Dispersing of pigments

A process for improving the dispersibility of paint and lacquer pigment and filler particles in paint and lacquer vehicles which consists essentially of the steps of coating said particles with from 0.05% to 5% of at least one dispersant selected from the group consisting of a .beta.-hydroxyalkyl ether of the formula ##STR8## where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are members selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl of 1 to 21 carbons, with the proviso that at least one of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is alkyl and the sum of the carbons in R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is from 6 to 22;

• and R.sub.3 is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, hydroxyalkyl having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, dihydroxyalkyl having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms;
• alkoxyalkyl having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, hydroxyalkoxyalkyl having from 4 to 8 carbon atoms and hydroxyalkoxyalkoxyalkyl having from 6 to 8 carbon atoms, and the alkylene oxide adducts selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide of said .beta.-hydroxyalkyl ether, and then dispersing said coated particles in said vehicle.