MODIFIED POLYARYLENE ETHER SULFONES

K-17687/+/CGM 359 Modified polyarylene ether sulfones There are disclosed substantially linear polyarylene ether sulfones having a reduced viscosity of having a reduced viscosity of ca. 0.25 to ca. 1.5 dl/g (measured in a 1% solution in DMF at 25.degree.C) and consisting essentially of 95-99.8% by weight of segments of formula I and of 5-0.2% by weight of segments of formula IIa, formula IIb and/or formula IIc -O?R?, (I) , (IIa) , (IIb) , (IIc) the percentages by weight being based on the entire polymer and the molecular weight (number average) of the segments of formula I being 6000 to ca. 60 000, if the polymer contains solely structural units of formula IIa and/or IIb, and 1000 to ca. 60 000 if the polymer contains more than 0.1 % by weight of structural units of formula IIc, and R consists of the recurring structural units of formula Ia and/or of up to 99.8% by weight, based on the total polymer, of recurring structural units of formula Ib , (Ia) , (Ib) wherein R1 is C1-C6alkyl, C3-C10alkenyl, phenyl or halogen, p is an integer from 0 to 4 ist, Ar1 and Ar2 are each independently of the other divalent carbocylic-aromatic radicals, Z1 is a divalent radical of a cycloaliphatic, aromatic or araliphatic dihydroxy compound after removal of both hydroxyl groups, Z2 is a divalent radical of a cycloaliphatic, aromatic or araliphatic di-secondary amino compound after removal of both N-hydrogen atoms, m is an integer from 1 to ca. 10, and Z3 is a trivalent radical of a cycloaliphatic, aromatic or araliphatic compound containing hydroxy and/or amino groups after removal of thehydroxyl groups and/or active hydrogen atoms bound to amino nitrogen atoms, which radicals Ar1, Ar2, Z1, Z2 and Z3 may be substituted by one to four C1-C6alkyl groups, C3-C10alkenyl groups, phenyl groups or halogen atoms, and in which radicals Z1, Z2 and Z3 one, two, three or four ring carbon atoms may be replaced by oxygen, sulfur and/or nitrogen atoms.