Agricultural foam marker compositions and use thereof

• US 6,369,122 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rhodia Operations (Solvac SA)
• Original Assignee: Rhodia Incorporated
• Inventors: Subramanyam, Rajeev
• Primary Examiner(s): Foelak, Morton
• Application Number:
  US09/723,066
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 47/15, 47/2, 521/65, 521/78
• US Class Current: 521/65
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/16 Foams

Abstract

Aqueous agricultural foam marker compositions for delineating treated from untreated areas comprise foamable compositions of an anionic surfactant which is an β-olefin sulfonate, an alkyl or alkyl-ether sulfate, a long chain alkylbenzene sulfonate or a sulfosuccinate; a linear C₁₄ or C₁₆ alkanol or mixtures thereof; one or more solvents; and optionally a foam stabilizing polymer. The foam produced from the compositions have increased foam life, a pour point of 10° C. or lower, and are producable over a wide range of soft/hard water conditions.

Claims

1. A foamable aqueous agricultural foam marker concentrate composition for dilution with about 100 parts by weight or more of water based on one part by weight of the concentrate, the foam marker concentrate having a pour point of 10°

C. or less and comprising;

(a) about 10 to about 40 wt % of at least one anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of salts of an α

-olefin sulfonate having from about 12 to about 16 carbon atoms, salts of an alkyl or alkyl-ether sulfate having from 8 to about 16 carbon atoms, salts of a C₁₂-C₁₆ alkylbenzene sulfonate, and salts of an sulfosuccinate;

(b) from about 10 to about 30 wt %, based on the total amount of anionic surfactant component in the formulation, of a linear alkanol selected from the group consisting of a C₁₄ linear alkanol, C₁₆ linear alkanol or a mixture of C₁₄ to C₁₆ linear alkanols;

(c) from about 5 to about 40% wt % of one or more solvents selected from the group consisting of 2-butoxyethanol, diethylene glycol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, and butanol; and

(d) optionally, from about 3 to about 20 wt % of a foam stabilizing polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyacrylic acid and salts thereof having a molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 500,000, an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymer having a molecular weight up to about 30,000, a polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of 400 or greater, and a biopolymer having a molecular weight of about 100,000 or greater;

wherein the weight percents, unless otherwise specified, are based on the total weight of the concentrate composition and the weight percent of the anionic surfactant is on a dry weight basis of the surfactant.

2. A foamable aqueous agricultural foam marker concentrate composition according to claim 1 wherein the linear alkanol is a C₁₄ alkanol or a mixture of C₁₄ and C₁₆ alkanols in which the C₁₄ alkanol comprises at least 20 wt % of the alkanols, and the anionic surfactant of component (a) is a sodium α

-olefin sulfonate.

3. A foamable aqueous agricultural foam marker concentrate composition according to claim 1 wherein the linear alkanol is a C₁₄ alkanol or a mixture of C₁₄ and C,₆ alkanols in which the C₁₄ alkanol comprises at least 20 wt % of the alkanols, and the anionic surfactant is a sodium lauryl ether sulphate.

4. A foamable aqueous agricultural foam marker concentrate composition according to claim 1 wherein the alkanol comprises only a C₁₄ alkanol.

5. A foamable aqueous agricultural foam marker concentrate composition according to claim 1 wherein the alkanol component is a mixture of C₁₄ and C₁₆ alkanols.

6. A ready-to-use aqueous agricultural foam marker formulation, the foam marker formulation comprising:

(a) about 0.10 to about 0.40 wt 5 of at least one anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of salts of an α

-olefin sulfonate having from about 12 to about 16 carbon atoms, salts of an alkyl or alkyl-ether sulfate having from 8 to about 16 carbon atoms, salts of a C₁₂-C₆ alkylbenzene sulfonate, and salts of an sulfosuccinate;

(b) from about 10 to about 30 wt %, based on the total amount of anionic surfactant component in the formulation, of a linear alkanol selected from the group consisting of a C₁₄ linear alkanol, C₁₆ linear alkanol or a mixture of C₁₄ to C₁₆ linear alkanols;

(c) from about 0.05 to about 0.4% wt % of one or more solvents selected from the group consisting of 2-butoxyethanol, diethylene glycol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, and butanol;

(d) water; and

(e) optionally from about 0.03 to about 0.20 wt % of a foam stabilizing polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyacrylic acid and salts thereof and having a molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 500,000, an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymer having a molecular weight of up to about 30,000 a polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of 400 or greater, and a biopolymer having a molecular weight of about 100,000 or greater;

wherein the weight percents, unless otherwise specified, are based on the total weight of the ready-to-use formulation and the weight percent of the anionic surfactant is on a dry weight basis of the surfactant.

7. A ready-to-use formulation according to claim 6 wherein the alkanol component comprises only C₁₄ alkanol.

8. A ready-to-use formulation according to claim 6 wherein the alkanol component comprises a mixture of C₁₄ and C₁₆ alkanols and at least about 20 wt % of the alkanols is a C₁₄ alkanol.

9. A ready-to-use formulation according to claim 6 additionally comprising from about 0.01 to about 0.10 wt % of a chelating agent.

10. A ready-to-use formulation according to claim 6 wherein the linear alkanol is a C₁₄ alkanol or a mixture of C₁₄ and C₁₆ alkanols in which the C₁₄ alkanol comprises at least 20 wt % of the alkanols, and the anionic surfactant of component (a) is a sodium α

-olefin sulfonate.

11. A ready-to-use formulation according to claim 6 wherein the linear alkanol is a C₁₄ alkanol or a mixture of C₁₄ and C₁₆ alkanols in which the C₁₄ alkanol comprises at least 20 wt % of the alkanols, and the anionic surfactant of component (a) is a sodium lauryl ether sulphate.

12. In a method of depositing a foam marker at the edge of an agricultural area being treated to distinguish treated area from untreated area, the improvement comprising depositing a foam marker produced from a ready-to-use formulation according to claim 6.

13. In a method of depositing a foam marker at the edge of an agricultural area being treated to distinguish treated area from untreated area, the improvement comprising depositing a foam marker produced from a ready-to-use formulation according to claim 7.

14. In a method of depositing a foam marker at the edge of an agricultural area being treated to distinguish treated area from untreated area, the improvement comprising depositing a foam marker produced from a ready-to-use formulation according to claim 8.

15. In a method of depositing a foam marker at the edge of an agricultural area being treated to distinguish treated area from untreated area, the improvement comprising depositing a foam marker produced from a ready-to-use formulation according to claim 9.

16. In a method of depositing a foam marker at the edge of an agricultural area being treated to distinguish treated area from untreated area, the improvement comprising depositing a foam marker produced from a ready-to-use formulation according to claim 10.

17. In a method of depositing a foam marker at the edge of an agricultural area being treated to distinguish treated area from untreated area, the improvement comprising depositing a foam marker produced from a ready-to-use formulation according to claim 11.