FIELD: polymer production. SUBSTANCE: epoxide is prepared by bringing secondary alcohol into contact with molecular oxygen to form oxidative mixture containing secondary alcohol, ketone, and hydrogen peroxide followed by epoxidation of olefin with above mixture in presence of titanium silicate and conversion of ketone into secondary alcohol to be recycled. Method is distinguished by that (i) aliphatic secondary alcohol (propyl or sec- butyl alcohol) contacts with molecular oxygen at 50 to 200 C to form oxidative mixture containing, wt.%: aliphatic secondary alcohol 40-90, corresponding aliphatic ketone 5-35, hydrogen peroxide 1-20, and water 0-35; (ii) aliphatic ketone is essentially completely separated from oxidative mixture to form hydrogen peroxide flow containing aliphatic secondary alcohol, less than 1 wt.% aliphatic ketone, and less than 0.5 wt.% aliphatic ketone peroxides; (iii) above-mentioned flow interacts with hydrogen in presence of heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst containing transition metal (palladium, platinum, ruthenium, chromium, rhodium, nickel) at 20 to 175 C and hydrogen pressure 0.5 to 100 atm to convert ketone into corresponding alcohol, after which at least part of it is recycled to the first stage; (iv) hydrogen peroxide-containing flow is brought into contact with ethylenically unsaturated material in presence of catalytically effective amount of titanium silicate at 40 to 120 C at molar ratio of unsaturated material to hydrogen peroxide from 1:2 to 10:1 to form epoxidation mixture containing aliphatic secondary alcohol, epoxide, and water; (v) aliphatic secondary alcohol is separated from epoxide and at least part of it is recycled. EFFECT: simplified process and increased its economical efficiency. 12 cl, 1 dwg
