What company resulted from the 2018 merger of Linde AG and Praxair?

The 2018 merger of Linde AG and Praxair resulted in Linde plc.

Linde AG, headquartered in Germany, and Praxair, based in the United States, agreed to combine in 2016. The transaction closed on October 31, 2018, creating a global industrial-gases company under the name Linde plc. The deal was structured as a merger of equals and involved a new corporate domicile in Ireland.

Linde supplies industrial, medical, and specialty gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and helium. Praxair itself had roots in the industrial-gases business of Union Carbide, which was separated in the 1990s.

The merger received regulatory scrutiny because combining two major gas suppliers could reduce competition. The European Commission required divestitures, including the sale of certain businesses, before granting clearance. Linde plc is therefore different from the older Linde AG that existed before 2018.