Preparation of monoepoxides

Monoepoxides are prepared by a process which comprises (1) continuously or intermittently contacting a mixture of (a) a compound having only one vicinal halohydrin moiety per molecule and (b) at least one solvent having a boiling point at least about 10 DEG C above the boiling point of the monoepoxide being produced and which is essentially non-reactive with any of the compounds in the reaction mixture with (c) an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide; (2) continuously removing by codistilling or azeotroping a mixture of water and resultant vicinal epoxide-containing compound from the reaction mixture; and (3) separating the vicinal epoxide-containing compound from the water by any suitable means.