Non-aqueous, base-degradable polyurethane

A non aqueous, based-degradable polyurethane composition comprising the reaction product of:

• a) an organic polyisocyanate, with
• b) a hydroxyl group containing hydrophilic composition, said hydrophilic composition having an average hydroxyl functionality of from 1.5 to about 4 and containing,
• i) at least 0.1% by weight, based upon the total weight of said hydrophilic composition, of one or more ionic or acidic groups selected from the group consisting of carboxylate, sulfonate, carboxylic acid and sulfonic acid, and
• ii) at least 25% by weight, based upon the total weight of said hydrophilic composition, of carboxylic acid ester groups,
• iii) at least 20% by weight, based upon the total weight of said hydrophilic composition, of polyoxyethylene groups of at least 5 oxyethylene units in length, and wherein said hydrophilic composition comprises:
• b)1) from 50 to 95% by weight, based upon the total weight of said hydrophilic composition, of one or more non-ionic polyester polyols having molecular weights of from 200 to 6000,
• b)2) from 1 to 50% by weight, based upon the total weight of said hydrophilic composition, of one or more organic hydroxy group-containing materials having number average molecular weights of from 92 to 500 and containing one or more ionic or acidic groups selected from the group consisting of carboxylate, sulfonate, carboxylic acid and sulfonic acid, and
• b)3) from 0 to 45% by weight, based upon the total weight of said hydrophilic composition, of one or more hydroxyl functional organic compounds having number average molecular weights for from 600 to 6000, having hydroxyl functionalities of from 1 to 4, and containing no ester groups, wherein components b)1), b)2) and b)3) total 100%, and
• wherein components a) and b) are reacted at an isocyanate index of from about 80 to about 150.