Hydrophilic urethane foam

A hydrophilic foam with rapid wet out comprising the reaction product of:

• (a) a prepolymer formed from the reaction of a polyether polyol having an ethylene oxide content above about fifty percent by weight with an isocyanate selected from the group consisting of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate and mixtures of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate with toluene diisocyanate or polymeric forms of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate;
• and
• (b) about 0.5 to about 2.0 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight prepolymer, of a silicone glycol copolymer liquid surfactant with a polyether portion, said surfactant having a viscosity of about 175 to 350 CST at 25.degree. C., a molecular weight in the range of about 1500 to 20,000, with the polyether portion having a molecular weight in the range of about 200 to 2000 and containing about 40 to 100 percent by weight ethylene oxide;
• and
• (c) about 40 to 90 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight prepolymer, of an aqueous component
• wherein when a surface of the resulting hydrophilic foam is placed in contact with a liquid, the surface wets out within less than about 30 seconds.

A hydrophilic foam-forming composition, comprising:

• (a) a prepolymer formed from the reaction of a polyether polyol having an ethylene oxide content above about fifty percent by weight with an isocyanate selected from the group consisting of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate and mixtures of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate with toluene diisocyanate or polymeric forms of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate;
• (b) about 0.5 to about 2.0 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight prepolymer, of a silicone glycol copolymer liquid surfactant with a polyether portion, said surfactant having a viscosity of about 175 to 350 CST at 25.degree. C., a molecular weight in the range of about 1500 to 20,000, with the polyether portion having a molecular weight in the range of about 200 to 2000 and containing about 40 to 100 percent by weight ethylene oxide;
• and
• (c) about 40 to 90 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight prepolymer, of an aqueous component.