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AOCS Surfactants and Detergents Division
Newsletter February 2008

AOCS ANNUAL MEETING SPECIAL

News from the Chair
George Smith

I don’t know about you, but to me the days seem to be zipping by.  Before you know it, it will be May and time once again for the AOCS Annual meeting.  The AOCS and S&D Board have been working hard on this year’s program.  Returning once again to Seattle, the program hopes to offer something for everyone including:

• 8 different scientific sessions with over 54 presentations on a variety of S&D related topics including:
• Hard surface cleaning and surface modification
• New trends in fabric care
• Industrial applications of surfactants
• Detergents that clean and ….
• Bio-based Surfactants
• General Surfactants
• For the very first time, we plan to offer electronic copies of the presentation proceedings
• A walking tour of Chemithon’s Seattle facility including the MES pilot plant with a demonstration their Turbo Tube Dryer producing dry MES flakes. 
• The ever-popular S&D Luncheon & Awards ceremony with this year’s Samuel Rosen award presentation given by Dr. Lee Matheson from the Sasol Corporation.
• And the annual S&D Networking Reception where you can meet new colleagues in the industry and catch-up with old friends.

Other noteworthy events items AOCS and the Board have been working on include:

• Organizing the 2008 SODEOPEC conference to be held April 13-16 at the Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
• The changing world of soaps, detergents, oleochemicals and personal care products
• Organizing a session at CSPA’s New Horizon Conference to be held in Denver, Colorado October 19-22, 2008.
• “What’s new in academia” will feature a mixture of invented academic and industrial speakers to discuss the very latest advances in surface science and surfactants in consumer products 
• Developing our first on-line training module on surfactant science and technology.  The course is geared to people new to the industry who need an intro course on surfactant science.
•  Updating the “Who’s Who” (a historical view of the mergers and acquisition that have occurred within the S&D industry) for the 100-year anniversary of AOCS in 2009.

The only thing constant in the soaps and detergents industry is that things are always changing. Escalating raw material and energy prices have squeezed margins for both surfactant producers and detergent manufactures. At the same time, increasing concern with product safety and sustainability of raw materials has increased the pressure on our industry. I am convinced that scientific innovation is the key to our future success. 

The S&D Division of AOCS plays an important role in providing one of the few organizations where industry and academia can come together to tackle the problems facing us.  I urge everyone in the S&D Division to help recruit new membership and become more active. S&D Division Board elections are coming up in April. If you are interested in making a contribution, please consider running for a board position or helping on one of the division committees.

George Smith
S&D Division Chairman

Also in this newsletter:

AOCS 2008 Annual Meeting in Seattle May 18-21
Discounted Registration Available through February 29

NEEDED! New S&D Board Member Nominations

S&D Reception

CSPA’s New Horizons Conference

Chemithon Tour

AOCS Offers Expanded Career Center

AOCS, 2710 S. Boulder, Urbana, IL 61802-6996 USA