Plant protecting and regulating compositions – Plant growth regulating compositions – Designated nonactive ingredient containing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-09
2002-01-22
Clardy, S. Mark (Department: 1616)
Plant protecting and regulating compositions
Plant growth regulating compositions
Designated nonactive ingredient containing
C514S770000, C514S949000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06340656
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Solid agricultural compositions which may be applied to the surface water of paddy fields are known in the art (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,733 and JP 6-321704).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,733 describes agrochemical formulations for water surface application. These formulations require: (1) a solid core material having an apparent specific density of less than 1 and a particle diameter within the range from about 300 &mgr;m to about 1,400 &mgr;m; and (2) at least one oily substance. However, this patent does not disclose any extruded formulations. It is difficult to prepare extruded formulations containing large particle sizes of low-density carriers because large, low-density particles are not entirely stable to the conditions encountered during extrusion processes. In addition, the use of oily substances is not entirely satisfactory because oily substances may reduce the uniformity of the extruded composition and/or may decrease the flash point of the finished product.
JP 6-321704 describes pesticidal formulations for water surface application. The formulations described in JP 6-321704 require hollow, glass bodies having an average particle diameter of 100 &mgr;m or less. However, that application does not disclose any extruded formulations. It is difficult to prepare extruded formulations containing hollow, glass bodies because hollow, glass bodies are not entirely stable to the conditions encountered during extrusion processes.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a light, extruded composition which avoids the use of low-density carriers having a particle range of about 300 &mgr;m to 1,400 &mgr;m; oily substances; and/or hollow, glass bodies.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for applying at least one agricultural compound to the water of paddy fields by applying to the water surface of the paddy fields a light, extruded composition.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a process for the preparation of a light, extruded composition.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description below and the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a light, extruded composition which comprises at least one agricultural compound; a light, extrudable, ceramic carrier; and at least one surface active agent.
The present invention also relates to a method for applying at least one agricultural compound to the water of paddy fields which method comprises applying to the water surface of the paddy fields a light, extruded composition comprising at least one agricultural compound; a light, extrudable, ceramic carrier; and at least one surface active agent.
The present invention further provides a process for the preparation of the light, extruded compositions of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The light, extruded compositions of this invention comprise at least one agricultural compound; a light, extrudable, ceramic carrier; and at least one surface active agent.
Preferred light, extruded compositions of the present invention are those comprising at least one agricultural compound; a light, extrudable, ceramic carrier; at least one surface active agent; a mineral carrier; and a binder.
More preferred light, extruded compositions of the present invention are those comprising, on a weight to weight basis, about 0.5% to 75% of one or more agricultural compound(s); about 15% to 90% of a light, extrudable, ceramic carrier; about 2% to 20% of one or more surface active agent(s); about 1% to 30% of a mineral carrier; and about 0.1% to 10% of a binder.
Most preferred light, extruded compositions of this invention are those comprising, on a weight to weight basis, about 1% to 60% of one or more agricultural compound(s); about 20% to 60% of a light, extrudable, ceramic carrier; about 2% to 15% of one or more surface active agent(s); about 1% to 15% of a mineral carrier; and about 0.5% to 5% of a binder.
The light, extrudable, ceramic carrier is an especially important element of the present compositions because: (1) the light, extrudable, ceramic carrier lowers the density of the compositions, and (2) the light, extrudable, ceramic carrier does not lose its desirable low density property when subjected to the process steps used to prepare the compositions of this invention. In contrast, hollow, glass bodies, which are used in conventional light, solid compositions, are not entirely stable to conditions encountered during the preparation of light, extruded compositions. In particular, hollow, glass bodies are not entirely stable to the pressure and shearing forces encountered in processes which include an extrusion step.
Light, extrudable, ceramic carriers suitable for use in this invention include ceramic carriers having a density less than the medium to which the light, extruded compositions are to be applied. The light, extrudable, ceramic carrier typically has a density of less than 1 g/cm
3
, and preferably has a density of from about 0.5 g/cm
3
to 0.8 g/cm
3
. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the light, extrudable, ceramic carrier is prepared by: (1) heating a naturally occuring mineral composition which comprises silicon(IV) oxide, aluminum oxide, calcium oxide, iron(III) oxide and titanium(IV) oxide; (2) selecting particles having a density of from about 0.5 g/cm
3
to 0.8 g/cm
3
; and (3) sieving the particles to obtain a light, extrudable, ceramic carrier having the desired particle size range. In another preferred embodiment of this invention, the light, extrudable, ceramic carrier is prepared from a composition which comprises, on a weight to weight basis, about 50% to 60% silicon(IV) oxide, about 25% to 45% aluminum oxide, about 0.1% to 6% calcium oxide, about 0.1% to 3% iron(III) oxide and about 0.1% to 2% titanium(IV) oxide. To ensure that the light, extrudable, ceramic carrier retains its desirable low density property, the light, extrudable, ceramic carrier preferably has a pressure strength (>40% survival) greater than about 150 kg/cm
2
, and more preferably greater than about 500 kg/cm
2
. The light, extrudable, ceramic carrier of the present invention preferably has an average particle size of about 20 &mgr;m to 300 &mgr;m, and more preferably, about 100 &mgr;m to 250 &mgr;m. Examples of light, extrudable, ceramic carriers suitable for use in the compositions of this invention include the E-SPHERES line of hollow, ceramic spheres commercially available from Taiheiyo Cement, Tokyo, Japan.
Agricultural compounds suitable for use in the light, extruded compositions of this invention include, but are not limited to, herbicides, insecticides, acaricides, nematicides, fungicides, molluscicides, plant growth regulators, safeners, algicides, and mildewicides, and mixtures thereof.
Herbicides suitable for use in the compositions of this invention include, but are not limited to, 2,4-D, 2,4-D-2-ethylhexyl, 2,4-D-isobutyl, 2,4-D-butyl, 2,4-D-calcium, 2,4-D-dimethylammonium, 2,4-D-diolamine, 2,4-D-isooctyl, 2,4-D-isopropyl, 2,4-D-potassium, 2,4-D-sodium, 2,4-D-trolamine, azimsulfuron, bensulfuron-methyl, bentazone, benzofenap, bifenox, bromobutide, butachlor, cafenstrole, chlormethoxynil, chlornitrofen, chlorthiamid, cinmethylin, cinosulfuron, clomeprop, cyclosulfamuron, cyclosulfamuron sodium salt, cyhalofop-butyl, dimepiperate, dimethametryn, dithiopyr, dymron, esprocarb, ethoxysulfuron, etobenzanid, fentrazamid, imazosulfuron, MCPA, MCPA-butyl, MCPA-calcium, MCPA-dimethylammonium, MCPA-isooctyl, MCPA-potassium, MCPA-sodium, MCPB, MCPB-ethyl, MCPB-sodium, MCPCA, mefenacet, molinate, napro-anilide, oxadiazon, oxaziclomefone, pendimethalin, pentoxazone, piperophos, pretilachlor, prometryn, propanil, pyrazolate, pyrazosulfuron-ethyl, pyrazoxyfen, pyributicarb, simetryn, swep, thenylchlor, and thiobencarb, and mixtures thereof. Cyclosulfamuron, cafenstrole, and dymron, and mixtures thereof are preferred herbicides for use in the compositions of thi
Kimpara Masaomi
Suzuki Munehiro
Takayanagi Norikazu
American Cyanamid Co.
Clardy S. Mark
Maurer Barbara V.
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