Method for producing polyarylene sulfide

A method for producing a polyarylene sulfide, the method comprising:

• a first polymerization step of initiating a polymerization reaction by heating a mixture containing an organic polar solvent, a sulfur source, water, a polyhaloaromatic compound, and an alkali metal hydroxide in the presence of at least one auxiliary agent selected from the group consisting of carboxylate, alkali metal chloride, organic sulfonate, alkali metal sulfate, alkaline earth metal oxide, alkali metal phosphate, and alkaline earth metal phosphate, to form a reaction mixture containing a prepolymer having a conversion rate of a polyhaloaromatic compound of 50 mol % or greater,
• a phase separation agent addition step of adding a phase separation agent into the reaction mixture after the first polymerization step,
• a second polymerization step of continuing the polymerization reaction after the phase separation agent addition step, and
• a cooling step of cooling the reaction mixture after the second polymerization step,
• in the cooling step, a coolant being added to the reaction mixture at a time when a temperature of the reaction mixture is at least 5° C. higher than a maximum thickening temperature and lower than 250° C., and a cooling rate at the maximum thickening temperature being 2.2° C./min or higher and 3.9° C./min or lower,
• the maximum thickening temperature meaning a temperature at which agitation torque is maximum during measurement of the agitation torque of the reaction mixture from 240° C. to 220° C. when the reaction mixture after the second polymerization step is cooled from 255° C. by natural air cooling.