Abstract: Polyarylates formed by reacting the diester of a dihydric phenol such as bisphenol-A and at least one aromatic dicarboxylic acid in the presence of an esterification catalyst is provided with improved color by the addition of cobalt during polymerization. The amount of cobalt can be reduced and an additional amount of an ultramarine blue pigment can be added to the reaction mixture to maintain the color improvement.

Abstract: Crude diphenyl phthalates, including isomeric mixtures thereof which are prepared by reacting mixtures of isophthalic and terephthalic acids with phenol, preferably in the presence of an organotitanate, organozirconate, or organostannate catalyst, are purified by dissolving the crude phthalate in an organic solvent, contacting the resulting solution with dilute aqueous alkali to neutralize the ester, separating the resulting oil and aqueous phases, and thereafter recovering from the oil phase a purified diaryl phthalate of reduced color and low acidity.