CED was founded in Seville in 1957, within the Institute for Fat (Instituto de la Grasa), itself part of the Spanish National Research Council (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas – CSIC).

Following the creation of the International Committee for Detergents during the 1st World Congress on Surface-Active Agents in Paris in 1954, Carlos Gómez Herrera proposed the setting up of a Spanish Committee as part of the International Committee.

Thanks to the support of the Institute for Fat in Seville and the stimulus of Juan Martínez Moreno, the Spanish Committee on Detergency (Comité Español de la Detergencia – CED) was founded, with the invaluable help of Ernest Sant and the clear interest of other Spanish businessmen in the field. The first president and secretary of CED were Juan Martínez Moreno and Antonio Vargas Romero, respectively.

In 1969, due to the determination of Pedro Miró Plans, the CED General Secretariat was officially set up in Barcelona in the premises of the Chemical and Textile Technical Institute (ITQT) (Instituto de Tecnología Química y Textil), a centre within the CSIC. That same year the activities of CED were extended to include Annual Meetings (Jornadas), the first of which took place in 1970, and which in time have become a mainstay of the institution.

Our close cooperation in the activities of the International Committee provides CED with prompt and reliable information on the evolution of the surfactants industry at an international level, and allows us to participate in the drawing up of numerous international standards and ISO specifications.

CED has had and still has a significant role in the dissemination of knowledge concerning the surfactants and detergents industry, organising congresses, technical meetings and seminars, either on its own or in collaboration with different universities, research institutes, industrial associations or other bodies.

One of CED’s principal achievements is the organisation of two international congresses in Barcelona:

• in 1968, the 5th International Congress on Surfactants,
• in 1996, the 4th World Surfactants Congress (CESIO)

Mention must also be made of the cooperation given by the Spanish Society of Cosmetic Chemists – SEQC (Sociedad Española de Químicos Cosméticos), who, in 1986, acted as Secretary General of the 14th Congress of the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists
Company technicians from CED have participated actively as members of organising and/or scientific committees, such as the CESIO congresses held in Munich (1984), Paris (1988), London (1992), Florence (2000) and Berlin (2004).

With the aim of promoting the study of surfactants, – one of CED’s major concerns – the ‘Jordi Camp Award’ for the best research project was established in 1970. Sponsored by S.A. CAMP, the award was presented annually until 1984, after which it became the ‘Jordi Camp Grant’, which enabled CSIC and university scientists to participate in different research projects.

In 1993, with the aim of discussing current issues that affect the industry, CED established the Technical Meetings. Due to their success, these gatherings have been held on a twice-yearly basis since 2002.

Over the years, many people have contributed to the growth of the Spanish Committee for Detergency, to the point where it is now recognised internationally. To them all, we wish to express our profound gratitude.

In 1975, Pedro Ribosa, on behalf of the CED member companies, promoted the setting up of the Detergecy Research Association – AID (Asociación de Investigación de la Detergencia), with Juan José García Domínguez as research director.

Mindful of the problems that often beset companies in this field, AID set up its own laboratories, where, thanks to contributions from member companies and a grant from CAICYT, a series of research projects, of particular interest to the companies concerned, were carried out. They involved the participation of scientific personnel from CSIC, as well as research fellows from ITQT and from universities in Catalonia, Andalusia and the Basque Country.

Helping industry
Throughout its entire period of activity, AID gave inestimable help to industries through research contracts and services of analysis and testing.

Contribution to the establishment of standards
AID, through its links with the Chemical and Textile Technical Institute of the CSIC in Barcelona, was represented in different commissions on standards, such as those for “Surface-Active Agents”, “Essential Oils” and “Cosmetics”, drawing up a large number of UNE and ISO standards.

Despite the demise of AID in 1992 after official support was withdrawn, CED continues its work in support of the surfactants, detergents and related products industry.

Presidents

Since its foundation, the CED presidents have been:

Juan M. Martínez Moreno (1957-1969)
Pedro Miró Plans (1969-1973)
José Camp Puigdomènech (1973-1977)
Pedro Ribosa Arnó (1977-1981)
Salvador Anglada Llovera (1981-1985)
Antonio Monerris Hernández (1985-1987)
Manuel de Luque Escalona (1987-1989)
Juan Durán Struuck (1989-2001)
Xavier Domingo Campos (2001-2004)
Juan V. Robledo Cuesta (2004-2007)
Olga Sanahuja Pascual (2007 - present)

Individuals and bodies who have received the CED Medal

In recognition of their outstanding contribution, CED has been pleased to award the CED Medal to the following individuals and organisations:

1976 Lucio Lascaray Ondarra
1980 Juan Manuel Martínez Moreno
1980 Carlos Gómez Herrera
1980 Petroquímica Española, S.A.
1981 Pedro Miró Plans
1983 Oriol Pascual Calveras (in memoriam)
1984 Juan José García Domínguez (in memoriam)
1985 Pedro Ribosa Arnó
1986 Albert Sanahuja Bonfill (in memoriam)
2007 Instituto de la Grasa
2007 Xavier Domingo Campos (in memoriam)
2009 Joaquín Sánchez Leal
2009 Concepció Bou Vilalta