Process for the preparation of polyarylene sulphides

Process for the preparation of polyarylene sulphides which comprises reacting a mixture of bis(silyl) thioethers corresponding to formulae (I) or (II), or both (I) and (II) and dihalogenated aromatic compounds corresponding to formula (III) ##STR2## in which Hal stand for halogen,

• Ar stands for divalent mononuclear or polynuclear C.sub.6 -C.sub.24 -aromatic groups or heterocyclic groups containing up to 3 hetero atoms or divalent aromatic or heterocyclic units linked by a single bond or by divalent C.sub.6 -C.sub.24 -aromatic or heterocyclic groups or by one or more units selected from O, NR.sup.1 , CR.sup.1 .sub.2, S, S(O), S(O).sub.2, C(O), C(O)-O C-(O)-NR.sup.1 or 9((O)-).sub.2 N- wherein R.sup.1 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, C.sub.5 -C.sub.10 -cycloalkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.24 -aryl or C.sub.7 -C.sub.30 -aralkyl or C.sub.7 -C.sub.30 alkaryl, the individual aromatic rings being unsubstituted or substituted by 1 to 4 substituents R.sup.2 selected from the groups defined for R.sup.1 or OR.sup.1, NR.sup.1, CR.sup.1 .sub.3, SR.sup.1, S(O)-R.sup.1, S(O).sub.2 -R.sup.1, C(O)-R.sup.1, C(O)-O-R.sup.1 or C(O)-NR.sup.1 .sub.2, and
• stands for C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl or C.sub.5 -C.sub.20 -cycloalkyl, said mixture containing the components (I and II):III in proportions of from 0.9:1 to 1.1:1, at temperatures from 150 to 400.degree. C. with splitting off halogenated trialkylsilane or halogenated (tris)-cycloalkylsilane so as to form said polyarylene sulfides.