Process for the production of optionally branched polyarylene sulphide with piperazinone solvent

Claim 1

A process for the production of high molecular weight polyarylene sulphide from (a) 0 to 100 mol % of at least one dihalogen aromatic compound corresponding to the formula ##STR4## and from 100 to 0 mol % of at least one dihalogen aromatic compound corresponding to the formula ##STR5## wherein X represents meta- or para-positioned chlorine or bromine relative to each other, and R 1 is the same or different and represent hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, or two radicals of R 1 link together to form an aromatic ring or heterocyclic ring having 1-3 nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur heteroatoms, and one radical R 1 is always different from hydrogen, and (b) from 0 to 3 mol %, based on the total of components (a) and (b), of a tri- or tetra-halogen aromatic compound corresponding to the formula ArX.sub.n (III) wherein Ar represents an aromatic ring or heterocyclic ring having 1-3 nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur heteroatoms, X represents chlorine or bromine, and n represents 3 or 4, and (c) alkali sulphide, or a mixture thereof with alkali hydroxide, the molar ratio of (a+b):c ranging from 0.85:1 to 1.15:1, and, (d) a piperazinone organic solvent with the molar ratio of alkali sulphides (c) to organic solvent (d) ranging from 1:2 to 1:15, and the reacting temperature is from 160° to 265° C.