HIGH RECYCLE CONTENT POLYESTER POLYOLS

Polyester polyols made from thermoplastic polyesters are disclosed. The polyols are reaction products of a thermoplastic polyester, a glycol, and a hydrophobe selected from ricinoleic acid, ethoxylated castor oil, saturated or unsaturated C9-C18 dicarboxylic acids, tung oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, cardanol-based products, recycled cooking oil, isostearyl alcohol, hydroxy-functional materials derived from epoxidized, ozonized, or hydroformylated fatty esters or fatty acids, and mixtures thereof. In one process, the polyols are made by reacting the thermoplastic polyester with a glycol to give a digested intermediate, which is then reacted with the hydrophobe. In another process, the thermoplastic polyester, glycol, and hydrophobe are combined and reacted in a single step. These hydrophobes facilitate the production from recycled thermoplastics of polyols that have good transparency and little or no particulate settling or phase separation. High-recycle-content polyols having desirable properties and attributes for formulating polyurethane products, including aqueous polyurethane dispersions, can be made. The polyols provide a sustainable alternative to bio- or petrochemical-based polyols.