The present invention relates to a compound of formula (I):

##STR00001##

in which: the R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 groups, which may be identical or different, are, independently of one another, a saturated or unsaturated, linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 15 carbon atoms, preferably from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; the R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 groups, which may be identical or different, are selected, independently of one another, from a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an ethyl group; the R, R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 groups, which may be identical or different, are selected, independently of one another, from a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group comprising from 1 to 6 carbon atoms; n is an integer of 0 to 20; and m is an integer of 1 to 6.

A process for the purification of crude polyether polyols is provided, wherein the crude polyether polyols are prepared by anionic polymerization of alkylene oxides in the presence of basic catalysts, the process comprising the steps of: neutralization of the catalysts with mineral acid, addition of adsorption agents and/or filter agents and removing the resultant salts and added filter aids by filtration wherein a filter cake is formed, and wherein polyether polyols are recuperated from the filter cake in a subsequent step of pressing the filter cake.

The invention relates to an efficient method for producing polyoxyalkylene polyols with equivalent molar masses between 9500 and 23000 g/mol from one or more H-functional starter compounds, and one or more alkylene oxides in the presence of a double metal cyanide catalyst, characterised in that the alkylene oxide metering rate is reduced once a calculated equivalent molar mass of between 8000 and 9500 g/mol is reached.

The invention relates to a method for producing polyether carbonate polyols by binding alkylene oxides and carbon dioxide to one or more H-functional starter substance/s in the presence of a double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst, characterized in that (y) one or more H-functional starter substance/s and DMC catalyst are continuously metered into the reactor during the binding process, and the free alkylene oxide concentration in the reaction mixture amounts to 1.5 to 5.0 wt %, and the obtained reaction mixture is continuously discharged from the reactor.

A polyalkylene ether glycol composition including a polyalkylene ether glycol including an alkoxy group serving as a terminal group. The polyalkylene ether glycol composition has a hydroxyl value of 220 or more and 750 or less. The ratio of the number of alkoxy group terminals of the polyalkylene ether glycol included in the polyalkylene ether glycol composition to the number of hydroxyl group terminals of polyalkylene ether glycols included in the polyalkylene ether glycol composition is 0.00001 or more and 0.0040 or less. Provided is a polyalkylene ether glycol composition having excellent compatibility with low-molecular-weight polyols, having suitable reactivity when used as a raw material for polyurethanes, and capable of achieving intended physical properties.

A process for making a flexible polyurethane foam, the process comprising reacting a polyether polyol with foam-forming reactants to provide said polyurethane foam, wherein said polyether polyol comprises a latent aldehyde content of at least 50 ppm, and/or said polyether polyol is obtainable from ring-opening polymerization of alkylene oxide comprising a free aldehyde content of at least 200 ppm. Foams obtainable by the process, and uses of polyether polyols are also disclosed.

The present disclosure discloses a method for preparing a polyether polyol in a continuous reaction cycle. In the method, a low molecular-weight alcohol is polymerized with an alkylene oxide to obtain a low molecular-weight polymer. The low molecular-weight polymer is used as an initiator to react with the alkylene oxide and the low molecular-weight alcohol in the presence of a DMC catalyst and an acid promoter to obtain an intermediate-target polymer. A portion of the intermediate-target polymer is used for producing the target polymer, and the other portion is recycled for reproduction of the intermediate-target polymer. In the present disclosure, no initiator prepared with a base catalyst is used, and thus the loss of material and the discharge of residue and waste water are reduced. The DMC concentration is kept constant in the target polymer during the production such that the dewatering time and induction time are greatly reduced.

Random poly(propylene oxide-co-ethylene oxide) polymers are made by polymerizing a mixture of propylene oxide and a small amount of ethylene oxide in the presence of a starter and a double metal cyanide catalyst complex, and then feeding in a mixture of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide while increasing the ethylene oxide concentration in the mixture to at least 90%. This produces a polyol suitable for making high resiliency polyurethane foam without need for adding an ethylene oxide cap.

Polyether alcohols having alkoxysilyl groups, the use thereof and a process for their preparation by means of DMC catalysis, characterized in that one or more epoxy-functional alkoxysilanes are added individually or in a mixture with further epoxide compounds and optionally further comonomers, either in block form or in random distribution, onto a chain starter of the formula (VII):
R.sup.1H(VII);
having at least one reactive hydroxyl group, where R.sup.1 is a saturated or unsaturated, optionally branched radical, or a polyether radical of the alkoxy-, arylalkoxy or alkylarylalkoxy group type, in which the carbon chain may be interrupted by oxygen atoms or corresponds to a polyetheralkoxy radical or to a singularly or multiply fused phenolic group.

Polyethers are prepared by polymerizing an alkylene oxide in the presence of a double metal cyanide catalyst complex and certain M.sup.5 metal or semi-metal compounds. The double metal cyanide catalyst complex contains 0.5 to 2 weight percent potassium. The ability of this catalyst system to tolerate such high amounts of potassium permits the catalyst preparation procedure to be simplified and less expensive.