Preparation of high intrinsic viscosity poly(arylene ether) resins

A process for the preparation of a poly(arylene ether) resin, comprising:

• reacting oxygen with a phenol in the presence of a metal complex catalyst comprising a catalyst metal to form a poly(arylene ether), wherein the reaction is conducted in an organic solvent, the phenol concentration is about 5 to about 15 weight percent of the sum of phenol and solvent, the molar ratio of catalyst metal to the phenol is about 1:100 to about 1:200, and the phenol has the formula
• wherein X is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, chlorine, bromine and iodine;
• Q is a monovalent substituent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, halohydrocarbon radicals having from 2 to about 8 carbon atoms and at least two carbon atoms between the halogen atom and the phenol nucleus, hydrocarbonoxy radicals having from 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, and halohydrocarbonoxy radicals having from 1 to about 8 carbon atoms and at least two carbon atoms between the halogen atom and the phenol nucleus;
• Q′, Q″ and Q′″ are, independently, selected from the same group as Q and in addition halogen with the proviso that Q, Q′, Q″ and Q′″ are all free of a tertiary alpha carbon atom;
• recovering the catalyst metal using an aqueous sequestrant solution;
• and
• isolating the poly(arylene ether) by precipitation, wherein the isolated poly(arylene ether) has an intrinsic viscosity greater than about 0.8 dL/g measured at 25° C. in chloroform.