Abstract: A process for preparing arylene sulfide polymers which comprises the steps of contacting at least one alkali metal hydroxide, water and at least one lactam to form a first mixture comprising an alkali metal aminoalkanoate, water and lactam, and subsequently contacting said first mixture with at least one sulfur source selected from the group consisting of alkali metal bisulfides, thiolactams, and hydrogen sulfide under reaction conditions of time and temperature sufficient to produce a second mixture comprising a polymerizable complex of an alkali metal aminolkanoate and the sulfur source, lactam, water and metal impurities; separating at least a portion of the metal impurities from the second mixture to form a third mixture; contacting at least one dihaloaromatic compound with the third mixture to produce a polymerization mixture; subjecting the polymerization mixture to polymerization conditions of time and temperature sufficient to produce the arylene sulfide polymer; and recovering the arylene sulfide pol