Method for converting polyketals to polyaryletherketones in the presence of a metal salt

A process for the preparation of a polyaryletherketone which comprises the steps of:

• (a) preparing a polyketal from a compound of the formula:
• HO--K'--OH
• or
• HO--L'--X
• where K' is the residue of a aromatic or heteroaromatic nucleus containing from about 10 to about 40 carbon atoms and also containing at least one difunctional backbone unit of the following formula:
• ##STR33## said unit stable to the basic polymerization conditions employed, wherein G and G' are selected from the group consisting of --OR, and --OCOR.sup.1, where R and R.sup.1 are each independently alkyl, aryl, or arylalkyl radicals of from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms;
• R and R.sup.1 may be may contain heteroatoms, and may also be connected by a chemical bond thus connecting G and G', L' is the residue of a aromatic or heteroaromatic nucleus of from about 10 to about 40 carbon atoms containing at least one electron-withdrawing group situated ortho or para to X and also containing at least one difunctional backbone unit --C(G)(G')--as defined above and X is a group displaced during the polymerization reaction of HO--L'--X;
• by reacting (1) either HO--K'--OH or HO--L'--X with one or more monomers X--Z--Y, (2) HO--L'--X with itself, or (3) HO--K'--OH with HO--L'--X and X--Z--Y, where Z is the residue of a aromatic or heteroaromatic nucleus of from about 5 to about 30 carbon atoms containing at least one electron-withdrawing group ortho or para to X and Y, which X and Y are groups displaced during the polymerization reaction, and
• (b) converting the polyketal to a polyaryletherketone in the presence of a catalyst comprising a Group IIA, IIB, IVA, VIIB, IIIA, IVB, IB or VIII metal salt.