on price, reliability of supply, and the development of industrial gas applications. We derive a competitive advantage in locations where we have pipeline networks, which enable us to provide reliable and economic supply of products to our larger customers.

Overall regional industrial gases sales constituted approximately 94%, 96%, and 94% of consolidated sales in fiscal years 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. Sales of atmospheric gases constituted approximately 47%, 46%, and 46% of consolidated sales in fiscal years 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively, while sales of tonnage hydrogen, syngas, and related products constituted approximately 22%, 26%, and 25% of consolidated sales in fiscal years 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.

Industrial Gases Equipment

We design and manufacture equipment for air separation, hydrocarbon recovery and purification, natural gas liquefaction, and liquid helium and liquid hydrogen transport and storage. The Industrial Gases – Global segment includes activity related to the sale of cryogenic and gas processing equipment for air separation. The equipment is sold worldwide to customers in a variety of industries, including chemical and petrochemical manufacturing, oil and gas recovery and processing, and steel and primary metals processing. The Corporate and other segment includes three global equipment businesses: our LNG equipment business, our Gardner Cryogenics business fabricating helium and hydrogen transport and storage containers, and our Rotoflow business, which manufactures turboexpanders and other precision rotating equipment. Steel, aluminum, and capital equipment subcomponents (compressors, etc.) are the principal raw materials in the manufacturing of equipment. Raw materials for individual projects typically are acquired under firm purchase agreements. Equipment is produced at our manufacturing sites with certain components being procured from subcontractors and vendors. Competition in the equipment business is based primarily on technological performance, service, technical know-how, price, and performance guarantees. Sale of equipment constituted approximately 6%, 4%, and 6% of consolidated sales in fiscal years 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.

The backlog of equipment orders was approximately $1.6 billion on 30 September 2020 (as compared to a total backlog of approximately $0.9 billion on 30 September 2019). We estimate that approximately 50% of the total equipment sales backlog as of 30 September 2020 will be recognized as revenue during fiscal year 2021, dependent on execution schedules of the relevant projects.

International Operations

Through our subsidiaries, affiliates, and joint ventures accounted for using the equity method, we conduct business in 53 countries outside the United States. Our international businesses are subject to risks customarily encountered in foreign operations, including fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and controls, tariffs, trade sanctions, and import and export controls, and other economic, political, and regulatory policies of local governments described in Item 1A, Risk Factors, below.

We have majority or wholly owned foreign subsidiaries that operate in Canada; 18 European countries (including the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom); 11 Asian countries (including China, South Korea, and Taiwan); seven Latin American countries (including Brazil and Chile); six countries in the Middle East (including Saudi Arabia), and three African countries. We also own less-than-controlling interests in entities operating in Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa (including China, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Thailand).

Financial information about our foreign operations and investments is included in Note 8, Summarized Financial Information of Equity Affiliates; Note 22, Income Taxes; and Note 25, Business Segment and Geographic Information, to the consolidated financial statements included under Item 8, below. Information about foreign currency translation is included under “Foreign Currency” in Note 1, Major Accounting Policies, and information on our exposure to currency fluctuations is included in Note 13, Financial Instruments, to the consolidated financial statements, included under Item 8, below, and in “Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk,” included under Item 7A, below.

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Technology Development

We pursue a market-oriented approach to technology development through research and development, engineering, and commercial development processes. It conducts research and development principally in its laboratories located in the United States (Trexlertown, Pennsylvania), the United Kingdom (Basingstoke and Carrington), Spain (Barcelona), China (Shanghai), and Saudi Arabia (Dhahran). We also fund and cooperate in research and development programs conducted by a number of major universities and undertake research work funded by others, including the United States government.

Development of technology for use within the Industrial Gases business focuses primarily on new and improved processes and equipment for the production and delivery of industrial gases and new or improved applications for industrial gas products.

During fiscal year 2020, we owned approximately 850 United States patents, approximately 3,600 foreign patents, and were a licensee under certain patents owned by others. While the patents and licenses are considered important, we do not consider our business as a whole to be materially dependent upon any particular patent, patent license, or group of patents or licenses.

Environmental Regulation

We are subject to various environmental laws and regulations in the countries in which we have operations. Compliance with these laws and regulations results in higher capital expenditures and costs. In the normal course of business, we are involved in legal proceedings under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act ("CERCLA," the federal Superfund law); Resource Conservation and Recovery Act ("RCRA"); and similar state and foreign environmental laws relating to the designation of certain sites for investigation or remediation. Our accounting policy for environmental expenditures is discussed in Note 1, Major Accounting Policies, and environmental loss contingencies are discussed in Note 17, Commitments and Contingencies, to the consolidated financial statements, included under Item 8, below.

Some of our operations are within jurisdictions that have or are developing regulatory regimes governing emissions of greenhouse gases (“GHG”), including CO2. These include existing coverage under the European Union Emission Trading System, the California cap and trade scheme, China’s Emission Trading Scheme and its nation-wide expansion, and South Korea’s Emission Trading Scheme. In the Netherlands, a CO2 emissions tax will come into force on 1 January 2021. In Canada, Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emission Reduction (“TIER”) System went into effect 1 January 2020. In Ontario, Environment & Climate Change Canada’s ("ECCC”) Output Based Pricing System (“OBPS”) is currently in effect, however, on 20 September 2020, ECCC granted approval of Ontario’s GHG Emissions Performance Standards program, which will be used in lieu of adherence to the OBPS, with the effective date to be determined. In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) requires mandatory reporting of GHG emissions and is regulating GHG emissions for new construction and major modifications to existing facilities. Some jurisdictions have various mechanisms to target the power sector to achieve emission reductions, which often result in higher power costs.

