The move follows the two companies' launch of a strategic alliance in January. A final joint-venture agreement is expected to be completed in the next few months.

The venture will supply coatings for the paper and paperboard industry with a combination of the two companies' complementary product lines and geographical reach, with joint marketing, sales and service programs planned, the companies said. The venture business's product range will include styrene-butadiene and acrylic-based binders, plastic pigments, rheology modifiers, crosslinkers, lubricants, and dispersants.

OMNOVA Solutions, based in Fairlawn, OH, is a supplier of emulsion polymers, specialty chemicals and decorative and functional surfaces. Rohm and Haas is a manufacturer of paint and coatings, adhesives and sealants, and specialty chemicals.