AOCS Surfactants and Detergents Division
Newsletter February 2008
AOCS ANNUAL MEETING SPECIAL
AOCS 2008 Annual Meeting in Seattle May 18-21, Discounted Registration Available Through February 29
AOCS is planning an excellent 99th Annual Meeting and Expo, offering participants a full technical program and many networking events. Here are some key division events to take note of:
- Sunday, May 18, 1:00-2:30 p.m.: Board Meeting
- (Time to be determined): Roundtable Discussion
- Tuesday, May 20, 12:00-2:00 p.m.: Luncheon ($35 early / $45 standard)
- Tuesday, May 20, 5:30-7:00 p.m.: Reception
The current draft of the technical program is online. Updates and other conference information can be found at the official Annual Meeting webpage, including Hot Topic Symposia, short courses, and a complete schedule. Check back; the website will be continuously updated as new information becomes available.
Register by February 29 to receive a discount. Remember to sign up for the division luncheon when registering. Click here for registration information.
Dates to Remember
- February 29: Last day to get special discounts through online registration
- April 11: Deadline to receive special hotel rates
- April 11: Early registration deadline
- May 9: Last day for advanced registration
- May 18-21: 99th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo
Please share this information with your colleagues. We look forward to seeing you in Seattle. Click here for the Seattle visitor's guide.
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
NEEDED! New S&D Board Member Nominations
Our division board consists of a chairperson, a vice chairperson, secretary/treasurer, and four members-at-large. People are elected for two-year terms, and the terms of several board members end this spring. New elections will therefore be held in the coming months. It has been our tradition that the vice chairperson be the nominee-designate for the chairperson position and the secretary/treasurer for the vice chairperson position if s/he is willing to run for these offices. This year, however, we are in a unique position due to the early resignation of several board members in 2007. The chair, vice chair and secretary/treasurer were re-filled in 2007 by a board motion and therefore our current officers may rerun for their current positions.
All (and we emphasize “ALL”) division members are welcome and encouraged to nominate additional individuals (including themselves) for these board positions. It's painless! Please send your nominations to Terri Germain at t.germain@mcintyregroup.com by March 1. In mid-March division members will receive information from the AOCS on voting for the 2008-2010 S&D Division Board.
Position |
Current Holder |
Expiration |
Position Up for 2008 Election? |
General Responsibilities |
Chairperson |
George Smith of Huntsman Corp |
Spring 2008 |
Yes |
Sets meeting times and agendas. (a lot like herding cats). Represents Division in General Board Meetings. |
Vice-Chairperson |
Warren Schmidt of Shell |
Spring 2008 |
Yes |
Steps in for Chairperson as needed (learns how to herd cats). |
Secretary / Treasurer |
John Billman of Henkel |
Spring 2008 |
Yes |
Reports on finances at Board meetings (works with AOCS staff who handle the actual transactions). |
Members-at-Large (Actually we are all medium-sized) |
Terri Germain |
Spring 2008 |
Yes |
Tasks like getting Board nominations, serving on award review committees (gopher work: “please go get this; please go organize that”). |
| Open | Spring 2008 | Yes | ||
| Mike Robbins | Spring 2009 | No | ||
| Edgar Acosta | Spring 2009 | No |
S&D Reception
The S&D Division traditionally has a reception for all members on Tuesday afternoon at the Annual Meeting. This is an informal opportunity to meet colleagues, and all members are invited and encouraged to attend. The Division has successfully interested various companies in sponsoring this event. We again seek the assistance of members in asking your company to participate in underwriting the expenses for this gathering. For a $500 contribution, each company is gratefully acknowledged at the reception and in other suitable venues.
CSPA’s New Horizons Conference
October 19-22, 2008, Denver, Colorado
The New Horizons Conference is sponsored by the Cleaning Products Division of the Consumer Specialty Products Association. This 2 1/2 day conference, presented every 3 years, is an opportunity for experienced cleaning products industry professionals to gather in an academic environment to learn about the latest technologies and discuss the challenges of emerging issues. The conference site and program format have specifically been chosen to facilitate close interaction with speakers and with your industry colleagues. The 2008 New Horizons Conference provides an excellent forum to get the latest information from industry and academic experts as well as a great networking opportunity for all attendees. For further information, please contact Jane Wishneff, 202/833-7303, jwishneff@cspa.org.
Jane E. Wishneff
Regulatory Counsel & Director of International Affairs Consumer Specialty Products Association 900 17th Street, N.W., Suite 300 Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 833-7303
jwishneff@cspa.org
The S&D division is sponsoring and organizing a technical session for New Horizons. The session will have a mixture of invited academic and industrial speakers that will highlight the latest advances in surface science and surfactants in consumer products. For inquiries on technical content please contact Dr. Edgar Acosta (edgar.acosta@utoronto.ca).
Chemithon Tour
Chemithon Corporation has extended an invitation to members of the S&D Division to attend a tour of their fully scaleable 20–40 kg/hr pilot plant. Participants will learn about the unit production operations of Methyl Ester Sulfonate (MES) and witness a demonstration of the Turbo Tube Dryer used to produce final, dry MES flakes. The feed material will be palm stearin based and comparable to what is currently used at Huish in Houston or similar MES facilities. The tour is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, May 21, 2008, with a nominal registration fee to cover transportation costs.
You may register for the Chemithon Plant Tour as well as the 99th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo by visiting http://www.aocs.org/meetings/annual_mtg/ and clicking on “Register Now.” If you have already registered for the Annual Meeting and would like to add the plant tour, contact Jamie Lourash by e-mail at jamiel@aocs.org, or by phone at +1-217-693-4823.
AOCS Offers Expanded Career Center
The AOCS career center delivers opportunities for advancement at any stage in your professional development.
AOCS and JobTarget have partnered to create a new full-service online career center. The career center focuses on assisting job seekers in the fats and oils industry and can be found on the AOCS website at http://www.aocs.org/member/jobcent.
AOCS knows how hard it is for employers to find top quality professionals, and for job seekers to find the right employer. Our career center connects member and non-member professionals in their search to find the optimal career fit.
The career center includes a Job Alert system that notifies you by email of new job opportunities that match your search criteria and an Anonymous Résumé Bank feature that enables you to list your experience and qualifications in a protected environment. The anonymous posting option allows you to stay connected to the employment market while maintaining full control of your confidential information. In return, employers have the option to pay only for the résumés that are appropriate for their job opportunity with the Pay-Per-Résumé feature.
For all your career needs and resources, visit us at http://www.aocs.org/member/jobcent.
AOCS, 2710 S. Boulder, Urbana, IL 61802-6996 USA