Thermoplastic resins containing PBT units, having reduced organic carbon emissions

1. A method for reducing outgassing of tetrahydrofuran (THF) in copolyether ester elastomers having polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) repeat units and polymerized in the presence of a titanium catalyst,

the method comprising the step of:

adding to the copolyether ester elastomer after polymerisation a titanium catalyst deactivating compound,

wherein the titanium catalyst deactivating compound is selected from the group consisting of a compound of Formula IV, salts of Formula IV, a compound of Formula IV′, and salts of these,

wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are independently selected from H, OH, OM (wherein M is a positively charged counterion), optionally substituted C 1-20 alkyl, optionally substituted C 2-20 alkylene, optionally substituted C 6-20 aryl, optionally substituted C 1-20 alkyloxy, polyoxy(C 2-4 )alkylene, and optionally substituted C 6-20 aryloxy, and wherein the optional substituents are independently 1 to 2 in number on any of R 1 , R 2 and R 3 , and are independently selected from OH, halogen, COOH, COOR 4 (wherein R 4 is C 1-4 alkyl) and NH 2 ;

two or more of R 1 , R 2 and R 3 can be optionally linked together by a bridge;

with the provisos that for Formula (IV) R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are not simultaneously OH, and R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are not simultaneously H; and

for Formula (IV′), R 1 and R 2 are not simultaneously OH.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is selected from phenyl, ethyl, H, 2-(carboxy)ethyl, polyoxyethylene, hydroxymethyl, di-t-butoxyphenoxy, and ethoxy.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 2 is selected from phenyl, ethyl, H, 2-(carboxy)ethyl, polyoxyethylene, hydroxymethyl, di-t-butoxyphenoxy, and ethoxy.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the titanium catalyst deactivating compound is phenyl phosphinate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the titanium catalyst deactivating compound is sodium or potassium hypophosphite.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the titanium catalyst deactivating compound is 3-(hydroxyphenyl phosphinyl) propanoic acid.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the titanium catalyst deactivating compound is a mono- , di- or tri-salt of phosphoric acid.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the titanium catalyst deactivating compound is di(polyoxyethylene)hydroxymethyl phosphonate.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the titanium catalyst deactivating compound is sodium 2,2′-methylenebis-(4,6-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphate.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the titanium catalyst deactivating compound is the aluminium salt of diethylphosphinic acid.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the titanium catalyst deactivating compound is added to the resin at a concentration of at or about 0.01 to 2 wt %.