| If you've ever bought frozen chicken or coffee | | | | we instinctively hit the brakes. When it switches to |
| cakes, Matheson Tri-Gas ( liquid nitrogen was | | | | green, we step on the gas. But, we never give a |
| probably instrumental in the initial freezing process. "If | | | | thought to the components of the signals that help |
| your cell phone lights up blue or green, chances are | | | | keep us safe on the roads. It may come as a |
| that our gases are in there," says Bill Kroll, Chairman | | | | surprise, then, that gases are an integral part of |
| and CEO of Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., a single source | | | | traffic lights. "Increasingly, traffic signals are |
| provider of industrial and specialty gases. And, if you | | | | comprised of LEDs [light-emitting diodes], basic |
| are ever in the unfortunate position of undergoing a | | | | semiconductors that use gases to make green, |
| medical scan from an MRI (magnetic resonance | | | | yellow, and red lights," says Kroll. "Most consumers |
| imaging), Matheson's liquid helium is probably hard at | | | | don't realize that gases are utilized in a variety of |
| work cooling the magnet that's making the annoying | | | | applications and products that they use on a regular |
| hammering sound. When the traffic light turns red, | | | | basis. |