Preparation of secondary alkanol alkoxylates

In a process for preparing high mole secondary alkanol alkoxylates by the reaction of a low mole secondary alkanol alkoxylate with an alkylene oxide in the presence of a caustic catalyst, the improvement comprising conducting the process with a low mole secondary alkanol alkoxylate which has been reacted with hydrogen under pressure in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst, said process being characterized further in that the terms low mole and high mole refer to numbers in the range of 1 to 4.9 and 5 to about 30, respectively and wherein said alkylene oxide is represented by the formula ##STR3## wherein R' is hydrogen or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl group, wherein the hydrogen treatment is conducted at a temperature in the range of about 100.degree. to about 170.degree. C and a hydrogen pressure in the range of about 34 to about 136 atmospheres.