Use of hydrolyzed copolymers of N-vinylcarboxamides and monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids in papermaking

A process for the production of paper with high dry and wet strengths, wherein the drainage rate and the retention are increased, comprising adding in an amount of 0.01 to 5 wt %, based on dry fibers, to paper stock containing no further additives, a copolymer having a K value of 30-300 obtained by copolymerization of

• a) 5 to 99 mol % of an N-vinylcarboxamide of the formula ##STR5## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are H, b) 95 to 1 mol % of monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids having 3 to 8 carbon atoms or the alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or ammonium salts thereof,
• c) 0 to 30 mol % of vinyl acetate, N-vinylpyrrolidone, N-vinylimidazole or a mixture thereof, and
• d) 0 to 2 mol % of copolymerizable compounds having at least two ethylenically unsaturated nonconjugated double bonds, and
• subsequent partial or complete elimination of said groups ##STR6## from said N-vinylcarboxyamide polymerized in the copolymer, with formation of amino or ammonium groups.