BASF has agreed to sell its ultrafiltration membrane business to DuPont for an undisclosed sum. The deal includes the business’s international workforce, headquarters and production site in Greifenberg, Germany, and associated intellectual property.

It also includes BASF’s subsidiary inge GmbH, which manufactures the ultrafiltration membranes used in treating drinking water, process water, waste water and sea water. BASF acquired inge in August 2011 from its private investor owners.

Anup Kothari, president, Performance Chemicals, BASF, said synergies between inge and BASF are very limited and being part of a strategic buyer such as DuPont provides “strong value creation potential and will enable it to reach the next level of growth”.

The business strengthens DuPont’s portfolio of water purification and separation technologies, including ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and ion exchange resins. “This technology in combination with inge’s expert team further broadens our portfolio and enhances our ability to design tailored, integrated solutions for drinking water, industrial and waste water treatment applications globally,” commented Rose Lee, president of DuPont Safety & Construction.

The transaction is anticipated to close by the end of 2019, pending approval by the relevant authorities.