PURPOSE: To prepare a novel vinyl carbamate compound useful as a metal ion sequester, detergent builder, etc.

CONSTITUTION: A compound of formula I [M is 1-4C alkyl, H or cation; X is formula II (a and b are 0 or a positive integer.), or III (c is 0-4; d, e and f is 0 or 1; etc.)]. Those compounds can be obtained by reacting vinyl chloroformate with a corresponding amino acid (e.g. aspartic acid) in a solvent such as acetonitrile. Various copolymers are obtained by copolymerizing those compounds with appropriate co-monomers (e.g. ethylenically unsaturated, polymerizable ones) with an initiator (e.g. potassium persulfate) in the presence of a catalyst such as azobisisobutylonitrile). A detergent composition using the obtained polymer does not need a phosphorus-containing builder. The polymer is also useful as an antiredeposition agent, dispersant, scale inhibitor, bleach stabilizing agent, hardness sequestering agent and crystal modifier.