Hindered phenolic antioxidant; antioxidant containing hydrophilic urethane polymer; dry cleaning solvent resistant, waterproof, moisture-vapor permeable material containing the polymer; and method of making the same

A polymer comprising a moisture-vapor permeable, water-impermeable, hydrophilic urethane polymer having a hindered phenolic antioxidant reacted into its structure wherein said urethane polymer comprises the reaction product of a polyisocyanate having an NCO functionality of at least about 2.0 with a polyol having at least two hydroxyl groups and a polyurethane oxide content of from about 20 to about 100 percent by weight based upon the weight of the polyol, wherein said hindered phenolic antioxidant is selected from the group consisting of hindered phenolic antioxidants of the general formula CR[(CH.sub.2).sub.x --OH].sub.3-y [(CH.sub.2).sub.1 --OP].sub.y wherein

• R is selected from the group consisting of --H, --CH.sub.3, --C.sub.2 H.sub.5, --(CH.sub.2).sub.w OH, and --(CH.sub.2).sub.w OP;
• q is an integer of 0 to 2;
• x is an integer of 0 to 2;
• y is an integer of 1 to 2;
• w is an integer of 0 to 2;
• and
• P has the general formula ##STR6## wherein R.sup.1 represents a tertiary butyl group and wherein the values of x, q, and w are such that not more than one of x, q, and w can equal 0 at a time;
• and hindered phenolic antioxidants of the general formula ##STR7## wherein R.sup.5 is a tertiary butyl group;
• and
• R.sup.4 is selected from the group consisting of --H, an alkyl group, and --CH.sub.2 OH;
• and wherein the hydrophilic urethane polymer comprises the reaction product of:
• (a) about 0.1 to about 10 weight percent of the hindered phenolic antioxidant;
• (b) about 5 to about 60 weight percent of a polyisocyanate;
• and
• (c) about 10 to about 70 weight percent of a polyol composition having an average molecular weight of about 500 to about 4000 comprising about 20 to 100 weight percent polyethylene oxide based upon the weight of the polyol composition.