Merck will relaunch an around $1 billion sale of its Surface Solutions next year after previous attempts to offload the pigments division fell through during the pandemic, according to Reuters.
Surface Solutions makes pigments for a pearlescent or metallic shine in cosmetics, coatings and plastics.
The Merck business unit reported an 11% rise in revenue to €410m in 2021, having recovering from a Covid-related slump a year earlier.
Reuters named Merck’s Austrian rival Heubach, owned by SK Capital Partners, as an interested party in the Surface Solutions unit.
Heubach and SK Partners bought Clariant's pigments business last year in a deal worth around $900m.
Reuters also reported Goldman Sachs will handle the eventual sale of Surface Solutions.
