Method of measuring extent of curing of compacted poly(arylene sulfide)

1. A process for preparing cured arylene sulfide polymers, comprising:

charging a curing vessel that comprises an agitator with a quantity of compacted poly(arylene sulfide) powder; and

curing the quantity of compacted powder by a process comprising heating and simultaneously agitating the compacted powder with the agitator until the power consumption of the agitator reaches a target value, thereby producing a cured powder.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the compacted poly(arylene sulfide) powder is a compacted poly(phenylene sulfide) powder.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein at the target value the cured powder has a melt flow rate that is between about 2% and 95% less than the melt flow rate of the compacted powder before curing.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the compacted powder is a compacted poly(phenylene sulfide) powder, and wherein at the target value the cured powder has a melt flow rate that is less than about 2500 g/10 min.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the target value is determined by reference to a lookup table.

6. A process for preparing cured arylene sulfide polymers, comprising:

charging a first curing vessel comprising a first agitator with a first quantity of a compacted poly(arylene sulfide) powder;

curing the first quantity of compacted powder by a process comprising heating and simultaneously agitating the compacted powder with the first agitator until the compacted powder reaches a melt flow rate within a target range, thereby producing a first cured powder;

calibrating the first agitator by determining the power consumption of the first agitator when the melt flow rate of the compacted powder first reaches the target range during the curing step;

charging a second curing vessel with a second quantity of compacted poly(arylene sulfide) powder wherein the compaction and amount of the second quantity are substantially identical to that of the first quantity, wherein the second curing vessel comprises a second agitator; and

curing the second quantity of compacted powder by a process comprising heating and simultaneously agitating the compacted powder with the second agitator until the power consumption of the second agitator reaches the value at which the melt flow rate in the first curing vessel first reached the target range, thereby producing a second cured powder.

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the calibrating step comprises:

removing a plurality of samples of the compacted powder from the first curing vessel over time during the curing step, and determining for each sample (a) melt flow rate of a sample taken at a time point, and (b) power consumption of the first agitator at the same time point; and

determining the power consumption of the first agitator at the earliest time point at which the melt flow rate of a sample is within the target range, thereby determining the power consumption of the agitator required for agitating the first cured powder.

8. The process of claim 7 , wherein (a) the melt flow rate of a sample at at least one time point, and (b) the power consumption of the first agitator at the same time point(s) are used to generate a mathematical function dependent on at least (a) and (b) that can be used to calculate the level of power consumption by the second agitator that results in production of the second cured powder.

9. The process of claim 6 , wherein the compacted poly(arylene sulfide) powder is a compacted poly(phenylene sulfide) powder.

10. The process of claim 6 , wherein during the curing step, the first quantity of compacted powder is heated at a temperature between just below the T m of the poly(arylene sulfide) and a temperature lower by 80° C. than the T m .

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the first quantity and the second quantity are heated to the same temperature during curing.

12. The process of claim 6 , wherein during the curing step, the first quantity of compacted powder is heated to a temperature below the melting temperature of the compacted powder at between about 175° C. and 350° C., and wherein the compacted powder is a compacted poly(phenylene sulfide) powder.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein the compacted poly(phenylene sulfide) powder is heated to a temperature between about 175° C. and 250° C. during the curing step.

14. The process of claim 6 , wherein the first curing vessel is heated using an oil bath.

15. The process of claim 6 , wherein the second curing vessel is heated using an oil bath.

16. The process of claim 6 , wherein the first quantity of compacted powder is pre-heated before being charged into the first curing vessel.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein the second quantity of compacted powder is pre-heated before being charged into the second curing vessel, and the second quantity is pre-heated to about the same temperature as the first quantity.

18. The process of claim 6 , wherein the target range is between about 2% and 95% less than the melt flow rate of the compacted powder before curing.

19. The process of claim 6 , wherein the compacted powder is a compacted poly(phenylene sulfide) powder, and the target range is less than about 2500 g/10 min.

20. The process of claim 6 , wherein the first curing vessel and the second curing vessel are the same vessel.

21. A process for preparing cured poly(phenylene sulfide), comprising:

charging a first curing vessel comprising a first agitator with a first quantity of a compacted poly(phenylene sulfide) powder;

curing the first quantity of compacted powder by a process comprising heating and simultaneously agitating the compacted powder with the first agitator until the compacted powder reaches a melt flow rate within a target range, thereby producing a first cured powder;

calibrating the first agitator by determining the power consumption of the first agitator when the melt flow rate of the compacted powder first reaches the target range during the curing step;

charging a second curing vessel with a second quantity of compacted poly(phenylene sulfide) powder wherein the compaction and amount of the second quantity are substantially identical to that of the first quantity, wherein the second curing vessel comprises a second agitator; and

curing the second quantity of compacted powder by a process comprising heating and simultaneously agitating the compacted powder with the second agitator until the power consumption of the second agitator reaches the value at which the melt flow rate in the first curing vessel first reached the target range, thereby producing a second cured powder.

22. A process for preparing cured arylene sulfide polymers, comprising:

charging a first curing vessel comprising a first agitator with a first quantity of a compacted poly(arylene sulfide) powder;

curing the first quantity of compacted powder by a process comprising (a) heating the first quantity of compacted powder to a temperature between just below the T m of the poly(arylene sulfide) and a temperature lower by 80° C. than the T m , and (b) simultaneously agitating the compacted powder with the first agitator until the compacted powder reaches a melt flow rate within a target range, wherein the target range is between about 2% and 95% less than the melt flow rate of the compacted powder before curing, thereby producing a first cured powder;

calibrating the first agitator by determining the power consumption of the first agitator when the melt flow rate of the compacted powder first reaches the target range during the curing step;

charging a second curing vessel with a second quantity of compacted poly(arylene sulfide) powder wherein the compaction and amount of the second quantity are substantially identical to that of the first quantity, wherein the second curing vessel comprises a second agitator; and

curing the second quantity of compacted powder by a process comprising heating and simultaneously agitating the compacted powder with the second agitator until the power consumption of the second agitator reaches the value at which the melt flow rate in the first curing vessel first reached the target range, thereby producing a second cured powder.