Abstract: There is disclosed polymers, a process for manufacturing polymers and uses of the polymers. The polymers are polyaryl ether ketones and the process includes a nucleophilic polycondensation of a bisphenol with an organic dihalide compound in a reaction mixture comprising sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate, in an aromatic sulfone solvent, at a reaction temperature rising to a temperature from 290° C. to 320° C. immediately prior to the addition of a salt to the reaction mixture, wherein the molar ratio of the salt to potassium carbonate is from 6.0 to 10.0. Further organic dihalide compound is added to the reaction mixture wherein the molar ratio of further organic dihalide compound to bisphenol is from 0.009 to 0.035. The resulting reaction mixture is maintained at a temperature at from 290° C. to 320° C. for from 20 to 180 minutes and then the resulting reaction mixture is cooled and the PAEK recovered.

Abstract: Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) may be prepared by polycondensation of a single monomer (4-fluoro-4?-(4-hydroxyphenoxy) benzophenone) in diphenylsulphone (DPS) solvent and in the presence of sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate. The process can be used to produce high quality, relatively light coloured polymers having a lower Tm than those produced using a standard PEEK process.