High-purity solvents are used in a number of processes in the biopharmaceutical industry, including high performance liquid chromatography and pilot- and commercial-scale production of biological products.
The deal will create an Asian manufacturing base for Honeywell's solvents, which are currently made at Seelze in Germany and Michigan in the US. SK Chemicals will build a production facility for the solvents in Korea and will supply products to Honeywell for its Asian customers.
The licence agreement also provides SK with the right to use Honeywell's Burdick & Jackson trademark for solvents it sells in its own market.
"Asia continues to be an important market for us,"said Whitney Erickson, vice president and general manager of Honeywell Research and Life Science Solutions.
The company also suggested that additional collaborations with SK Chemicals could be forthcoming as Honeywell continues its charge into Asia.