Polyester polyols with increased clarity

A polyester polyol comprising recurring units from:

• (a) a digested thermoplastic polyester;
• (b) a diol selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,2-butylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, pentaerythritol, sorbitol, neopentyl glycol, glycerol, trimethylolpropane, 3-methyl-1,5-pentanediol, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, 1,3-cyclohexanedimethanol, diethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, and mixtures thereof;
• (c) optionally, a hydrophobe;
• and
• (d) 0.1 to 50 wt. %, based on the amount of polyester polyol, of a clarifier selected from the group consisting of bisphenols, bisphenol alkoxylates, bisphenol polycarbonates, sulfonyl diphenols, and sulfonyl diphenol alkoxylates;
• wherein the polyol has a hydroxyl number within the range of 25 to 800 mg KOH/g,
• wherein the polyol has a Brookfield viscosity less than 10,000 cP at 75° C., and
• wherein the polyol has a seven-day % transmittance at 900 nm of at least 30% as measured by UV/visible spectrophotometry using distilled water as a reference sample, wherein a sample of the polyol is heated at 120° C. for 80 minutes, then allowed to cool at room temperature for 1.0 hour, prior to measuring % transmittance.