Increased public concern may result in more international, U.S. federal, and/or regional requirements to reduce or mitigate the effects of GHG emissions. Although uncertain, these developments could increase our costs related to consumption of electric power, hydrogen production and application of our gasification technology. We believe we will be able to mitigate some of the increased costs through contractual terms, but the lack of definitive legislation or regulatory requirements prevents an accurate estimate of the long-term impact these measures will have on our operations. Any legislation that limits or taxes GHG emissions could negatively impact our growth, increase our operating costs, or reduce demand for certain of our products.

Regulation of GHG may also produce new opportunities for us. We continue to develop technologies to help our facilities and our customers lower energy consumption, improve efficiency and lower emissions. We see significant opportunities for gasification, carbon capture technologies and hydrogen for mobility and energy transition.

We estimate that we spent approximately $4 million, $5 million, and $3 million in fiscal years 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively, on capital projects reflected in continuing operations to control pollution. Capital expenditures to control pollution are estimated to be approximately $6 million in both fiscal years 2021 and 2022.

For additional information regarding environmental matters, refer to Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Environmental Matters” and Note 17, Commitments and Contingencies, to the consolidated financial statements.

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Employees

We believe our employees are our most valuable asset and are critical to our success as an organization. Our goal is to be the safest, most diverse and most profitable industrial gas company in the world, providing excellent service to our customers. Integral to our success is the continued development of our 4S culture (Safety, Speed, Simplicity and Self-Confidence) and creating a work environment where all employees feel that they belong and matter. Our talent related initiatives, including employee recruitment and development, diversity and inclusion and compensation and benefit programs, are focused on building and retaining the world-class and talented staff that is needed to meet our goals.

On 30 September 2020 we had approximately 19,275 employees, of whom approximately 19,000 were full-time and of whom approximately 14,150 were located outside the United States. We have collective bargaining agreements with unions at certain locations that expire on various dates over the next four years. We consider relations with our employees to be good.

We value the contributions of our employees, particularly in the face of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of our employees are on the front line during the pandemic, keeping our plants running and delivering to our customers the products they need. When possible, employees have been working from home to help maintain their health and safety as well as business continuity. We have not laid off any of our employees or reduced their salaries due to COVID-19.

In October 2020, we announced goals to further increase the percentage of women and U.S. minorities in professional and managerial roles. By 2025, we aim to achieve at least 28 percent female representation in the professional and managerial population globally, and at least 20 percent minority representation in that same population in the United States. These measures are increases from 25 and 17 percent representation (2020 baseline), respectively. We established these new targets following analysis of our global employee representation metrics and future talent needs, as well as assessing industry benchmarks and peer companies.

Seasonality

Our businesses are not subject to seasonal fluctuations to any material extent.

Inventories

We maintain limited inventory where required to facilitate the supply of products to customers on a reasonable delivery schedule. Inventory consists primarily of crude helium, industrial gas, and specialty gas inventories supplied to customers through liquid bulk and packaged gases supply modes.

Customers

We do not have a homogeneous customer base or end market, and no single customer accounts for more than 10% of our consolidated revenues. We do have concentrations of customers in specific industries, primarily refining, chemicals, and electronics. Within each of these industries, we have several large-volume customers with long-term contracts. A negative trend affecting one of these industries, or the loss of one of these major customers, although not material to our consolidated revenue, could have an adverse impact on our financial results.

Governmental Contracts

Our business is not subject to a government entity’s renegotiation of profits or termination of contracts that would be material to our business as a whole.

Available Information

All periodic and current reports, registration statements, proxy statements, and other filings that we are required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), are available free of charge through our website at www.airproducts.com. Such documents are available as soon as reasonably practicable after electronic filing of the material with the SEC. All such reports filed during the period covered by this report were available on our website on the same day as filing. In addition, our filings with the SEC are available free of charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov.

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Our Executive Officers

Our executive officers and their respective positions and ages on 19 November 2020 follow. Information with respect to offices held is stated in fiscal years.

Name			Age			Office
M. Scott Crocco			56			Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (became Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2016; Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2013; and Vice President and Corporate Controller in 2008).
Seifi Ghasemi			76			Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer (became Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer in 2014 and previously served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Rockwood Holdings, Inc. from 2001 to 2014). Mr. Ghasemi is a member and Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.
Sean D. Major			56			Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary (Executive Vice President and General Counsel since May 2017 and Secretary since December 2017). Previously, Mr. Major served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Joy Global Inc. from 2007 to 2017.
Dr. Samir J. Serhan			59			Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (Executive Vice President since December 2016 and Chief Operating Officer since May 2020). Dr. Serhan served as President, Global HyCO, from 2014 to 2016 for Praxair Inc. From 2000-2014, he worked in leadership positions in the U.S. and Germany for The Linde Group, including as Managing Director of Linde Engineering from 2008-2014.