Curtiss-Wright Corp., the parent firm of Metal Improvement Co., signed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire the assets of BASF’s Surface Technologies business from BASF Corp. The Surface Technologies business is a leading supplier of metallic and ceramic thermal-spray coatings primarily for the aerospace and power-generation markets. Thermal-spray coatings are utilized to protect and enhance a wide variety of critical components used in the aerospace, automotive, diesel, power-generation and medical markets. These coatings provide thermal barrier protection, abrasion and erosion resistance, high-temperature oxidation/corrosion resistance and the capability to serve as a replacement of hard-chrome plating.

BASF's Surface Technologies business applies several different types of thermal-spray coatings, including high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF), plasma spray and flame-spray coatings, which can all be tailored to the specific end-use application. According to Curtiss-Wright, thermal-spray coatings are synergistic with its current offering of highly engineered metal-treatment services.