Polyether polyol

1. A process for providing a homogeneous polyether polyol composition comprising the following steps:

providing a crude polyether polyol mixture comprising a polyether polyol and a Group IA or Group IIA metal ion;

neutralizing said crude polyether polyol mixture by adding a strong acid to said mixture, resulting in a neutralised polyether polyol composition, which comprises said polyether polyol along with a salt of said Group IA or Group IIA metal ion and said strong acid; and

providing said homogeneous polyether polyol composition

wherein the strong acid is a pentavalent organic phosphorus compound and the salt is a phosphorus-containing compound based organic salt that is soluble in said homogeneous polyether polyol composition.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said crude polyether polyol mixture comprises the Group IA or Group IIA metal ion in an amount of up to 4800 ppm.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said pentavalent organic phosphorus compound is selected from the group consisting of an organic phosphoric acid, an organic phosphonic acid, an organic phosphinic acid, and derivatives and mixtures thereof.

4. The process according to claim 3 , wherein said pentavalent organic phosphorus compound is selected from the group consisting of a mono-alkyl dihydrogen phosphate, a dialkyl hydrogen phosphate, an alkyl phosphonic acid, a dialkyl phosphonic acid, a dialkylphosphinic acid, and derivatives and combinations thereof.

5. The process according to claim 4 , wherein said pentavalent organic phosphoric compound is selected from the group consisting of dimethyl hydrogen phosphate, methyl dihydrogen phosphate, diethyl hydrogen phosphate, ethyl dihydrogen phosphate, dipropyl hydrogen phosphate, propyl dihydrogen phosphate, dibutyl hydrogen phosphate, butyl dihydrogen phosphate, dipentyl hydrogen phosphate, pentyl dihydrogen phosphate, dihexyl hydrogen phosphate, hexyl dihydrogen phosphate, diheptyl hydrogen phosphate, heptyl dihydrogen phosphate, dioctyl hydrogen phosphate, octyl dihydrogen phosphate, bis(1-methylheptyl) hydrogen phosphate, 1-methylheptyl dihydrogen diphosphate, bis(2-ethyl-hexyl) hydrogen phosphate, 2-ethyl-hexyl dihydrogen phosphate, didodecyl hydrogen phosphate, dodecyl dihydrogen phosphate, dioleyl hydrogen phosphate, oleyl dihydrogen phosphate, dibenzyl hydrogen phosphate, benzyl dihydrogen phosphate, diphenyl hydrogen phosphate, phenyl dihydrogen phosphate, methyl phenyl hydrogen phosphate, nonyl phenyl hydrogen phosphate, butyl phenyl hydrogen phosphate, ethyl phenyl hydrogen phosphate, bis(p-nonylphenyl) hydrogen phosphate, p-nonylphenyl dihydrogen phosphate, butyl(2-ethylhexyl) hydrogen phosphate, 2-ethylhexyl dihydrogen phosphate, (1-methylheptyl) (2-ethylhexyl) hydrogen phosphate, (2-ethylhexyl) (p-nonylphenyl) hydrogen phosphate, methyl phosphonic acid, ethyl phosphonic acid, propyl phosphonic acid, butyl phosphonic acid, phenyl phosphonic acid, benzyl phosphonic acid, ethyl methyl phosphonic acid, butyl methyl phosphonic acid, 2-ethylhexyl butylphosphonic acid, 2-ethylhexyl (2-ethylhexyl) phosphonic acid, mono-2-ethylhexyl phenyl phosphonic acid, dibutylphosphinic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphinic acid, bis(1-methylhepthyl) phosphinic acid, dioleylphosphinic acid, diphenylphosphinic acid, bis(p-nonylphenyl) phosphinic acid, butyl(2-ethylhexyl) phosphinic acid, (2-ethylhexyl) (1-methyl-heptyl) phosphinic acid, (2-ethyl-hexyl) (p-nonylphenyl) phosphinic acid, and mixtures thereof.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said strong acid has a pKa lower than 4.5.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the polyether polyol in the crude polyether polyol mixture is obtained by reacting a starting compound having at least one active hydrogen atom with at least one alkylene oxide.

8. The process according to claim 7 , wherein said starting compound comprises 1 to 8 hydroxyl, primary or secondary amine groups.

9. The process according to claim 7 , wherein said starting compound is selected from the group consisting of water, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, glycerol, diglycerol, polyglycerols, pentaerythritol, trimethylolpropane, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, sorbitol, mannitol, sucrose, ethylene diamine, oligomeric diphenyl methane diamine, toluene diamine, Mannich bases, and mixtures thereof.