Poly(alkylene oxide) polyols formed the copolymerization or condensation of mixtures of different cyclic ethers, glycols or glycols and cyclic ethers can be used, as can poly(alkylene oxide) derived from cyclic ethers such as dioxolane, which affords a polyol having the formula HO(CH2 --O--CH2 CH2 O)n H, where n is an integer greater than 1.