Patent ID: 7595367

Claim:
A method of preparing a capped poly(arylene ether), comprising: reacting a poly(arylene ether) with a capping agent in the presence of a solvent and a capping catalyst to form a capping reaction mixture comprising a capped poly(arylene ether), solvent, capping agent, capping catalyst, and a capping byproduct; washing the capping reaction mixture with a basic aqueous solution comprising 10 to 15 weight percent of a base to yield a purified solution comprising capped poly(arylene ether) and solvent; wherein the washing the capping reaction mixture with a basic aqueous solution is conducted at a temperature of 60 to 95° C.; and wherein the capping reaction mixture and the basic aqueous solution are used in a weight ratio of 2:1 to 25:1; and isolating the capped poly(arylene ether) by a total isolation method.