Described herein are poly(arylene sulfide) (PAS) polymers (PASP) including recurring units formed from a dihalocarbazole containing monomer. It was surprisingly found that such monomers could be incorporated into PAS polymers at desirable concentrations to provide improved amine content. Additionally, it was surprisingly found that, relative to PAS homopolymers and PAS polymers incorporating recurring units with primary amines, the PAS polymers (PASP) described herein and increased glass transition temperatures (T.sub.g). The PAS polymers (PASP), and PAS polymer compositions, can be desirably incorporated into wide variety of articles including, but not limited to, automotive articles and oil and gas articles.

Described herein are poly(arylene sulfide) (PAS) polymers (PASP) including recurring units formed from a dihalocarbazole containing monomer. It was surprisingly found that such monomers could be incorporated into PAS polymers at desirable concentrations to provide improved amine content. Additionally, it was surprisingly found that, relative to PAS homopolymers and PAS polymers incorporating recurring units with primary amines, the PAS polymers (PASP) described herein and increased glass transition temperatures (T.sub.g). The PAS polymers (PASP), and PAS polymer compositions, can be desirably incorporated into wide variety of articles including, but not limited to, automotive articles and oil and gas articles.

To provide a polyarylene sulfide (hereinafter, PAS) manufacturing method and PAS manufacturing device that further eliminates processing costs in manufacturing PAS, by recovering from solid content containing an unreacted sulfur source and alkali metal halide produced as a byproduct the sulfur source and the solid content with a reduced amount of the sulfur source, and then conveniently and easily reusing the unreacted sulfur source without performing a large-scale process. A method of manufacturing PAS according to the present invention comprises: a polymerizing step of producing PAS; an extracting step of bringing an extraction solvent into content with solid content produced in the polymerizing step, and extracting at least a portion of a sulfur source from the solid content; a recovering step of separating and recovering the solid content passing through the extracting step and an extraction liquid produced in the extracting step; and a recycling step of supplying at least a portion of the extraction liquid preferably as at least a portion of PAS produced raw material in the polymerizing step; where the extraction solvent is (1) a protic organic solvent or (2) a mixed solvent containing water and an organic solvent, and the amount of the sulfur source in the solid content recovered in the recovering step is 2 parts by mass or less with regard to 100 parts by mass of the alkali metal halide.

To provide a polyarylene sulfide (hereinafter, PAS) manufacturing method and PAS manufacturing device that further eliminates processing costs in manufacturing PAS, by recovering from solid content containing an unreacted sulfur source and alkali metal halide produced as a byproduct the sulfur source and the solid content with a reduced amount of the sulfur source, and then conveniently and easily reusing the unreacted sulfur source without performing a large-scale process. A method of manufacturing PAS according to the present invention comprises: a polymerizing step of producing PAS; an extracting step of bringing an extraction solvent into content with solid content produced in the polymerizing step, and extracting at least a portion of a sulfur source from the solid content; a recovering step of separating and recovering the solid content passing through the extracting step and an extraction liquid produced in the extracting step; and a recycling step of supplying at least a portion of the extraction liquid preferably as at least a portion of PAS produced raw material in the polymerizing step; where the extraction solvent is (1) a protic organic solvent or (2) a mixed solvent containing water and an organic solvent, and the amount of the sulfur source in the solid content recovered in the recovering step is 2 parts by mass or less with regard to 100 parts by mass of the alkali metal halide.

To provide a method of manufacturing polyarylene sulfide (PAS) while efficiently recovering an organic amide solvent at a low energy cost, without using an organic solvent, from washing wastewater produced by washing a raw material mixture containing PAS and an organic amide solvent using a solvent containing water; a method of manufacturing PAS by reducing the amount of water supplied when washing the raw material mixture using a solvent containing water; and PAS manufactured by these methods. A method according to the present invention includes: a step of mixing a solvent containing water and a raw material mixture that contains PAS and an organic amide solvent, and then washing the PAS; a step of obtaining a separated liquid by solid-liquid separation; and a step of separating the separated liquid into distilled vapor having a smaller amount of the organic amide solvent and a recovered liquid having a larger amount of the organic amide solvent by heating, where the heating is performed utilizing an increase in temperature based on compressing the distilled vapor and/or compressing a heat medium heat-exchanged with the distilled vapor.

