| abstract |
A process for producing a polyphenylene ether, comprising: conducting an oxidative polymerization with a 2,6-dimethylphenol composition having an m-cresol content of 15 ppm to 700 ppm by weight of 2,6-dimethylphenol using a catalyst and an oxygen-containing gas, the catalyst comprising as components a copper compound, a halogen compound and a diamine compound represented by the following formula (1): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a linear or branched C 1-6 alkyl group, provided that they are not all simultaneously a hydrogen atom, and R 5 is a linear or methyl branched C Represents 2-5 -alkylene group. |