Surfactant systems for agriculturally active compounds

Details Surfactant systems for agriculturally active compounds Surfactant systems for agriculturally active compounds

2002-09-05

2004-06-08

Clardy, S. Mark (Department: 1616)

Plant protecting and regulating compositions

Plant growth regulating compositions

Plural active ingredients

C504S128000, C504S133000, C504S134000, C504S136000, C504S149000, C504S363000, C514S777000, C514S975000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06746988

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides surfactant systems and agricultural compositions that contain a surfactant system and one or more agriculturally active compounds. The surfactant systems may comprise alkyl polyglycosides, anionic surfactants, basic compounds, and/or nonionic surfactants. The surfactant systems and agricultural compositions exhibit excellent chemical and physical stability as well as tank-mix compatibility properties that are highly desirable for commercial products in the agricultural chemicals industry.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The challenge involved in developing commercially acceptable products containing agriculturally active compounds continues to increase due to the rapid emergence of more complex customer and regulatory requirements. The formulation of products containing multiple active ingredients with very different physical properties is increasingly required in the marketplace to provide a broader spectrum of biological activity in a single product offering. These agricultural compositions must exhibit excellent chemical stability and must also maintain a high level of physical stability under a severe range of storage and use conditions. Handling of a liquid product in bulk storage facilities represents a special challenge because the product can be subject to high shear forces at both high and low temperatures. The complexity of the application medium into which the compositions will be blended is also rapidly increasing, creating significant new requirements for compatibility in the application process. This emerging area of performance is critical to customer satisfaction and commercial success with a product since poor compatibility in the final use mixture can cause blockage of sprayer screens and nozzles, preventing proper application of the product. At the same time that the demand on the agrochemical composition performance has been increasing, the number of auxiliary chemicals approved for use in agrochemical compositions by the U.S. EPA has been decreasing due to more stringent standards for the toxicological and ecological properties of these materials.
There is a need in the art for new surfactant systems comprising combinations and applications of auxiliary chemicals which have both unique performance characteristics and a good environmental safety profile. The invention is directed to this, as well as other, important ends.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides surfactant systems comprising at least one alkyl polyglycoside; at least one anionic surfactant selected from polyarylphenol polyalkoxyether sulfates and polyarylphenol polyalkoxyether phosphates; at least one basic compound; and, optionally, at least one nonionic surfactant. The at least one anionic surfactant is preferably neutralized to the inflection point in the titration curve with the at least one basic compound. The surfactant systems may further comprise agriculturally active compounds and/or water.
The invention provides agricultural compositions comprising at least one agriculturally active compound; at least one alkyl polyglycoside; at least one anionic surfactant selected from polyarylphenol polyalkoxyether sulfates and polyarylphenol polyalkoxyether phosphates; at least one basic compound; and, optionally, at least one nonionic surfactant. The at least one anionic surfactant is preferably neutralized to the inflection point in the titration curve with the at least one basic compound. The agricultural compositions may further comprise water.
The invention provides flowable concentrates comprising water; at least one agriculturally active compound; at least one alkyl polyglycoside; at least one anionic surfactant selected from polyarylphenol polyalkoxyether sulfates and polyarylphenol polyalkoxyether phosphates; at least one basic compound; and, optionally, at least one nonionic surfactant. The at least one anionic surfactant is preferably neutralized to the inflection point in the titration curve with the at least one basic compound. The flowable concentrates may be, for example, suspoemulsions, aqueous suspension concentrates, aqueous emulsion concentrates, or oil-miscible flowable concentrates.
The invention provides water-in-oil emulsions, capsule emulsions and polymer-stabilized aqueous emulsions comprising water; at least one agriculturally active compound; at least one alkyl polyglycoside; at least one anionic surfactant selected from polyarylphenol polyalkoxyether sulfates and polyarylphenol polyalkoxyether phosphates; at least one basic compound; and, optionally, at least one nonionic surfactant. The at least one anionic surfactant is preferably neutralized to the inflection point in the titration curve with the at least one basic compound.
The surfactant systems, agricultural compositions, flowable concentrates, water-in-oil emulsions, capsule emulsions, and polymer-stabilized aqueous emulsions of the invention may further comprise other additives, such as thickeners, flow enhancers, wetting agents, antifoaming agents, buffers, lubricants, fillers, drift control agents, deposition enhancers, adjuvants, evaporation retardants, frost protecting agents, insect attracting odor agents, fragrances, and the like.
These and other aspects of the invention are described in more detail below.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
It has been unexpectedly discovered that anionic surfactants neutralized with a basic component, plus an alkyl polyglycoside, and, optionally, a nonionic surfactant, result in surfactant systems that produce agricultural concentrates that exhibit good chemical and physical stability in normal storage conditions and also show good compatibility in a variety of tank mix conditions. Without intending to be bound by any theory of the invention, the surfactants act not only as stabilizers but may also provide an adjuvant effect for some of the agriculturally active compounds.
Any alkyl polyglycoside known in the art can be used in the invention. The alkyl polyglycoside of the invention may have formula (I):
R
1
O(R
2
O)
b
(Z)
a
  (I)
R
1
is a monovalent organic radical having from about 6 to about 30 carbon atoms. R
1
is preferably a C
8-22
alkyl or alkenyl group, more preferably a C
8-11
alkyl group. R
2
is a divalent alkylene radical having from about 2 to about 4 carbon atoms. R
2
is preferably ethylene or propylene, more preferably ethylene. b is 0 to about 100. b is preferably 0 to about 12, more preferably 0. Z is a saccharide residue having about 5 to about 6 carbon atoms. Z may be glucose, mannose, fructose, galasctose, talose, gulose, altrose, allose, apiose, gallose, idose, ribose, arabinose, xylose, lyxose, or a mixture thereof. Z is preferably glucose. a is an integer from 1 to about 6. a is preferably from 1 to about 3, more preferably about 2.
Preferred compounds of formula (I) are compounds of formula (II):
where n is the degree of polymerization and is from 1 to 3, preferably 1 or 2, and R
5
is a branched or straight chain alkyl group having from 4 to 18 carbon atoms or a mixture of alkyl groups having from 4 to 18 carbon atoms.
Exemplary alkyl polyglycosides include APG® 325 (Cognis Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio) (an alkyl polyglycoside in which the alkyl group contains 9 to 11 carbon atoms and has an average degree of polymerization of 1.6), PLANTAREN® 2000 (Cognis Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio) (an alkyl polyglycoside in which the alkyl group contains 8 to 16 carbon atoms and has an average degree of polymerization of 1.4), PLANTARN®) 1300 (Cognis Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio) (an alkyl polyglycoside in which the alkyl group contains 12 to 16 carbon atoms and has an average degree of polymerization of 1.6), AGRIMUL® PG 2067 (Cognis Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio) (an alkyl polyglycoside in which the alkyl group contains 8 to 10 carbon atoms and has an average degree of polymerization of 1.7), AGRIMUL® PG 2069 (Cognis Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio) (an alkyl polyglycoside in which the alkyl group contains 9 to 11 carbon atoms and has an average degree of polymerization of 1.6), AGRIM

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