Macrostructure forming surfactants useful as spray drift control agents in pesticide spraying applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9888683-B2
Application number	US-201214369022-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2012
Priority date	Dec 29, 2011
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aqueous agrochemical spray solution containing an agrochemical active and a surfactant. The spray solution comprises a dispersed phase comprising dispersed particles which have an average particle size between 1 to 100 microns and the concentration of said dispersed particles is from about 0.001 to 5 wt %. The aqueous agrochemical spray solution is capable of reducing the volume of the fine droplets in mist whose size is less than 150 microns during spraying by at least 20% compared to the same aqueous spray solution without the presence of the surfactant. The present invention also relates to a method of reducing the spray drift of an aqueous agrochemical spray solution upon spraying with a spraying apparatus. The method includes adding the surfactant to the aqueous agrochemical spray solution in an amount effective to form the dispersed phase.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aqueous agrochemical spray solution comprising at least one agrochemical active and at least one surfactant, wherein said at least one surfactant comprises a di-alkyl di-methyl quaternary surfactant with a counterion of chloride, bromide, methylsulfate, carbonate, or bicarbonate, wherein the alkyl group is a C12-C22, saturated or non-saturated, linear or branched alkyl group derived from the oil of coco, soy, palm, castor, tallow, corn, lard, peanut or tall, including the epoxydized version of the oil, wherein said spray solution comprises a dispersed phase comprising dispersed particles which have an average particle size between 1 to 100 microns, wherein the concentration of said dispersed particles is from about 0.001 to 5 wt %, wherein said aqueous agrochemical spray solution is capable of reducing the volume of the fine droplets in mist whose size is less than 150 microns during spraying by at least 20% compared to the same aqueous spray solution without the presence of the said surfactant, and wherein said aqueous agrochemical spray solution does not comprise either (a) a tertiary amine surfactant of the formula:

wherein R 1 represents a straight or branched chain (C 12 -C 22 ) alkyl and R 2 and R 3 independently represent a straight or branched chain (C 1 -C 22 ) alkyl; or (b) a tertiary amine oxide surfactant of the formula:

wherein R 4 is a straight or branched chain (C 10 -C 22 ) alkyl or an alkyletherpropyl, and R 5 and R 6 independently are straight or branched chain (C 1 -C 22 ) alkyl or ethoxylates or propoxylates of the formula:

wherein n is an integer from 1 to 20.

2. The aqueous agrochemical spray solution of claim 1 , wherein the at least one agrochemical active is a herbicide.

3. The aqueous agrochemical spray solution of claim 2 , wherein the said herbicide comprises a salt of glyphosate, a salt of 2,4-D, a salt of dicamba, a salt of glufosinate, or a combination and/or mixture thereof.

4. The aqueous agrochemical spray solution of claim 1 , wherein the dispersed particles are vesicles or liposomes formed by said at least one surfactant.

5. The aqueous agrochemical spray solution of claim 1 , wherein the alkyl group of the surfactant is C16-C22.

6. An agrochemical formulation comprising an active ingredient and at least one surfactant, wherein said at least one surfactant comprises a di-alkyl di-methyl quaternary surfactant with a counterion of chloride, bromide, methylsulfate, carbonate, or bicarbonate, wherein the alkyl group is a C12-C22, saturated or non-saturated, linear or branched alkyl group derived from the oil of coco, soy, palm, castor, tallow, corn, lard, peanut or tall, including the epoxydized version of the oil, wherein the said agrochemical formulation is capable of forming a aqueous agrochemical spray solution containing a dispersed phase comprising dispersed particles which have an average particle size between 1 to 100 microns, wherein the concentration of said dispersed particles is from about 0.001 to 5 wt %, wherein said aqueous spray solution is capable of reducing the volume of the fine droplets in mist whose size is less than 150 microns during spraying by at least 20% compared to the same aqueous spray solution without the presence of the said surfactant, and wherein said aqueous agrochemical spray solution does not comprise either (a) a tertiary amine surfactant of the formula:

wherein R 1 represents a straight or branched chain (C 12 -C 22 ) alkyl and R 2 and R 3 independently represent a straight or branched chain (C 1 -C 22 ) alkyl; or (b) a tertiary amine oxide surfactant of the formula:

wherein R 4 is a straight or branched chain (C 10 -C 22 ) alkyl or an alkyletherpropyl, and R 5 and R 6 independently are straight or branched chain (C 1 -C 22 ) alkyl or ethoxylates or propoxylates of the formula:

wherein n is an integer from 1 to 20.

7. A method of reducing the spray drift of an aqueous agrochemical spray solution upon spraying with a spraying apparatus, which comprises adding at least one surfactant to said aqueous agrochemical spray solution in an amount effective to form a dispersed phase comprising dispersed particles which have an average particle size between 1 to 100 microns, wherein said at least one surfactant comprises a di-alkyl di-methyl quaternary surfactant with a counterion of chloride, bromide, methylsulfate, carbonate, or bicarbonate, wherein the alkyl group is a C12-C22, saturated or non-saturated, linear or branched alkyl group derived from the oil of coco, soy, palm, castor, tallow, corn, lard, peanut or tall, including the epoxydized version of the oil, wherein the concentration of said dispersed particles is from about 0.001 to 5 wt %, wherein said aqueous spray solution is capable of reducing the volume of the fine droplets in mist whose size is less than 150 microns during spraying by at least 20% compared to the same aqueous spray solution without the presence of the said surfactant, and wherein said aqueous agrochemical spray solution does not comprise either (a) a tertiary amine surfactant of the formula:

wherein R 1 represents a straight or branched chain (C 12 -C 22 ) alkyl and R 2 and R 3 independently represent a straight or branched chain (C 1 -C 22 ) alkyl; or (b) a tertiary amine oxide surfactant of the formula:

wherein R 4 is a straight or branched chain (C 10 -C 22 ) alkyl or an alkyletherpropyl, and R 5 and R 6 independently are straight or branched chain (C 1 -C 22 ) alkyl or ethoxylates or propoxylates of the formula:

wherein n is an integer from 1 to 20.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the aqueous agrochemical comprises a herbicide.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the said herbicide comprises a salt of glyphosate, a salt of 2,4-D, a salt of dicamba, a salt of glufosinate, or a combination and/or mixture thereof.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the dispersed particles are vesicles or liposomes formed by said at least one surfactant.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the alkyl group of the surfactant is C16-C22.

Assignees

• Akzo Nobel Chemicals Int Bv
• Dow Agrosciences Llc

Inventors

• Sun Jinxia Susan
• Zhu Shawn
• Murray Martin W
• Boone Marcus
• Walters Michael
• Yuan Huffman Qingwen Wendy
• Puglisi Christine
• Downer Brandon Matthew
• Wilson Stephen L

Classifications

• A01N37/40

  having at least one carboxylic group or a thio analogue, or a derivative thereof, and one oxygen or sulfur atom attached to the same aromatic ring system · CPC title

• A01N25/04 Primary

  Dispersions, {emulsions, suspoemulsions, suspension concentrates} or gels (foams A01N25/16) · CPC title

• A01N39/04

  Aryloxy-acetic acids; Derivatives thereof · CPC title

• A01N25/30 Primary

  characterised by the surfactants · CPC title

• A01N57/20

  containing acyclic or cycloaliphatic radicals · CPC title