Abstract: A process for the production of water-soluble or water-swellable cationic polymers by (i) free-radically initiated copolymerization of monomer mixtures in water comprising (a) from 1 to 99% by weight of a cationic monomer or quaternizable monomer, (b) from 1 to 99% by weight of a water-soluble monomer, (c) from 0 to 10% by weight of a bi- or polyfunctional, free-radically copolymerizable monomer, adjusting the amounts (a) to (c) in such a way that the resulting polymer has an overall positive charge, in the presence of 1 to 100% of the amount of a salt which is necessary to saturate the reaction medium with said salt and in the presence of 0.1 to 20% by weight referred to the weight of the dispersion, of an amphoteric dispersant having an overall negative charge, and (ii) subsequent quaternization of the polymer if the monomer (a) employed is a non-quaternized monomer is disclosed.

Abstract: Aqueous dispersions of water-soluble polymers of N-vinylcarboxamides, which contain, as a stabilizer, water-soluble, crosslinked graft polymers which are obtainable by free radical polymerization of compounds having at least two ethylenically unsaturated double bonds in the presence of polyalkylene glycols, are prepared by free radical polymerization of N-vinylcarboxamides in an aqueous medium in the presence of said stabilizers and are used as drainage aids, flocculants and retention aids, as wet and dry strength agents and as fixing agents in papermaking.