Method for treating polypropylene ether and poly-1,2-butylene ether polyols

Claim 1

The method which comprises treating a polyol selected from the group consisting of polypropylene ether polyol and poly-1,2-butylene ether polyol and mixture of the same, said polyol containing catalyst residues of the double metal cyanide complex class, with a treating agent selected from the group consisting of sodium metal, potassium metal, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide in an amount and at a temperature and for a time sufficient to convert said catalyst residues to ionic species, adding ethylene oxide to said polyol while said polyol is in admixture with said treating agent present in an amount at least sufficient to convert at least some of, preferably all of, the secondary hydroxyl groups of said polyol to primary hydroxyl groups and then removing said ionic species and said treating agent from said polyol, said polyol having been made by polymerizing propylene oxide or 1,2-butylene oxide or mixture of the same with a copolymerizable initiator or telogen consisting essentially of a polyol having from 2 to 8 hydroxyl groups, 2 to 21 carbon atoms and consisting of carbon hydrogen and oxygen using a polymerization catalyst of the double metal cyanide complex class.

Claim 2

The method which comprises treating a polyol selected from the group consisting of polypropylene ether polyol and poly-1,2-butylene ether polyol and mixture of the same, said polyol containing catalyst residues of the double metal cyanide complex class, with a treating agent selected from the group consisting of sodium metal, potassium metal, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide in an amount and at a temperature and for a time sufficient to convert said catalyst residues to ionic species, adding ethylene oxide to said polyol while said polyol is in admixture with said treating agent present in an amount at least sufficient to convert at least some of, preferably all of, the secondary hydroxyl groups of said polyol to primary hydroxyl groups and then removing said ionic species and said treating agent from said polyol, said polyol having been made by polymerizing propylene oxide or 1,2-butylene oxide or mixture of the same with a copolymerizable initiator or telogen consisting essentially of a polyol having from 2 to 8 hydroxyl groups, 2 to 21 carbon atoms and consisting of carbon hydrogen and oxygen using a polymerization catalyst of the double metal cyanide complex class.