Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the production of polymers, comprising one or more of the recurring structural units of formula (1), where R1 is hydrogen, methyl, or ethyl, A is C1-C8-alkylene, Q+ is H+, NH4+, Na+, K+, ½ Mg++, ½ Ca++, or ½ Zn++, and where Q+ has a different meaning than H+ or NH4+ in 50 to 100 mol % of the structural units of formula (1), and one or more structural units derived from one or more further monomers, characterized in that the corresponding salts of said polymers are suspended in an organic suspension, where however the cations Q+ in the structural units of the formula (1) are NH4+ and optionally also H+, and an ion exchange is carried out by adding one or more bases comprising Na+, K+, Mg++, Ca++, or Zn++ ions.