Process for preparing dialkylphosphinate salts

The invention relates to a process for preparing dialkylphosphinate salts, which comprises a) reacting elemental yellow phosphorus with alkyl halides in the presence of alkali metal hydroxide or alkaline earth metal hydroxide to form a mixture which comprises as main constituents the salts of alkylphosphonous, phosphorous and hypophosphorous acids, b) adjusting the mixture to a pH below 7 and then reacting the mixture with olefins in the presence of a free-radical initiator and c) reacting the dialkylphosphinic acids obtained according to b) and/or alkali metal salts thereof with metal compounds of Mg, Ca, Al, Sb, Sn, Ge, Ti, Zn, Fe, Zr, Ce, Bi, Sr, Mn, Li, Na and/or K to give the metal dialkylphosphinate salts. The invention likewise relates to the use of the metal dialkylphosphinate salts prepared by the process according to the invention to prepare flame retardants.