Use of a hydrophobically associating copolymer for pelletizing of metal containing ore; wherein the hydrophobically associating copolymer comprises monomer units derived from at least one unsaturated hydrophobically associating monomer C; and wherein the at least one monomer C is a monomer of the general formula, formula, formula or, H 2 C=C(R 1)-R 2 -O-(-CH 2 -CH 2 -O-) k -(-CH(R 5)-CH(R 3)-O-) l -(-CH 2 -CH 2 -O-) m -R 4 H 2 C=C(R 1)-(C=O)-O-(-CH 2 -CH(R 5')-O-) k -R 6 wherein k: is a number from 10 to 150, preferably from 20 to 30; I: is a number from 5 to 20; m: is a number from 0 to 30; R 1: is H or methyl; R 2: is independently a single bond or a divalent linking group selected from the group consisting of -(CH 2) n - and -O-(CH 2) n' -, where n is a natural number from 1 to 6 and n' is a natural number from 2 to 6; R 3 and R 5: are each independently hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl radical having 1- to 6 carbon atoms or an ether group of the general formula -CH 2 -O-R 3' where R 3' is a hydrocarbyl radical having at least 2 carbon atoms; with the proviso that the sum total of the carbon atoms in all hydrocarbyl radicals R 3 or R 3' and R 5 is in the range from 10 to 50; and R 4: is independently H or a hydrocarbyl radical having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R 5': is independently H, methyl or ethyl; R 6: is independently an aliphatic and/or aromatic, straight-chain or branched hydrocarbyl radical having 8 to 40 carbon atoms; R A, R B, R C, R D, R E, R F, R a, R b, R c: are each independently hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl radical containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms; Q: is a hydrocarbylene radical containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms; R G: is a hydrocarbyl radical containing 8 to 30 atoms; R d: is a saturated or unsaturated alkyl containing 4 to 18 carbon atoms; X: is a counterion with a negative charge; and G: is -O- or -NH-. wherein the hydrophobically associating copolymer comprises monomer units derived from at least one unsaturated hydrophobically associating monomer C; and wherein the at least one monomer C is a monomer of the general formula, formula, formula or, H 2 C=C(R 1)-R 2 -O-(-CH 2 -CH 2 -O-) k -(-CH(R 5)-CH(R 3)-O-) l -(-CH 2 -CH 2 -O-) m -R 4 H 2 C=C(R 1)-(C=O)-O-(-CH 2 -CH(R 5')-O-) k -R 6 wherein k: is a number from 10 to 150, preferably from 20 to 30; I: is a number from 5 to 20; m: is a number from 0 to 30; R 1: is H or methyl; R 2: is independently a single bond or a divalent linking group selected from the group consisting of -(CH 2) n - and -O-(CH 2) n' -, where n is a natural number from 1 to 6 and n' is a natural number from 2 to 6; R 3 and R 5: are each independently hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl radical having 1- to 6 carbon atoms or an ether group of the general formula -CH 2 -O-R 3' where R 3' is a hydrocarbyl radical having at least 2 carbon atoms; with the proviso that the sum total of the carbon atoms in all hydrocarbyl radicals R 3 or R 3' and R 5 is in the range from 10 to 50; and R 4: is independently H or a hydrocarbyl radical having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R 5': is independently H, methyl or ethyl; R 6: is independently an aliphatic and/or aromatic, straight-chain or branched hydrocarbyl radical having 8 to 40 carbon atoms; R A, R B, R C, R D, R E, R F, R a, R b, R c: are each independently hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl radical containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms; Q: is a hydrocarbylene radical containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms; R G: is a hydrocarbyl radical containing 8 to 30 atoms; R d: is a saturated or unsaturated alkyl containing 4 to 18 carbon atoms; X: is a counterion with a negative charge; and G: is -O- or -NH-. k: is a number from 10 to 150, preferably from 20 to 30; I: is a number from 5 to 20; m: is a number from 0 to 30; R 1: is H or methyl; R 2: is independently a single bond or a divalent linking group selected from the group consisting of -(CH 2) n - and -O-(CH 2) n' -, where n is a natural number from 1 to 6 and n' is a natural number from 2 to 6; R 3 and R 5: are each independently hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl radical having 1- to 6 carbon atoms or an ether group of the general formula -CH 2 -O-R 3' where R 3' is a hydrocarbyl radical having at least 2 carbon atoms; with the proviso that the sum total of the carbon atoms in all hydrocarbyl radicals R 3 or R 3' and R 5 is in the range from 10 to 50; and R 4: is independently H or a hydrocarbyl radical having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R 5': is independently H, methyl or ethyl; R 6: is independently an aliphatic and/or aromatic, straight-chain or branched hydrocarbyl radical having 8 to 40 carbon atoms; R A, R B, R C, R D, R E, R F, R a, R b, R c: are each independently hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl radical containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms; Q: is a hydrocarbylene radical containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms; R G: is a hydrocarbyl radical containing 8 to 30 atoms; R d: is a saturated or unsaturated alkyl containing 4 to 18 carbon atoms; X: is a counterion with a negative charge; and G: is -O- or -NH-.