CHEMICALS

Praxair Offers to Buy Gas Maker: Danbury, Conn.-based Praxair Inc., the largest producer of industrial gases in the Western hemisphere, said it offered to buy CBI Industries Inc., a maker of carbon dioxide and other gases, for $2.1 billion. Praxair, which was spun off by Union Carbide Corp. three years ago, said its offer of $32 a share in cash or stock for CBI was well above CBI’s Friday closing stock price of $20.125, up 12.5 cents, on the New York Stock Exchange. Oak Brook, Ill.-based CBI also builds metal storage tanks and has oil and gas and other businesses.