a major new market emerged around 1903, with the development of the oxyacetylene welding process. around the same time, new cryogenic air separation processes had been devised independently in britain, the united states and germany. the german engineer and founder of the linde group, carl von linde, won the patent for the process. the brin brothers negotiated an agreement to use the linde patents. in exchange, carl von linde was given a stake and a board position in brin's oxygen company, which he held until 1914. the new process replaced the inefficient barium oxide process, paving the way for larger scale and more efficient production.