Albemarle sells Tribotecc to Treibacher Industrie for undisclosed amount

Albemarle Corp., a specialty chemicals company headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., U.S.A., has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Tribotecc metal sulfides business to Treibacher Industrie AG, an international leading player in the chemistry and metallurgy sectors based in Althofen, Austria. Included in the transaction are sites in Vienna and Arnoldstein, Austria and Tribotecc’s proprietary sulfide synthesis process.

Tribotecc GmbH, which is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, is a leading global producer of metal sulfides. The products of Tribotecc are used for friction pads, lubricants or cut-off and grinding wheels.

“This transaction furthers Albemarle’s strategic plan of focusing on our core bromine, lithium, catalysts and surface treatment businesses,” said Luke Kissam, Albemarle president and CEO.

“The acquisition of a global leading manufacturer of metal sulfides, located here in Carinthia, aligns with our long-term strategy to be an Austrian-based innovative leader in high-performance materials, providing high-quality products for differentiated markets worldwide,” said Treibacher Industrie CFO Rainer Schmidtmayer.

The sale is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close by the end of 2015. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.