Process for preparing nonionic surfactants-oxyalkylation with calcium and/or strontium catalysts

The method for the alkoxylation of a reactive hydrogen compound selected from the group consisting of monohydric alcohols having between about 8 and about 25 carbon atoms, both branched and linear, and a difunctional polypropylene oxide polymer having an average molecular weight in the range of 1000 to 5000 comprising contacting said reactive hydrogen compound with an alkylene oxide having between 2 and 4 carbon atoms in the presence of a catalyst selected from the group consisting of calcium alkoxides, strontium alkoxides, calcium phenoxides and strontium phenoxides and an oxyalkylation catalyst promoter selected from the group consisting of superphosphoric acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, alkali metal and alkaline earth metal dihydrogen phosphates and dihydrogen diphosphates, alkyl, aryl, araalkyl and alkyaryl dihydrogen phosphates, monoalkyl hydrogen sulfates, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, alkali metal bicarbonates, oxides of phosphorus, sulfur trioxide, sulfur dioxide and sulfurous acid at a temperature between about 50.degree. C. and about 400.degree. C. employing about 2 to about 50 moles of alkylene oxide per mole of reactive hydrogen.