Homogeneous liquid saccharide and oil systems

1. A homogeneous and self-emulsifying oil-based agrochemical concentrate composition, comprising:

a) from 30 to 60 parts by weight of at least one oil component;

b) from 15 to 40 parts by weight of high fructose corn syrup;

c) from 5 to 45 parts by weight of at least one non-ionic surfactant, of the formula:

R 1 —O—A n R 2   (I), or

R 3 —N—(A n R 2 ) 2   (II); and

d) at least one of the following additional components:

i) from 1 to 20 parts by weight of at least one surfactant hydrocarbyl saccharide;

ii) from 1 to 20 parts by weight of at least one anionic surfactant; or

iii) from 1 to 20 parts by weight of at least one further non-ionic surfactant; wherein:

R 1 represents a hydrocarbyl, hydrocarbonyl, or hydrocarbamidyl group having from 6 to 24 carbon atoms, a glycerol or polyglycerol group, or a sorbitan or sorbitol group;

A represents a polyalkylene oxide unit containing an average of n alkylene oxide groups or mixed alkylene oxide groups, wherein the alkylene groups each have 2 to 8 carbon atoms;

n represents a value between 0 and 40;

R 2 represents a hydrogen or hydrocarbonyl residue having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, or a polycarboxylic acid residue of malate, fumarate, maleate, succinate, or citrate, or an oligomer thereof; and

R 3 represents a hydrocarbyl or hydrocarbonyl group having 8 to 22 carbon atoms; and

wherein the total surfactant comprises from 10% to 50% by weight of the concentrate.

2. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one of the additional components of d) are present.

3. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the additional components of d) is present in an amount of from 2 to 15 parts by weight.

4. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the additional components of d) is present in an amount of from 2 to 15 parts by weight.

5. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 1 , wherein the oil component has a boiling point of over 200 ° C.

6. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 1 , wherein the oil component comprises a mineral oil, a vegetable oil, an ester of a C 8 to C 22 fatty acid, or a mixture of more than one of these.

7. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 1 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant component is one or more of the following: an alkoxylated fatty acid, a polyalkylene glycol ester, an alkoxylated glyceride, an alkoxylated sorbitan and/or a sorbitol ester, an alkylphenol alkoxylate, an alcohol alkoxylate, an alkylamine alkoxylate, an alkanolamide and/or an alkoxylated alkanolamide.

8. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 1 , wherein:

i) the at least one surfactant hydrocarbyl saccharide component is of the formula:

ROGa

wherein:

R represents a hydrophobic moiety;

G represents a saccharide residue; and

a represents an average value of at least 1 ;

ii) the at least one anionic surfactant component is of the formula:

R 1 —O—A n —Xtm (I), or

R 1 —Xtm (II)

wherein:

R 1 represents a hydrocarbyl group having 6 to 24 carbon atoms;

A represents a polyalkylene oxide unit containing an average of n alkylene oxide groups or mixed alkylene oxide groups, where the alkylene groups each have 2 to 8 carbon atoms;

n represents a value between 0 and 60; and

X represents a group including at least one acidic H atom or salt thereof; and

iii) the at least one further non-ionic surfactant component is of the formula:

R 1 —O—A n R 2   (I), or

R 3 —N—(A n R 2 ) 2   (II)

wherein:

R 1 represents a hydrocarbyl, hydrocarbonyl, or hydrocarbamidyl group having from 6 to 24 carbon atoms, a glycerol or polyglycerol group, or a sorbitan or sorbitol group;

A represents a polyalkylene oxide unit containing an average of n alkylene oxide groups or mixed alkylene oxide groups, where the alkylene groups each have 2 to 8 carbon atoms;

n represents a value between 0 and 40;

R 2 represents hydrogen or a hydrocarbonyl group having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, or a polycarboxylic acid residue of malate, fumarate, maleate, succinate, or citrate, or an oligomer thereof; and

R 3 represents a hydrocarbyl or hydrocarbonyl group having 8 to 22 carbon atoms.

9. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 8 , wherein:

the at least one alkyl polysaccharide component is an alkyl polyglucoside of the general formula:

C n H( 2n+1 )—O—(C 6 H 10 O 5 ) b H

where n is from 8 to 14 and b is greater than or equal to one and less than three.

10. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 9 , wherein the at least one anionic surfactant component is one or more of the following: an alkyl carboxylate and/or an alkyl ether carboxylate, an alkyl sulfate and/or an alkyl ether sulfate or alkylphenyl ether sulfate, an alkyl phosphate or an alkylphenyl phosphate and/or an alkyl ether phosphate or alkylphenyl ether phosphate, an alkyl sulfosuccinate or an alkylphenyl sulfosuccinate and/or an alkyl ether sulfosuccinate or an alkylphenyl ether sulfosuccinate, an alkyl sulfonate or an alkylphenyl sulfonate, and/or an alkyl phosphonate or an alkylphenyl phosphonate.

11. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 9 , wherein at least one further non-ionic surfactant component is one or more of the following: glycerol or a polyglycerol ester, sorbitol or a sorbitan ester, an ethylene glycol ester or a propylene glycol ester, a polyethylene glycol ester and/or a fatty alcohol.

