Process For Preparing Biodegradable Polyester And Biodegradable Polyester Prepared Thereby

A biodegradable polyester resin, which comprises dicarboxylic acid residues derived from an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and diol residues derived from an aliphatic diol having a short chain length of less than 4 carbon atoms, and has a melt flow index of 100 g/10 minutes or less when measured at 190° C. under a load of 2.16 kg, wherein the color characteristic L* is 60 or more, and each of a* and b* is 8 or less,

• wherein the biodegradable polyester resin is prepared by a process, which comprises (1) subjecting a reaction mixture comprising (a) a dicarboxylic acid component comprising the aromatic dicarboxylic acid and the aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, (b) a diol component comprising the aliphatic diol having a short chain length of less than 4 carbon atoms, and (c) a discoloration inhibitor to an esterification reaction or a transesterification reaction in the presence of the entire amount of a catalyst, or a part thereof, to obtain a prepolymer;
• and (2) subjecting the prepolymer obtained in step (1) to a polycondensation reaction in the presence of a stabilizer and the remainder of the catalyst, or without an additional catalyst, wherein the discoloration inhibitor comprises a compound represented by Formula 1 in an amount of 1.5 to 3.5% by mole when Y is hydrogen or a methyl group, or in an amount of 1.0 to 2.0% by mole when Y is a hydroxyl group, based on the total number of moles of the dicarboxylic acid component (a):
• in the above formula, n, 1≥1, m, k≥0, and Y is hydrogen, a hydroxyl group, or a methyl group.