PU and composites specialist Coim (Settimo Milanese / Italy; www.coimgroup.com) is looking to secure raw materials for its own production of polyester polyols and other intermediates. Coim recently announced it has acquired a 50% holding in phthalic acid anhydride producer Atmosa Petrochemie (Schwechat / Austria; www.atmosa.at).

Atmosa operates a plant with a capacity of 50,000 t/y of phthalic acid anhydride in Schwechat, and is one of the bigger independent producers in Europe. Phthalic acid anhydride is also a feedstock for unsaturated polyester resins, alkyd resins and plasticisers.

The company previously belonged to Chemie Linz but was acquired by the Dahin Group in 1995. Atmosa was hived off as an independent producer in 2006 and, since then, has been owned by Kevin Liu, who has now evidently parted with some of his shares. No information was available on the distribution of the remaining shares.