Process for the preparation of polyol polymer dispersions

A method of substantially eliminating transition metal content in the continuous phase of a polyol polymer dispersion prepared by the in situ polymerization of one or more polymerizable monomers in a base polyol comprising in pan one or more double metal cyanide complex-catalyzed polyoxyalkylene polyether polyols, said base polyol containing transition metals derived from said double metal cyanide complex catalyst, said method comprising:

• a) selecting as said base polyol a base polyol comprising one or more polyoxyalkylene polyether polyols prepared by the oxyalkylation of one or more oxyalkylation initiator molecules with propylene oxide, optionally in conjunction with one or more alkylene oxides other than propylene oxide, in the presence of an encapsulative double metal cyanide complex catalyst, said base polyol containing transition metals derived from said encapsulative double metal cyanide complex catalyst;
• b) polymerizing one or more polymerizable monomers in said base polyol to form a polyol polymer dispersion having a continuous polyol phase and a dispersed phase comprising polymer particles associated with said transition metals;
• and
• c) recovering a polyol polymer dispersion having transition metals substantially removed from said continuous polyol phase.