Method for preparing low odor polyphenylene ether resin including separating, distilling and recycling solvent

In a continuous process for the preparation of a polyphenylene ether resin comprising oxidatively coupling a phenol with a catalyst in a solvent comprising a normally liquid aromatic hydrocarbon in a polymerization zone until formation of said resin and by-products are substantially complete and recovering said resin by addition of a C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alcohol to the polymer solution and recovering and recycling said aromatic hydrocarbon containing said by-products, the improvement which comprises separating said aromatic hydrocarbon and said by-products by distilling to reduce the content of said by-products and thereafter recycling said aromatic hydrocarbon essentially free of by-products to the polymerization zone.