Poly(phenylene ether) copolymer process and compositions

A process for forming a poly(phenylene ether)

• copolymer, the process comprising:
• reacting a monohydric phenol comprising 2-methyl-6-phenylphenol and a dihydric phenol in the presence of molecular oxygen, a polymerization catalyst comprising a metal ion and at least one amine ligand, and a solvent to form a copolymer of 2-methyl-6-phenylphenol and the dihydric phenol;
• wherein:
• the monohydric phenol comprises, based on the total weight of monohydric phenol and dihydric phenol, less than 0.5 weight percent of monohydric phenols having identical substituents in the 2- and 6-positions of the phenolic ring;
• the copolymer comprises less than 0.005 weight percent of di(C1-C6-alkyl)amino groups, based on the weight of the copolymer;
• the copolymer has an absolute number average molecular weight of 1,000 to 10,000 grams/mole, calculated from integrated areas under resonance peaks in the 1H-NMR spectrum of the copolymer;
• and
• the solvent comprises, based on the total weight of the solvent, at least 95 weight percent of a C1-C3 alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, and 2-propanol.