A polish including a film forming wax material and an organopolysiloxane elastomer. The elastomer is in the form of particles mixed with the film forming wax. The particles are spherical and have an average diameter of from about 0.3 um to about 30 um. The polish contains at least one additive selected from the group consisting of organic solvents, silicone oils, and surfactants. The film forming wax material may be one of carnauba wax, montan wax, candelilla wax, ceresin wax, paraffin waxes, and beeswax.
Sizing agents, which are novel compounds and contain at least one anionic or acidic sulfonylcarbonylimide group which may be in salt form and at least two hydrophobic substituents of which at least two are linked to each other through a bridge member of the formula --CO--NH--A.sub.1 --(SO.sub.2 --NH--CO).sub.t, where A.sub.1 is a divalent or trivalent aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic radical of up to 10 carbon atoms, and t is 1 or 2, are particularly suitable, together with commercially available retention aids, for use in a process for sizing paper or cardboard.