Electromagnetic shielding for computer chips (Photo: Laird) US chemical giant Laird Performance Materials (Shanghai; www.laird.com) for USD 2.3 bn in cash from private equity company Advent International (Boston, Massachusetts / USA; www.adventinternational.com). The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions, DuPont said. Ed Breen, executive chairman and CEO of DuPont, said, âLaird Performance Materials is a strategic and complementary addition to the Electronics & Industrial (E&I) business, and our applied material science expertise together with Laird Performance Materialsâ industry-leading application engineering capabilities further strengthens DuPont as an essential partner for major electronics OEMs and manufacturers.â