FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *   Roberge Raymond P 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 04/24/2012 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol PRAXAIR INC [PX] (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O PRAXAIR, INC., 39 OLD RIDGEBURY ROAD 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Senior Vice President 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) (Street) DANBURY, CT 06810-5113 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 4) 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4) 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5) Common Stock 4,668.7552 (1) D   Common Stock 69.3527 I 401(k)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.			SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Option (right to buy)	02/27/2008(2)	02/27/2017	Common Stock	22,500	$ 61.47	D	Â
Stock Option (right to buy)	02/26/2009(2)	02/26/2018	Common Stock	13,700	$ 83.89	D	Â
Stock Option (right to buy)	02/24/2010(3)	02/24/2019	Common Stock	27,090	$ 60.92	D	Â
Stock Option (right to buy)	02/23/2011(4)	02/23/2020	Common Stock	20,465	$ 76.16	D	Â
Stock Option (right to buy)	02/22/2012(5)	02/22/2021	Common Stock	19,790	$ 97.84	D	Â
Stock Option (right to buy)	02/28/2013(6)	02/28/2022	Common Stock	21,505	$ 109.68	D	Â
Deferred Stock	  (7)	  (7)	Common Stock	15,189.422	$ 0 (8)	D	Â

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Roberge Raymond P C/O PRAXAIR, INC. 39 OLD RIDGEBURY ROAD DANBURY, CT 06810-5113	Â	Â	  Senior Vice President	Â

Signatures

Anthony M. Pepper, Attorney-in-Fact		05/03/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	This total includes shares previously acquired through automatic dividend reinvestment under the Praxair Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan and unvested restricted stock units.
(2)	This option became exercisable in three (3) equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the date of grant.
(3)	This option vests over three years in three consecutive equal annual installments beginning on February 24, 2010.
(4)	This option vests over three years in three consecutive equal annual installments beginning on February 23, 2011.
(5)	This option vests over three years in three consecutive equal annual installments beginning on February 22, 2012.
(6)	This option vests over three years in three consecutive equal annual installments beginning on February 28, 2013.
(7)	Deferred stock units acquired under the Praxair, Inc. Compensation Deferral Program as amended ("Deferral Program") and are to be settled in Praxair Common Stock.
(8)	Conversion to Praxair Common Stock is on a 1-for-1 basis.

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