Aqueous solvent dispersible linear polyurethane resins

An organic polyurethane resin capable of water and aqueous organic solvent redispersibility having the general formula:

• ##STR7## wherein a is 1, c is 0.1 to 20, d is 0 to 20, and b is the sum of a+c+d;
• a, b, c, and d being such that there is one --SO.sub.3 X group per about 1,000 to 8,000 molecular weight of the polyurethane;
• A and A.sup.1 are the same or different monovalent terminal groups;
• X is a cation selected from hydrogen, alkali metal, alkaline earth, and primary, secondary, tertiary and quarternary ammonium having 1 to 18 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.1 is the residue remaining after removal of terminal hydroxyl groups from one or more diols, said diols having a number average molecular weight between about 150 and about 3,500;
• R.sup.2 selected from an arenetryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms and an alkanetryl group having 2 to 12 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.3 is the residue remaining after removal of --NCO groups from diisocyanates, wherein R.sup.3 is selected from arylene or alkarylene having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, alkylene having 2 to 12 carbon atoms, cycloalkylene having 5 to 12 carbon atoms, or divalent 5 or 6 atom-containing ring azacyclic groups having 3 to 10 carbon atoms and 1 to 3 --NCO groups;
• R.sub.4 is the residue remaining after removal of hydroxyl groups groups from one or more hydrophobic diols having a molecular weight average of about 400 to about 4,000;
• Y is --O--, --S--, or ##STR8## in which R.sup.6 is hydrogen or lower alkyl of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.5 is the residue remaining after the removal of terminal active hydrogen-containing groups from chain extender compounds having two Zerewitinoff hydrogens reactive with isocyanate groups and having a molecular weight of from about 18 to about 200.