Taiyo Nippon, Carlyle seen as frontrunners to buy Linde/Praxair assets -sources

NEW YORK/FRANKFURT, June 20 (Reuters) - Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corp and private equity firm Carlyle Group have emerged as frontrunners to buy assets that gases groups Linde and Praxair need to divest to seal their planned merger, people close to the matter said.