PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF POLYPHENYLENE ETHERS WITH ACTIVATED COPPER-AMINE CATALYSTS

1363189 Polyphenylene ethers GENERAL ELECTRIC CO 31 May 1972 [10 June 1971] 25447/72 Heading C3R In a process for preparing polyphenylene ethers by reacting a phenol with oxygen in the presence of a catalyst comprising a copper salt and a primary, secondary or tertiary amine, there is added to the catalyst an alkali metal bromide or an alkaline earth metal bromide to increase the rate of polymerization. In examples polymers are obtained from 2,6-xylenol using catalysts in which the copper salts are cupric sulphate, cupric chloride, cupric bromide, cupric acetate, cupric fluoride, cuprous chloride and cuprous bromide; the amines are di-n-butyl amine, n-butyl amine, N-methylcyclohexyl amine and pyridine; and the bromides are sodium bromide, potassium bromide, lithium bromide, caesium bromide and magnesium bromide; diphenyl guanidine is added as a promoter in some instances.