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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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *   Hirsch Elizabeth T 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 12/14/2010 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) Vice President & Controller 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 440 (1) D   Common Stock 2,994.6078 I 401(k) Common Stock 11,073.5235 (2) D Â

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)	02/24/2005(3)	02/24/2014	Common Stock	15,000	$ 36.58	D	Â
Stock Option (right to buy)	02/22/2006(3)	02/22/2015	Common Stock	18,000	$ 44.25	D	Â
Stock Option (right to buy)	02/28/2007(3)	02/29/2016	Common Stock	16,000	$ 53.98	D	Â
Stock Option (right to buy)	02/27/2008(3)	02/27/2017	Common Stock	18,000	$ 61.47	D	Â
Stock Option (right to buy)	02/26/2009(4)	02/26/2018	Common Stock	6,400	$ 83.89	D	Â
Stock Option (right to buy)	02/26/2009(4)	02/26/2018	Common Stock	9,600	$ 83.89	D	Â
Stock Option (right to buy)	02/24/2010(5)	02/24/2019	Common Stock	10,820	$ 60.92	D	Â
Stock Option (right to buy)	02/23/2011(6)	02/23/2020	Common Stock	5,115	$ 76.16	D	Â
Deferred Stock	  (7)	  (7)	Common Stock	43.678	$ 0 (8)	D	Â

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Hirsch Elizabeth T C/O PRAXAIR, INC. 39 OLD RIDGEBURY ROAD DANBURY, CT 06810-5113	Â	Â	  Vice President & Controller	Â

Signatures

Anthony M. Pepper, Attorney-in-Fact		12/22/2010
**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)	Restricted stock unit award, payable in shares of Praxair Common Stock, vesting in three equal consecutive, annual installments beginning on February 23, 2011.
(2)	This total includes shares previously acquired through automatic dividend reinvestment under the Praxair Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan.
(3)	This option became exercisable in three (3) equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the date of grant.
(4)	This option vests over three years in three consecutive equal annual installments beginning on February 26, 2009.
(5)	This option vests over three years in three consecutive equal annual installments beginning on February 24, 2010.
(6)	This option vests over three years in three consecutive equal annual installments beginning on February 23, 2011.
(7)	Deferred stock units acquired under the Praxair, Inc. Compensation Deferral Program as amended ("Deferred 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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