PROCESS FOR PREPARING POLYARYLENE ETHER KETONE

A process for preparing a polyarylene ether ketone is provided to reduce the residual contents of salts and reaction solvents without the complexity of an apparatus required in washing processes in the elevated pressure range. A process for preparing a polyarylene ether ketone comprises (a) reacting an aromatic dihalogen compound with a bisphenol and/or a halophenol in the presence of an alkali metal carbonate and/or an alkaline earth metal carbonate in a high-boiling aprotic solvent to obtain a polyarylene ether ketone, (b) wet-pulverizing the solidified reaction mixture in the presence of water, (c) washing the resultant with an organic solvent, (d) washing the resultant with water and (e) drying the washed product, wherein the wet-pulverized reaction mixture having a residual moisture content not less than 1 wt% is supplied to the two-stage washing.