Agglomerated particles of water-swellable additional polymers, the agglomerated particles having an average particle diameter of from 20 to 5000 μm and consisting of primary particles having an average particle diameter of from 0.1 to 15 μm, prepared by polymerization of water-soluble monomers in the presence of regulators and of cross linking agents in the manner of a water-in-oil polymerization and subsequent azeotropic removal of at least 80% of the water from the water-in-oil polymer emulsions, containing the primary particles, in the presence of agglomerating polyalkylene glycols,
- (a) said polyalkylene glycols are prepared by an addition reaction of C2-C4-alkylene oxides with alcohols, phenols, amines or carboxylic acids, and
- (b) contain at least 2 polymerized alkylene oxide units,
- and said agglomerated particles have the property of disintegrating into the primary particles on introduction into an aqueous medium, wherefore the water-in-oil polymerization is carried out using the regulators in amounts from 1 to 10% by weight and the crosslinkers in amounts of at least 1000 ppm, each based on the monomers.