Emulsifier system and pesticidal formulations containing the emulsifier system

• US 9,072,294 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cognis International GmbH (BASF SE)
• Original Assignee: Cognis International GmbH (BASF SE)
• Inventors: Pompeo, Michael P., Hailu, Alefesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Soroush, Ali
• Application Number:
  US11/600,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20070191230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,154 Days
• Field of Search: 424/405, 424/497
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 2300/00 Combinations or mixtures of active ingredients covered by classes A01N27/00 - A01N65/48 with other active or formulation relevant ingredients, e.g. specific carrier materials or surfactants, covered by classes A01N25/00 - A01N65/48
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/02 containing liquids as carriers, diluents or solvents
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/04 Dispersions, emulsions, suspoemulsions, suspension concentrates or gels foams A01N25/16
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/30 characterised by the surfactants
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 37/22 the nitrogen atom being directly attached to an aromatic ring system, e.g. anilides
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 43/40 six-membered rings
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 57/12 containing acyclic or cycloaliphatic radicals
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/1629 Organic macromolecular compounds

Abstract

The invention is an emulsifier adjuvant system for forming a substantially solventless or solvent free emulsifiable pesticidal composition. The emulsifier system comprises from about 25 to about 80% by weight, of surfactants in the emulsifier system, of at least one anionic surfactant having an average HLB value of from about 6 to about 11; and from about 20 to about 75% by weight of surfactants in the emulsifier system of at least one nonionic surfactant having an average HLB value of from about 11 to about 18.

The emulsifier and adjuvant system of the invention can form emulsifier concentrates of solventless pesticidal compositions with a concentration of the pesticidal composition up to about 90% by weight.

Claims

1. An emulsifier and adjuvant system for a pesticidal formulation, the emulsifier and adjuvant system comprising:

(a) from about 25% to about 80% by weight, based on the surfactants in the emulsifier system, of one or more hydrophobic anionic surfactants; and

(b) from about 20% to about 75% by weight, based on the surfactants in the emulsifier system, of one or more hydrophilic random or block copolymer nonionic surfactants wherein the random or block copolymer comprises ethylene oxide (EO), propylene oxide (PO), and butylene oxide in a ratio of (PO+BO);

(EO) of about 3;

1 to 1;

1;

wherein said one or more hydrophobic anionic surfactants and said one or more hydrophilic random or block copolymer nonionic surfactants are of the type and are present in the amounts effective to form a pesticide concentrate substantially free of petroleum derived solvents and having from about 75% by weight to about 95% by weight of a pesticide or mixture of pesticides, comprising a herbicide and/or fungicide, and

wherein said pesticides are liquids or low melting solids in which said surfactants are soluble, thereby forming a liquid solution concentrate.

2. The emulsifier and adjuvant system of claim 1 further comprising one or more additional nonionic surfacants.

3. The emulsifier and adjuvant system of claim 1 further comprising one or more additional anionic surfacants.

4. The emulsifier and adjuvant system of claim 1 wherein the anionic surfactant comprises a salt of an alkylbenzene sulfonate containing from about 8 to 22 carbon atoms in the alkyl group.

5. The emulsifier and adjuvant system of claim 4 wherein the anionic surfactant comprises the calcium salt of dodecylbenzene sulfonate.

6. The emulsifier and adjuvant system of claim 2 wherein said additional nonionic surfactants comprise one or more members selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated-propoxylated surfactants, ethoxylated surfactants and propoxylated surfactants, which are nonblock capped at least at one end.

7. The emulsifier and adjuvant system of claim 1 wherein said one or more anionic surfactants has an average HLB value of about 6 to about 11.

8. The emulsifier and adjuvant system of claim 1 wherein said one or more nonionic surfactants has an average HLB value of about 11 to about 18.

9. A pesticidal liquid solution concentrate comprising a pesticide or mixture of pesticides, wherein the pesticide or mixture of pesticides comprises a herbicide and/or fungicide which is liquid or low melting, and the emulsifier and adjuvant system of claim 1, wherein the concentrate is substantially free of petroleum derived solvents.

10. The pesticidal liquid solution concentrate of claim 9 containing from about 10% to about 25% by weight of the emulsifier and adjuvant system, based on the total weight of the pesticidal concentrate.

11. The emulsifier and adjuvant system of claim 1 containing from 30% to 75% by weight of the anionic surfactant;

and from 70% to 25% by weight of the nonionic surfactant.

12. The pesticidal liquid solution concentrate of claim 9 wherein said pesticide comprises a water-immiscible herbicide and/or fungicide.

13. The pesticidal liquid solution concentrate of claim 9 wherein said pesticide comprises a water-miscible herbicide and/or fungicide.

14. A liquid pesticidal composition comprising the liquid solution concentrate of claim 9 and from 95% to 99.999% by weight of water based on the total weight of the composition.

15. The emulsifier and adjuvant system of claim 1 containing from 35% to 70% by weight of the anionic surfactant and from 65% to 30% by weight of the non-ionic surfactant.

16. The pesticidal liquid solution concentrate of claim 9 containing from about 75% by weight to about 95% by weight of pesticide.

17. The pesticidal liquid solution concentrate of claim 9 containing from about 80% by weight to about 88% by weight of pesticide.

20. The emulsifier and adjuvant system of claim 1, containing at most up to about 5% by weight of organic solvent or carrier.

21. The pesticidal liquid solution concentrate of claim 9, further comprising an ester of a fatty acid with a monohydric alcohol of from about 1 to about 4 carbon atoms.

22. The pesticidal liquid solution concentrate of claim 21, wherein the ester of a fatty acid with a monohydric alcohol is a methyl or ethyl ester.

18. An emulsifier and adjuvant system for a pesticidal formulation, the emulsifier and adjuvant system consisting essentially of:

(a) from about 25% to about 80% by weight, based on the surfactants in the emulsifier system, of one or more hydrophobic anionic surfactants;

(b) from about 20% to about 75% by weight, based on the surfactants in the emulsifier system, of one or more hydrophilic random or block copolymer nonionic surfactants, wherein the random or block copolymer comprises ethylene oxide (EO), propylene oxide (PO), and butylene oxide in a ratio of (PO+BO);

(EO) of about 3;

1 to 1;

1; and

(c) optionally, an ester of a fatty acid with a monohydric alcohol of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms;

wherein said one or more hydrophobic anionic surfactants and said one or more hydrophilic random or block copolymer nonionic surfactants are of the type, and are present in the amounts effective to form a pesticide concentrate substantially free of petroleum derived solvents and having from about 75% by weight to about 95% by weight of a pesticide or mixture of pesticides, and

wherein said pesticides are liquids or low melting solids in which said surfactants are soluble, thereby forming a liquid solution concentrate.

19. The emulsifier and adjuvant system of claim 18, wherein said pesticide or mixture of pesticides is selected from the group consisting of herbicides, fungicides and mixtures thereof.