Polyphenylene ethers with imide linking groups

Claim 1

A process for producing a solvent resistant, thermoplastic polymer comprising: mixing 1.00 part by mole of a dianhydride containing phenylether moieties with 0.95 to 1.00 parts by mole of an aromatic diamine in a solvent selected from the group of aliphatic ether solvents consisting essentially of bis(2-methoxyethyl)ether, tetrahydrofuran, and dioxane, at atmospheric pressure and at a temperature from 10° C. to 30° C.; stirring for one to two hours; pouring the resulting viscous solution into a non-solvent selected from the group consisting of water, methanol and heptane, to precipitate an intermediate polymer having amide-acid linking units; filtering to recover the intermediate polymer; drying the recovered intermediate polymer for 12 to 18 hours at ambient conditions and then for one-half to two and one-half hours at 90° C. to 110° C. and atmospheric pressure; imidizing the amide-acid units by subjecting the polymer to temperatures of 150° C. to 250° C. for one to five hours, such that the temperature exceeds the final polymer glass transition temperature, to yield a polyphenylene ether having imide linking groups in a fused glass state.