1,6-NAPHTHALENEDITHIOL AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME

Provided are a naphthalenedithiol (or a naphthalenedithiol product) having a high purity and a reduced coloration, and a process for producing the same.A 1,6-naphthalenedithiol (a 1,6-naphthalenedithiol product) according to the present invention has a purity of not less than 99.5% and a polymeric 1,6-naphthalenedithiol content of not more than 0.2%, each determined by high performance liquid chromatography using area normalization; and has a Gardner color scale in a molten state of not more than 1. The polymeric 1,6-naphthalenedithiol may be a disulfide form as a dimeric 1,6-naphthalenedithiol. Such a 1,6-naphthalenedithiol product can be produced by distilling a crude raw material containing 1,6-naphthalenedithiol and at least a polymeric 1,6-naphthalenedithiol to obtain a distillate fraction containing 1,6-naphthalenedithiol. The crude raw material may be a dry solid of a crudely purified product of 1,6-naphthalenedithiol from a reaction mixture.