To provide a method of manufacturing polyarylene sulfide (PAS) while efficiently recovering an organic amide solvent at a low energy cost, without using an organic solvent, from washing wastewater produced by washing a raw material mixture containing PAS and an organic amide solvent using a solvent containing water; a method of manufacturing PAS by reducing the amount of water supplied when washing the raw material mixture using a solvent containing water; and PAS manufactured by these methods. A method according to the present invention includes: a step of mixing a solvent containing water and a raw material mixture that contains PAS and an organic amide solvent, and then washing the PAS; a step of obtaining a separated liquid by solid-liquid separation; and a step of separating the separated liquid into distilled vapor having a smaller amount of the organic amide solvent and a recovered liquid having a larger amount of the organic amide solvent by heating, where the heating is performed utilizing an increase in temperature based on compressing the distilled vapor and/or compressing a heat medium heat-exchanged with the distilled vapor.

Provided is a method for manufacturing fine polyarylene sulfide (PAS) powder, in which impurities such as alkali metal salts and/or PAS oligomers are reduced while the wettability of the fine PAS powder in a fine PAS powder-containing solid is retained after solid-liquid separation of a separation liquid obtained by subjecting a dispersion liquid containing granular PAS to separation into granular PAS and a separation liquid; and a fine PAS powder. The method for manufacturing a fine PAS powder of the present invention includes: (a) separating granular PAS and a separation liquid from a dispersion liquid containing granular PAS, by solid-liquid separation using at least one screen that has an opening diameter of 75 to 180 m; (b) performing solid-liquid separation of the separation liquid to obtain a fine PAS powder-containing solid; (c) heating the fine PAS powder-containing solid to reduce an amount of an organic solvent to obtain a wet cake; and (d) washing the wet cake using an aqueous solvent. The water content of the wet cake after heating is at least 30 wt. %.

Provided is a method for manufacturing fine polyarylene sulfide (PAS) powder, in which impurities such as alkali metal salts and/or PAS oligomers are reduced while the wettability of the fine PAS powder in a fine PAS powder-containing solid is retained after solid-liquid separation of a separation liquid obtained by subjecting a dispersion liquid containing granular PAS to separation into granular PAS and a separation liquid; and a fine PAS powder. The method for manufacturing a fine PAS powder of the present invention includes: (a) separating granular PAS and a separation liquid from a dispersion liquid containing granular PAS, by solid-liquid separation using at least one screen that has an opening diameter of 75 to 180 m; (b) performing solid-liquid separation of the separation liquid to obtain a fine PAS powder-containing solid; (c) heating the fine PAS powder-containing solid to reduce an amount of an organic solvent to obtain a wet cake; and (d) washing the wet cake using an aqueous solvent. The water content of the wet cake after heating is at least 30 wt. %.

The present invention provides a method for producing granular polyarylene sulfide (PAS) with increased average particle size and enhanced particle strength, a method for increasing the average particle size of granular PAS, a method for enhancing the particle strength of granular PAS, and granular PAS. The method for producing PAS according to the present invention includes: step 1: a preparation step of preparing a mixture containing an organic amide solvent, a sulfur source, water, a dihalo aromatic compound, and an alkali metal hydroxide; step 2: a pre-stage polymerization step of initiating a polymerization reaction by heating the mixture to produce a prepolymer having a dihalo aromatic compound conversion ratio of not less than 50% in the presence of less than an equimolar amount of an alkali metal hydroxide per 1 mol of the sulfur source; step 3: a post-stage polymerization step of continuing the polymerization reaction in the presence of not less than an equimolar amount of an alkali metal hydroxide per 1 mol of the sulfur source to obtain a reaction product mixture; and step 4: a cooling step of cooling the reaction product mixture after the post-stage polymerization step; wherein step 4 is performed in the presence of at least one type of auxiliary agent such as a carboxylate.

The present invention provides a method for producing granular polyarylene sulfide (PAS) with increased average particle size and enhanced particle strength, a method for increasing the average particle size of granular PAS, a method for enhancing the particle strength of granular PAS, and granular PAS. The method for producing PAS according to the present invention includes: step 1: a preparation step of preparing a mixture containing an organic amide solvent, a sulfur source, water, a dihalo aromatic compound, and an alkali metal hydroxide; step 2: a pre-stage polymerization step of initiating a polymerization reaction by heating the mixture to produce a prepolymer having a dihalo aromatic compound conversion ratio of not less than 50% in the presence of less than an equimolar amount of an alkali metal hydroxide per 1 mol of the sulfur source; step 3: a post-stage polymerization step of continuing the polymerization reaction in the presence of not less than an equimolar amount of an alkali metal hydroxide per 1 mol of the sulfur source to obtain a reaction product mixture; and step 4: a cooling step of cooling the reaction product mixture after the post-stage polymerization step; wherein step 4 is performed in the presence of at least one type of auxiliary agent such as a carboxylate.