Agrochemical suspension formulations

Details Agrochemical suspension formulations Agrochemical suspension formulations

2002-11-26

2004-07-27

Clardy, S. Mark (Department: 1616)

Plant protecting and regulating compositions

Plant growth regulating compositions

Designated nonactive ingredient containing

C514S937000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06767865

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates to agrochemical formulations and in particular to such formulations in the form of suspensions of solids including agrochemical active material in a liquid medium, particularly as suspension concentrates which are dispersible in water to give agrochemical suspensions, and to methods of treating plants by spraying them with such agrochemical suspensions, particularly diluted suspension concentrate formulations.
Agrochemical formulations are commonly applied by spraying, usually as a water based spray formulation. One formulation type is a suspension of solid particles including an agrochemical active (usually a water insoluble active) in a liquid medium, commonly initially formulated as a concentrate (a suspension concentrate) which is diluted before use as a spray. Dispersing agents, such as salts of naphthalene sulphonate formaldehyde condensates, lignosulfonates, maleic anhydride copolymers and condensed phenolsulphonic acids, and non-ionic dispersants such as EO/PO block copolymers, are commonly included in agrochemical suspensions and suspension concentrates to help disperse the active ingredient in the medium, particularly in concentrates, and improve the suspension and dispersion of the solid agrochemical in the dilute spray formulation.
The present invention is generally directed to agrochemicals in the form of water dilutable suspensions, particularly suspension concentrates, including styrene (meth)acrylic copolymers as dispersing agents for the agrochemical in the suspension concentrate and on mixing with water and in particular can provide good dispersion and suspension properties even after extended storage (ageing) of the suspension concentrate.
The present invention accordingly provides an agrochemical formulation, which is dilutable in water, in the form of a suspension, particularly in an aqueous liquid or a liquid oil based medium, of solid particles including one or more agrochemical active components; and a dispersing agent including a water soluble or dispersible styrene (meth)acrylic acid copolymer.
The present invention includes such an agrochemical formulation which further includes:
1 one or more wetting agents; and/or
2 one or more adjuvants;
The invention includes a method of making a spray mix in which an agrochemical suspension concentrate formulation of the invention is dispersed in water. The invention further includes a method of treating plants in which the plants or the soil surrounding the plants are sprayed with a spray mix made by mixing an agrochemical suspension concentrate formulation of the invention with water.
The agrochemical formulations of and used in the invention particularly take the form of dilutable concentrates which are typically diluted with water to form a suspension (dispersion) of an agrochemical when diluted in water before use, and specifically the invention includes:
a an agrochemical suspension concentrate, in which at least one agrochemical is dispersed in an aqueous carrier fluid, which further includes as a dispersing agent including a water dispersible styrene (meth)acrylic copolymer, and desirably further includes at least one adjuvant surfactant;
b an agrochemical suspension concentrate, in which at least one agrochemical is dispersed in a non-aqueous carrier fluid, which further includes as a dispersing agent including a water dispersible styrene (meth)acrylic copolymer, and desirably further includes at least one adjuvant surfactant;
c an agrochemical suspension concentrate including an agrochemical in microencapsulated form suspended in a carrier fluid which includes as a dispersing agent including a water dispersible styrene (meth)acrylic copolymer, and desirably further includes at least one adjuvant surfactant;
d an agrochemical suspoemulsion concentrate (commonly in the art simply referred to as a “suspoemulsion”) including an agrochemical in water for use, in which solid particles including at least one agrochemical are dispersed in a carrier fluid which includes as a dispersing agent at least one water dispersible styrene (meth)acrylic copolymer, which further includes in solution or dispersion at least one emulsifier and at least one dispersant surfactant and desirably includes at least one adjuvant surfactant;
The water dispersible styrene (meth)acrylic copolymer used in this invention is for convenience sometimes referred to below as a polymeric dispersant. The polymeric dispersant is a styrene (meth)acrylic acid copolymer. The repeating units in the copolymer are conveniently considered as residues of monomer components.
The (meth)acrylic acid monomer(s) can be acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, crotonic acid or a mixture of two or more of these. The (meth)acrylic acid monomer(s) can be or include (meth)acrylic monomers which are derivatives of (meth)acrylic acid which include strong acid, especially sulphate acid or sulphonic acid groups (or their salts). Examples of such monomers include acrylamido methyl propyl sulphonate (AMPS) and (meth)acrylic acid isethionate. When present such strong acid modified monomers usually form from 1 to 30 mole %, more usually 2 to 20 mole %, and desirably from 5 to 15 mole %, of the acrylic acid monomers in the copolymer.
The styrene monomer(s) can be, and desirably is, styrene as such or a substituted styrene particularly a hydrocarbyl, desirably alkyl, substituted styrene, in which the substituent(s) are on the vinyl group or on the aromatic ring of the styrene e.g. &agr;-methyl styrene and vinyl toluene. As with the (meth)acrylic acid monomer, the styrene monomer can be or include styrene monomers including strongly acid, particularly sulphonic acid substituents. When present such strong acid modified monomers usually form from 1 to 30 mole %, more usually 2 to 20 mole %, and desirably from 5 to 15 mole %, of the styrene monomers in the copolymer.
In the water dispersible styrene (meth)acrylic copolymer used in the invention, the molar ratio of residues of the (meth)acrylic acid monomer(s) to those of the styrene monomer(s) is generally from 20:1 to 1:5, more usually 10:1 to 1:2 and particularly from 3:1 to 1:1. Generally correspondingly, the proportions of residues of the monomers by weight are typically from 93 to 10%, more usually 87 to 25%, particularly 67 to 40%, of the (meth)acrylic acid monomer(s) and from 7 to 90%, more usually 13 to 75%, particularly 33 to 60%, of the styrene monomer(s).
Other monomers, such as acidic monomers e.g. itaconic acid or maleic acid or anhydride; strongly acidic monomers such as methallyl sulphonic acid (or a salt); or non-acidic acrylic monomers e.g. acrylic esters which may be alkyl esters particularly C
1
to C
6
alkyl esters such as methyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate or butyl acrylate or hydroxy alkyl esters particularly C
1
to C
6
hydroxyalkyl esters such as hydroxy ethyl methacrylate, or hydroxy propyl methacrylate; or vinyl monomers such as vinyl acetate, can be included. Typically, the proportion of such other monomer(s) will be not more than about 25 mole %, usually not more than about 16 mole %, more usually not more than about 5 mole %, of the total monomers used. The proportion by weight of other monomers will typically be not more than about 30%, usually not more than about 20%, more usually not more than about 10%.
The polymeric dispersant can be a single styrene acrylic acid copolymer or a blend including two or more such copolymers. In particular, when strong acid residues are included in the polymeric dispersant, the dispersant can be a blend of copolymer including strong acid residues and copolymer not including such residues. In such blends, it is generally desirable that the ratio of such copolymers is from 1:10 to 10:1, more usually 5:1 to 1:5, by weight. In particular, the proportion of copolymer including strong acid residues is desirably at least 25%, more usually at least 40%, by weight of the polymeric dispersant.
When strong acid residues are included in the polymeric dispersant, the overall proportion of monomer residues including strong acid groups is desirably from 0.

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