Multifunctional polymers, method for the production and use thereof

Multifunctional polymers containing polymerized units of

(a) -Acyloxyacrylonitrile, -haloacrylic acid, -acyloxyacrylic ester and/or -hydroxyacrylic acid,

(b) monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids,

(c) vinyl esters of saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acids and/or vinyl alcohol and optionally

(d) other monoethylenically unsaturated monomers copolymerizable with said monomers (a) to (c) and optionally

(e) crosslinkers containing at least two ethylenically unsaturated double bonds

and having a K value of at least 7 (determined after H. Fikentscher in acetone at 25 C. and a polymer concentration of 1% by weight), processes for preparing multifunctional polymers by copolymerizing monomer mixtures of

• (a) -acyloxyacrylonitrile, -haloacrylic acid and/or -acyloxyacrylic ester,
• (b) monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids,
• (c) vinyl esters of saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acids and optionally
• (d) other monoethylenically unsaturated monomers copolymerizable with said monomers (a) to (c) and optionally
• (e) crosslinkers containing at least two ethylenically unsaturated double bonds

  in the presence of polymerization initiators that form free radicals and partially or completely hydrolyzing the polymerized monomer units (a) and (c) in the copolymers thus obtainable and use of the multifunctional polymers in laundry detergents and cleaners, to bind polyvalent metal ions, as a stabilizer in textile bleaching and the bleaching of pulp for papermaking.