Patent ID: 7144972

Claim:
An aromatic copolyetherester comprising an acid component, a glycol component, from 0 to about 5.0 mole percent of a polyfunctional branching agent selected from polyfunctional acid, alcohol and mixtures thereof, and optionally an effective amount of a color reducing agent wherein the acid component consists essentially of a. 99.0 to 1.0 mole percent of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid component based on 100 mole percent total acid component, and b. 1.0 to 70 mole percent of a hydroxyalkanoic acid component selected from lactic acid, glycolic acid, the lower alkyl esters thereof having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, glycolate esters of lactic acid and glycolic acid, cyclic dimers of lactic acid and glycolic acid, and oligomers and polymers of lactic acid and glycolic acid, and mixtures thereof, based on 100 mole percent total acid component; and wherein the glycol component comprises: a. about 98.9 to about 1.0 mole percent of a single first glycol selected from ethylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol and 1,4-butanediol, based on 100 mole percent total glycol component, b. 0.1 to 30.0 mole percent of a poly(alkylene ether) glycol, based on 100 mole percent total glycol component, c. 0 to about 5.0 mole percent of one or more of an other glycol based on 100 mole percent total glycol component, and d. 0 to about 5.0 mole percent of a polyfunctional branching agent.