ST. PAUL, MN - Solvay America Inc. and Dyneon L.L.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of 3M Corp., announced plans for the sale of the North America-based Solvay Fluoropolymers Inc. to Dyneon, pending regulatory approval. Solvay Fluoropolymers is a supplier of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) homopolymers and copolymers.

Dyneon said the acquisition reflects its plan to expand its fluoropolymers business. The sale also is the result of divestiture requirements imposed by regulatory officials in the United States and Europe related to Solvay S.A.'s acquisition of Ausimont S.p.A. earlier this year. That acquisition approximately doubled the size of the Solvay Group's fluorospecialties business, the company said. Solvay America Inc. is the U.S. holding company for most of the North American subsidiaries of the Solvay Group of Belgium, an international chemical and pharmaceutical group.

Dyneon is a major fluoropolymer supplier, with operations or representation in more than 50 countries.