Patent ID: 8734693

Claim:
A method of isolating a poly(arylene ether), comprising: removing volatiles from mixture comprising a poly(arylene ether) and a solvent by devolatilizing extrusion to form an extruded poly(arylene ether); wherein the devolatilizing extrusion comprises adding a solid poly(arylene ether) to a first section of an extruder, and adding the mixture to a second section of the extruder downstream of the first section; and cooling the extruded poly(arylene ether) with a cooling belt to form an isolated poly(arylene ether); wherein the isolated poly(arylene ether) and the solid poly(arylene ether) are the same and are a poly(arylene ether) comprising, on average, at least 1.5 capping groups per molecule; wherein the isolated poly(arylene ether) has an intrinsic viscosity of about 0.04 to about 0.15 deciliter per gram as measured in chloroform at 25° C.; wherein the mixture comprises about 65 to about 85 weight percent poly(arylene ether) and about 15 to about 35 weight percent solvent; and wherein devolatilizing extrusion comprises feeding the mixture to an extruder comprising at least one barrel having a temperature of about 200 to about 235° C., and at least one vent having a pressure of about 20 to about 40 kilopascals.