Anhydrous products having improved wettability characteristics, case 5

Claim 1

A denture adhesive powder having superior wettability characteristics comprises a substantially anhydrous mixture of nontoxic, adhesive ingredients and from about 40% to about 60% by weight, based on the total weight of the denture adhesive ingredients of a powdered polymeric material having an average particle size of less than about 422 microns, said polymeric material being selected from the group consisting of powdered polyethylene having an average molecular weight ranging from about 1000 to about 3500 and polypropylene having an average molecular weight ranging from about 120,000 to about 350,000, said denture adhesive ingredients comprising: A. from about 5 to about 55% by weight, based on the total weight of the denture adhesive ingredients of at least one cationic polymeric material having the formula: ##EQU5## wherein R Cell is the residue of an anhydroglucose unit, y is an integer having a value of from about 1000 to about 5000, and each R individually represents a substituent group of the general formula: ##EQU6## wherein: m is an integer having a value of from zero to 10; n is an integer having a value of from zero to 3; p is an integer having a value of from zero to 10; X is an anion; V is an integer which is equal to the valence of X; the average value of n per anhydroglucose unit of said cellulose ether is from about 0.01 to about 1; and the average value to m+p per anhydroglucose unit of said cellulose ether is from about 0.01 to about 4; and B. from about 5% to about 55% by weight, based on the total weight of the denture adhesive, of at least one anionic gum selected from the group consisting of copolymers of maleic acid with vinyl-lower alkyl-ether wherein the alkyl group has from 1 to 5 carbon atoms.