POLYARYLENE SULFIDE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME (AS AMENDED)

There is provided a polyarylene sulfide configured to satisfy (1) to (4): (1) having a weight-average molecular weight of not less than 10000; (2) having a polydispersity of not greater than 2.5, wherein the polydispersity is expressed by a ratio of the weight-average molecular weight to a number-average molecular weight; (3) having a weight reduction on heating that satisfies an expression of ΔWr=(W1−W2)/W1×100≦0.18(%) (where ΔWr denotes a weight reduction ratio (%) and is a value calculated from a sample weight (W2) at temperature reaching 330° C. relative to a sample weight (W1) at temperature reaching 100° C. in thermogravimetric analysis at a temperature rise rate of 20° C./minute in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at ordinary pressure); and (4) having a nitrogen content of not greater than 200 ppm.