A description is given of polymers of the general formula in which R1 (identical or different at each occurrence) is hydrogen or a methyl group, X1 and X2=-O-, -S- or -NH- and X1 additionally is a single bond if the first atom in R2 is not a carbon atom, and R2 is one of the radicals indicated below: a) a copolymer radical (Cop) containing at least two structural units -(-O-C2H4)n- (ethylene oxide=EO) and -(-O-C3H6-)n- (propylene oxide=PO) or -(-O-C4H8)n- (butylene oxide=BuO) and -(-O-CH2-)n- (methylene oxide=MeO) in a molar ratio of 5 to 95:95 to 5, in which n (identical or different for each structural unit) is approximately 1 to 1000; b) in which Cop is a copolymer radical as defined in (a), and x=1 to 5 and y=1 to 20; c) in which R is an alkyl group, r=(identical or different at each occurrence) 1 to 1000 and s=1 to 500; d) in which o=10 to 4000 and R3 (identical or different at each occurrence) is hydrogen or alkyl groups having 1 to 5 carbon atoms; e) in which p=5 to 2000; or f) in which q=10 to 4000. A description is also given of processes for their preparation and also of their use for coating particles and nonparticulate substrate surfaces.