Linde, Praxair abandon merger discussions

Praxair, Inc. and Linde AG — industrial gas suppliers to the food processing industry through a range of applications — have ended discussions regarding a possible merger.

Both companies announced preliminary talks in August though noted no concrete agreements had been made yet. In a statement Monday, Munich-based Linde said “while the strategic rationale of a merger has been principally confirmed, discussions about details, specifically about governance aspects, did not result in a mutual understanding.”

The Connecticut-based Praxair issued a brief statement confirming discussions have been terminated.