The functionality of polyoxypropylene polyols

The results of the fractionation and the mol.wt. of polyoxypropylene polyols (POPP) produced by the polyaddition reaction of propylene oxide with potassium glycerate in glycerol have shown that the neutral polyether contains two diol types one of which is the product of water and propylene oxide, the other from hydrolysis of the cis -propylene groups in the mono-ol. The amount of the second diol type produced is equivalent to the cis -propylene groups content of the alkaline poly-ether. The OH-groups content of the neutral poly-ether equals the sum of the OH-groups present in the glycerol, water, allyl alcohol and from the cis -propenyl groups present in the alkaline polymer. This has qualitatively confirmed the mechanism of the chain transfer on the monomer during the anionic polymerization of the propylene oxide and has shown this reaction to be the only source of new OH-groups production during the polymerization.