The invention relates to the use of comb polymers which comprise a carbon backbone comprising polyether groups of formula A *-U-(C(O))k-X-(Alk-O)n-W A wherein * is the binding point on the carbon backbone of the comb polymer, U represents a chemical binding or an alkylene group having 1 - 8 C-atoms, X represents oxygen or a group NR, k is 0 or 1, n represents a whole number, wherein the average, in relation to the comb polymer, lies in the region of between 5 - 300, Alk represents C2-C4-alkylene, Alk in the group (Alk-O)n can be identical or different, W represents hydrogen, a C1-C6-alkyl- or a aryl radical or the group Y-Z, Y represents a linear or cross-linked alkylene group having 2 - 8 C-atoms and which can support a phenyl ring, Z represents a 5 10-membered nitrogen heterocycle which is linked by nitrogen, and the ring members, in addition to nitrogen atoms and carbon atoms, are 1, 2 or 3 additional heteroatoms which are selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur, whereby the nitrogen ring members can comprises a R' group, and 1 or 2 carbon ring members can be a carbonyl group, R represents hydrogen, C1-C4-alkyl or benzyl, and R' represents hydrogen, C1-C4-alkyl or benzyl. The invention also relates to functional B groups which are in the form of anionic groups when pH >12, and to the salts thereof as grinding agents in preparations containing cement.