12. A homogeneous and self-emulsifying oil-based agrochemical concentrate composition, comprising:

a) from 30 to 60 parts by weight of at least one oil component;

b) from 15 to 40 parts by weight of high fructose corn syrup;

c) from 5 to 45 parts by weight of at least one C 8 to C 22 hydrocarbyl amine alkoxylate surfactant, wherein said surfactant comprises from 10% to 50% by weight of the concentrate; and

d) at least one of the following additional components:

i) from 1 to 20 parts by weight of at least one surfactant hydrocarbyl saccharide;

ii) from 1 to 20 parts by weight of at least one anionic surfactant; or

iii) from 1 to 20 parts by weight of at least one further non-ionic surfactant.

13. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 12 , wherein each of the at least one of the additional components of d) are present.

14. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 12 , wherein the at least one of the additional components of d) is present in an amount of from 2 to 15 parts by weight.

15. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 12 , wherein the oil component has a boiling point of over 200° C.

16. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 12 , wherein the oil component comprises a mineral oil, a vegetable oil, an ester of a C 8 to C 22 fatty acid, or a mixture of more than one of these.

17. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 12 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant component is an alkylamine ethoxylate.

18. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 12 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant component further includes one or more of the following: an alkoxylated fatty acid, a polyalkylene glycol ester, an alkoxylated glyceride, an alkoxylated sorbitan and/or a sorbitol ester, an alkylphenol alkoxylate, an alcohol alkoxylate, an alkanolamide and/or an alkoxylated alkanolamide.

19. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 12 , wherein:

i) the at least one surfactant hydrocarbyl saccharide component is of the formula:

ROGa

wherein:

R represents a hydrophobic moiety;

G represents a saccharide residue; and

a represents an average value of at least 1 ,

ii) the at least one anionic surfactant component is of the formula:

R 1 —O—A n —X  (I), or

R 1 —X  (II)

wherein:

R 1 represents a hydrocarbyl group having 6 to 24 carbon atoms;

A represents a polyalkylene oxide unit containing an average of n alkylene oxide groups or mixed alkylene oxide groups, wherein the alkylene groups each have 2 to 8 carbon atoms;

n represents a value between 0 and 60; and

X represents a group including at least one acidic H atom or salt thereof; and

iii) the at least one additional nonionic surfactant component is of the formula:

R 1 —O—A n R 2   (I), or

R 3 —N—(A n R 2 ) 2   (II)

wherein:

R 1 represents a hydrocarbyl, hydrocarbonyl, or hydrocarbamidyl group having from 6 to 24 carbon atoms, a glycerol or polyglycerol group, or a sorbitan or sorbitol group;

A represents a polyalkylene oxide unit containing an average of n alkylene oxide groups or mixed alkylene oxide groups, where the alkylene groups each have 2 to 8 carbon atoms;

n represents a value between 0 and 40;

R 2 represents hydrogen or a hydrocarbonyl group having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, or a polycarboxylic acid residue of malate, fumarate, maleate, succinate, or citrate, or an oligomer thereof; and

R 3 represents a hydrocarbyl or hydrocarbonyl group having 8 to 22 carbon atoms.

20. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 19 , wherein:

the at least one surfactant hydrocarbyl saccharide component is an alkyl polyglucoside of the general formula:

C n H( 2n+1 )—O—(C 6 H 10 O 5 ) b H

where n is from 8 to 14 and b is greater than or equal to one and less than three.

21. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 19 , wherein the at least one anionic surfactant component is one or more of the following: an alkyl carboxylate and/or an alkyl ether carboxylate, an alkyl sulfate and/or an alkyl ether sulfate or alkylphenyl ether sulfate, an alkyl phosphate or an alkylphenyl phosphate and/or an alkyl ether phosphate or an alkylphenyl ether phosphate, an alkyl sulfosuccinate or an alkylphenyl sulfosuccinate and/or an alkyl ether sulfosuccinate or an alkylphenyl ether sulfosuccinate, an alkyl sulfonate or an alkylphenyl sulfonate, and/or an alkyl phosphonate or an alkylphenyl phosphonate.

22. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 19 , wherein the at least one further non-ionic surfactant component is one or more of the following: a glycerol or a polyglycerol ester, a sorbitol or a sorbitan ester, an ethylene glycol ester or a propylene glycol ester, a polyethylene glycol ester and/or a fatty alcohol.

23. A homogeneous and self-emulsifying oil-based agrochemical concentrate composition which comprises:

a) 30-60 parts by weight of mineral oil;

b) 15-40 parts by weight of high fructose corn syrup; and

c) 10-45 parts by weight of ethoxylated tallowamine, wherein the ethoxylated tallowamine comprises 10-50% by weight of the concentrate; and

further comprises at least one of the following additional components:

d) 2-10 parts by weight of a C 9 -C 11 alkyl polysaccharide;

e) 2-10 parts by weight of dodecylbenzenesulfonate, isopropylamine salt; and

f) 2-10 parts by weight of sorbitan monooleate.

24. The agrochemical concentrate composition of claim 23 , wherein each of the at least one of the additional components of d), e), and f), are present.