Patent ID: 8859646

Claim:
A method of purifying a poly(phenylene ether), comprising: mixing a poly(phenylene ether) solution comprising a poly(phenylene ether) and a poly(phenylene ether) solvent selected from the group consisting of toluene, xylenes, mesitylene, chlorobenzene, dichlorobenzenes, chloroform, and combinations thereof, and first washing solvents comprising a C1-C4 alkanol and water to form a first liquid phase comprising poly(phenylene ether) and poly(phenylene ether) solvent, and a second liquid phase comprising C1-C4 alkanol and water; and separating the first liquid phase from the second liquid phase; wherein the first liquid phase and the second liquid phase are present in a volume ratio of about 1.5:1 to about 10:1; wherein the first and second liquid phases combined comprise, based on 100 weight percent total of the poly(phenylene ether) solvent, the C1-C4 alcohol, and the water, about 60 to about 95 weight percent poly(phenylene ether) solvent, about 4 to about 32 weight percent C1-C4 alkanol, and about 1 to about 36 weight percent water; and wherein the first liquid phase comprises at least 95 weight percent of the poly(phenylene ether) in solution.