Process for preparing water-soluble or water-dispersible polyether-containing polymers and the use thereof as coating agents, binders and/or film-forming excipients in pharmaceutical dosage forms or packaging materials or as additives in cosmetic, dermatological or hygienic preparations

A process for preparing graft copolymers of polyvinyl esters by polymerization of

• a) at least one vinyl ester of aliphatic C1-C24-carboxylic acids in the presence of
• b) polyethers which are solid at room temperature and have the general formula I
• R1[Parenopenst]O—[Parenopenst]R2—O)u[Parenopenst]R3—O)v[Parenopenst]R4—O)w[Brketopenst]A[Parenopenst]R5—O)x[Parenopenst]R6—O)y[Parenopenst]R7—O)z[Brketclosest]SR8)nI
• in which the variables have the following meaning, independently of one another:
• R1 hydrogen, C1-C24-alkyl, R9—C(═O)—, R9—NH—C(═O)—, polyalcohol residue;
• R8 hydrogen, C1-C24-alkyl, R9—C(═O)—, R9—NH—C(═O)—;
• R2 to R7
• —(CH2)2—, —(CH2)3—, —(CH2) 4—, —CH2—CH(CH3)—, —CH2—CH(CH2—CH3)—, —CH2—CHOR10—CH2—;
• R9 C1-C24-alkyl;
• R10 hydrogen, C1-C24-alkyl, R9—C(═O)—;
• A —C(═O)—O—, —C(═O)—B—C(═O)—O—, —C(═O)—NH—B—NH—C(═O)—O—;
• B —(CH2)t—, arylene, optionally substituted;
• n 1 to 8;
• s 0 to 500;
• t 1 to 12;
• u 1 to 5000;
• v 0 to 5000;
• w 0 to 5000;
• x 1 to 5000;
• y 0 to 5000;
• z 0 to 5000
• c) and, where appropriate, at least one other monomer
• using a free-radical initiator system, wherein liquid polyalkylene glycol is used as solvent for the free-radical initiator system.