Company history

Luxfer produces the world’s first hot-extruded seamless aluminum cylinder.

Using its proprietary extrusion technology, Luxfer produces the world’s first cold-extruded, seamless, high-pressure aluminum cylinders.

Lightweight, corrosion-resistant Luxfer aluminum cylinders grow in popularity and the company expands its product range to include cylinders for other high-pressure applications, including industrial gases, medical oxygen, fire extinguishers, breathing air for firefighters and rescue personnel and various automotive and aviation uses.

Luxfer begins manufacturing higher-pressure hoop-wrapped composite cylinders with fiberglass-reinforced walls. Because these cylinders can hold more air under higher pressure, they become popular as part of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) equipment used by firefighters.

Luxfer introduces high-pressure, even lighter-weight composite cylinders fully wrapped with fibreglass (and later Kevlar®), and these products also prove to be particularly well suited for firefighter SCBA kits, as well as for first responder life- support applications, including oxygen containment.

Luxfer formulates a proprietary version of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy. Now marketed as L6X®, an alloy specially designed to provide excellent performance in the most demanding high- pressure applications. Compared to conventional versions of 6061 alloy, Luxfer’s L6X has been optimized to improve durability, fracture toughness and resistance to tearing and cracking, even under high-pressure loads over long periods.

Luxfer introduces its LCX® line, its lightest-weight composite cylinders, fully wrapped with aerospace-grade carbon composite fiber. Initially used for firefighter life-support, these ultra-lightweight, high-capacity cylinders are soon introduced into other markets, including medical, automotive, aerospace and inflation.

Luxfer introduces its patented L7X® higher-strength aluminum alloy in Europe. The alloy is first used to make ultra-lightweight, higher-pressure (200-bar or 3,000-psi) medical oxygen cylinders that provide up to 50 percent more oxygen in a package no larger than conventional cylinders.

Luxfer introduces its LCX-SL® “Super Light” product line, the world’s lightest-weight carbon composite life-support cylinders. In the same year, the company launches two more life-support cylinders: LCX-XD®, “Xtreme Duty” impact- resistant models for especially demanding firefighting environments, and LCX-EL® “Extra Life” models with 30-year lifespans (based on ongoing compliance with special permit provisions).

High-pressure Luxfer oxygen cylinders made from patented L7X® higher-strength aluminum alloy are used in the successful rescue in Chile of 33 copper miners trapped 2,300 feet (700 meters) underground for more than two weeks after a disastrous mine collapse. The rescue effort gains worldwide attention.

Luxfer employees in Nottingham, England, work many extra hours to provide urgently needed oxygen cylinders to Japan in the aftermath of the massive 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck on March 11.

In October, Luxfer Group, parent company of Luxfer Gas Cylinders, lists on the New York Stock Exchange NYSE under the trading symbol LXFR. Other Luxfer Group companies are Magnesium Elektron, MEL Chemicals and Superform.

Luxfer launches L7X®-lined, full carbon composite SCBA Non- Limited Life (NLL) cylinders in Europe.

Luxfer introduces ECLIPSE^TM at the FDIC International show. Luxfer ECLIPSE is the next evolution in SCBA cylinders with a next-generation design that minimizes weight without compromising safety, reliability and durability.