Process for preparing ether-capped poly(oxyalkylated) alcohol surfactants

A process for preparing an ether-capped poly(oxyalkylated) alcohol surfactant having the formulawherein R1 and R2 are linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to about 30 carbon atoms; R3 is H, or a linear aliphatic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms; x is an integer having an average value from 1 to about 30, wherein when x is about 2 or greater R3 may be the same or different; further wherein when x is about 15 or greater and R3 is H and methyl, at least four of R3 are methyl, further wherein when x is about 15 or greater and R3 includes H and from 1 to 3 methyl groups, then at least one R3 is ethyl, propyl or butyl, further wherein R2 can optionally be alkoxylated, wherein said alkoxy is selected from ethoxy, propoxy, butoxy and mixtures thereof; said process comprising the steps of:(b) providing a glycidyl ether having the formula: wherein R2 is defined as above;(c) providing an ethoxylated alcohol having the formula: wherein R1, R3 and x are defined as above;(f) reacting said glycidyl ether with said ethoxylated alcohol to form said surfactant in the presence of a basic catalyst;(g) said surfactant is sparged with an inert gas, preferably N2, Ar and mixtures thereof, optionally under vacuum, preferably a vacuum in the range of 5 to 500 mmHg; andsaid surfactant is bleached with an about 0.05% to about 5.0%, preferably about 0.1% to about 1.0%, by weight solution of a bleach at a temperature from about 25° C. to about 95° C.