Munich-based Sued-Chemie AG has acquired the worldwide foundry-supply businesses of SKW Metallurgie AG, a Degussa AG subsidiary. Specialty-chemical producer Degussa announced plans to sell its metallurgical businesses in 2002.

The companies that Sued-Chemie is buying are SKW Giesserei-Technik GmbH & Co. KG, Hart, Germany, and Tecpro Corp., Atlanta, GA. Both are sales/distribution arms for metallurgical products; the manufacturing operations in Hart will remain as a Degussa holding.

The two companies agreed not to report the sale price.

Sued-Chemie supplies foundries with casting bentonite, a foundry sand binder. Also, Sued-Chemie owns 50% of the Ashland-Suedchemie-Kernfest Group (ASK Group) of Hilden, Germany. ASK Group supplies products that range from resins to core washes, feeders, and ceramic filters.

Acquiring the SKW Metallurgie businesses allows Sued-Chemie to improve its "problem-solving competency" as a foundry supplier, particularly for thin-wall iron casting.