Method for preparing polyphenylene ethers

Claim 2

In a process for forming a polyphenylene ether by an oxidative coupling reaction in the presence of a catalyst which comprises a complexed metal ion and an amine, said process comprising passing an oxygen-containing gas through a reaction solution of a phenol and said catalyst, the improvement which comprises separating the catalyst from the polyphenylene ether by the addition of a sufficient amount of a complexing agent selected from the group consisting of biguanide, di-o-tolylbiguanide, dicyanodiamide and L-Arginine to produce a complexed catalyst mixture and the polyphenylene ether and thereafter separating the polyphenylene ether from said mixture.

Claim 3

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said polyphenylene ether is of the formula ##STR2## wherein Q is a hydrocarbon radical, a halohydrocarbon radical having at least two carbon atoms between the halogen atom and the phenol nucleus, a hydrocarbonoxy radical or a halohydrocarbonoxy having at least two carbon atoms between the halogen atom and the phenol nucleus; and Q' and Q" are the same as Q and, in addition halogen, provided that Q, Q' and Q" are all free of a tertiary alpha-carbon atom, and n is at least 50.

Claim 4

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein Q and Q' are hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms and Q" are each hydrogen.

Claim 5

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein Q and Q' are each methyl radicals.

Claim 6

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said metal ion is copper.

Claim 7

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said amine is a primary or secondary amine.

Claim 8

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said complexing agent is L-Arginine.

Claim 9

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said complexing agent is biguanide.

Claim 10

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said complexing agent is di-o-tolybiguanide

Claim 11

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said complexing agent is dicyanodiamide.

Claim 12

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the polyphenylene ether is separated from the complexed catalyst mixture by the addition of an antisolvent.

Claim 13

A process as defined in claim 11 wherein the antisolvent is methanol.

Claim 14

In a process for forming a polyphenylene ether by an oxidative coupling reaction in the presence of a catalyst which comprises a complexed metal ion and an amine, said process comprising passing an oxygen-containing gas through a reaction solution of a phenol and said catalyst, the improvement which comprises separating the catalyst from the polyphenylene ether by the addition of a sufficient amount of a complexing agent selected from the group consisting of biguanide, di-o-tolyl-biguanide, dicyanodiamide and L-Arginine to produce a complexed catalyst mixture and a solution of polyphenylene ether, separating said complexed catalyst mixture from said solution of polyphenylene ether to obtain a solution of polyphenylene ether free of complexed catalyst and thereafter separating the polyphenylene ether from said solution of polyphenylene ether that is free of complexed catalyst.

Claim 15

In a process for forming a polyphenylene ether by an oxidative coupling reaction in the presence of a catalyst which comprises a complexed metal ion and an amine, said process comprising passing an oxygen-containing gas through a reaction solution of a phenol and said catalyst, the improvement which comprises separating the catalyst from the polyphenylene ether by the addition of a sufficient amount of a complexing agent selected from the group consisting of biguanide, di-o-tolyl-biguanide, dicyanodiamide and L-Arginine to produce a complexed catalyst mixture and a solution of polyphenylene ether, separating said complexed catalyst mixture from said solution of polyphenylene ether to obtain a solution of polyphenylene ether free of complexed catalyst and thereafter separating the polyphenylene ether from said solution of polyphenylene ether that is free of complexed catalyst.