DE2212623

The invention provides builders for detergent and cleaning compositions. The builders comprise oligomers and/or polymers containing carboxylic and hydroxylic groups - the latter groups being partially lactonized, if desired - and a predominant proportion of C-C bonds in their principal chain. The oligomers and/or polymers are produced by hydrolyzing halogenated copolymers which have substantially between 5 and 60 weight % of halogen therein and a principal chain based on structural units, in any desirable sequential arrangement, of the following general formulae I and II or I and III X YZ HR ¦ ¦¦ ¦¦ -CH2-C- -C-C- -C-C- ¦ ¦¦ ¦¦ Rm RR1-m HCH2-R 1-m (I) (II) (III) in which X, Y and Z stand for a hydrogen and/or halogen atom with the proviso that at least one of the X, Y and Z substituents stands for a halogen atom, R stands for a carboxy-halide radical, a carboxylic group, ester group, nitrile group or anhydride group, and the mole fraction m stands for a number greater than zero and smaller than 1.