Process for producing poly(arylene sulfide) of reduced alkali metal content

A process for producing a poly(arylene suflide) having a content of an alkali metal of not more than 50 ppm and a melt viscosity, measured at 310.degree. C. and at a shear rate of 10,000 sec.sup.-1, of from 10 to 300 poise, which process comprises:

• (a) reacting a dihalo aromatic compound with an alkali metal sulfide, in an amount of from 1.0 to 2.0 mol of the dihalo aromatic compound per mole of the alkali metal sulfide at a temperature of from 180.degree. to 235.degree. C. in the presence of from 0.5 to 2.4 mol of water per mol of the alkali metal sulfide so that a conversion percentage of the dihalo aromatic compound is not less than 50 mol % of the theoretical conversion percentage and the melt viscosity, measured at 310.degree. C. and at a shear rate of 10,000 sec.sup.-1, of the thus formed poly(arylene sulfide) is less than 5 poise;
• (b) adding water to the thus obtained reaction mixture so that from 2.5 to 7.0 mol of water is present per mol of the alkali metal sulfide and at the same time, heating the reaction mixture to a temperature of from 250.degree. to 290.degree. C., thereby continuing the reaction so that the melt viscosity, measured at 310.degree. C. and at a shear rate of 10,000 sec.sup.-1, of the thus formed poly(arylene sulfide) is not less than 5 times of that of the poly(arylene sulfide) formed in step (a) and not more than 300 poise;
• and
• (c) after separating the thus formed poly(arylene sulfide) from the polymerization reaction mixture of step (b), treating the thus obtained poly(arylene sulfide) in an aqueous solution of a strong acid having a pH of less than 2 or in an aqueous 0.1 to 30% by weight solution of a salt of the strong acid and a weak base at a temperature of from 0.degree. to 200.degree. C. for from 1 to 500 minutes.