DISPERSING AGENT

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a dispersing agent useful especially as the dispersing agent for an inorganic pigment, cement, agrochemical granules, scale dispersant, detergent builder or drilling mud. SOLUTION: This dispersing agent has a GPC peak top molecular weight (M) of 5,000-15,000, and contents of lower molecular substances of M×0.2 or less and higher molecular substances of M×2.0 or more are 0.8% or less and 3.5% or less, respectively in terms of areas on a GPC chart; and the agent comprises a (co)polymer obtained by polymerizing an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid (salt) as a constituent unit.