Abstract: Acrylic copolymers containing the following repeating units: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.A, R.sub.B, R.sub.C, R.sub.I, R.sub.II, equal or different, are H or CH.sub.3 ; M.sup.+ is H or a cation belonging to group IA, IIA, or ammonium; n is an integer from 0 to 2; A.sub.0 is --COO--(R.sub.T O).sub.m --R.sub.Z wherein R.sub.T is a saturated C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkyl group, m is an integer from 7 to 50, R.sub.Z is H or a saturated C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group; R.sub.III is H, COOH, COO.sup.- M.sup.+ wherein M.sup.+ is as above defined or A.sub.0 as above defined; and optionally containing a third comonomer in a quantity 0-20% of the total monomer weight,said polymers, that contain in terminal position silanol groups, are obtainable by copolymerizing the monomers in the presence of the following chain transfer agents:(A) SH--R.sub.o --Si(R.sub.IB).sub.NB (OR.sub.IA).sub.NA, wherein R.sub.IA is hydrogen or a saturated C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkyl, R.sub.IB is C.sub.1 -C.sub.