Suitable dispersants are preferably sulfated or phosphated adducts of 15 to 100 moles of ethylene oxide or, preferably, propylene oxide onto polyhydric aliphatic alcohols containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms, for example ethylene glycol, glycerol or pentaerythritol, or onto amines which have 2 to 9 carbon atoms and contain at least two amino groups or one amino group and one hydroxyl group and also alky