A first object of the invention consists of a process for manufacturing comb polymers having a principal (meth)acrylic chain and polyoxyalkylated lateral groupings, obtained by drying of a solution containing at least one homopolymer of (meth)acrylic acid and/or at least one copolymer of (meth)acrylic acid with at least one other monomer, followed by functionalisation of the said intermediate dry product by esterification with at least one alcoxy polyoxyalkylene glycol, and/or amidification with at least one alcoxy polyoxyalkylene amine, or ethoxylation with at least one alkylene oxide. The intermediate dry products and the final comb polymers (in the dry state or when they are put into aqueous solution) also constitute objects of the invention. Lastly, formulations containing mineral or organic matter and using the above-mentioned polymers constitute a final object of the invention.