FIELD: chemistry of polymers. SUBSTANCE: present invention describes water-soluble, acid group-containing grafted biologically degradable copolymers based on sugars and monoethylene unsaturated carboxylic acids, sulfonic acids and/or phosphonic acids or salts of said acids. The present invention also describes process for preparing said copolymers at temperature not higher than 2000 C using radical polymerization initiators. Mixture is polymerized from 5-60 wt % mono-, di- and oligosaccharides, derivatives or mixtures thereof, and 40-95 wt % monomer mixture which contains at least one monoethylenically unsaturated acid, at least one monoethylenically sulfonic acid, monoethelenically sulfuric acid ester and/or vinylphosphonic acid or salts of said acids with monovalent cations, and if desired, other monomers. Grafted copolymers are useful in aqueous systems for binding monovalent metal ions as addition agent to detergents and as auxiliary agent for making paper. EFFECT: more efficient process for preparing grafted copolymers of monomers and sugars. 23 cl, 37 ex, 9 tbl
