Poly(arylene sulfide) and production process thereof

A poly(arylene sulfide) obtained by subjecting at least one sulfur source selected from the group consisting of alkali metal sulfides and alkali metal hydrosulfides and a dihalo-aromatic compound to a polymerization reaction in an organic amide solvent, wherein

• (a) the poly(arylene sulfide) is a reaction product with a hydroxyl group-containing organic compound containing no bonded halogen atom, and at least part of bonded halogen atoms thereof have been removed by a reaction with the hydroxyl group-containing organic compound,
• (b) the melt viscosity thereof is 1 to 100 Pa·s as measured at a temperature of 310° C. and a shear rate of 1,216 sec−1,
• (c) the weight-average molecular weight thereof is 10,000 to 60,000 as measured by gel permeation chromatography,
• (d) the average particle diameter thereof is 100 to 1,000 μm as measured by a sifting method, and
• (e) the content of bonded halogen atoms thereof is lower than 4,000 ppm as measured by the flask combustion method.