Liquid crystal agrochemical formulations
View Patent ↗An agrochemical composition includes a homogeneous single-phase liquid crystal in thermodynamic equilibrium. The agrochemical composition can be a surfactant composition or a pesticide composition. The surfactant composition is a blend of surfactants, whereas a pesticide composition has an active ingredient and one or more surfactant adjuvants. A pesticide composition, or a surfactant composition in combination with an active ingredient, may be used to control pests.
1. A pesticide composition comprising: an active ingredient and a surfactant adjuvant, wherein the pesticide composition is a homogeneous, anisotropic, single-phase liquid crystal in thermodynamic equilibrium, the pesticide composition exhibits birefringence, and the pesticide composition has a viscosity low enough to be pumped or poured, and wherein the active ingredient is selected from the group consisting of metolachlor, imidacloprid, fluoxastrobin, flumetralin, amicarbazone, tebuconazole, 2,4-D acid, dicamba, glyphosate, a glyphosate salt, and combinations thereof.
2. The pesticide composition of claim 1 , wherein the pesticide composition is one of an herbicide, an insecticide, or a fungicide.
3. The pesticide composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant adjuvant comprises a phosphate ester of an ethoxylated surfactant.
4. The pesticide composition of claim 3 , wherein the surfactant adjuvant is a phosphate ester of an ethoxylated alcohol.
5. The pesticide composition of claim 4 , wherein the surfactant adjuvant further comprises an alkylpolysaccharide.
6. The pesticide composition of claim 1 , wherein the pesticide composition further includes another, different active ingredient.
7. The pesticide composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant adjuvant further comprises a tallow amine ethoxylate.
8. The pesticide composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant adjuvant further comprises a polyetheramine ethoxylate.
9. The pesticide composition of claim 1 , wherein the pesticide composition further comprises glycerin or an ethylene glycol.
10. The pesticide composition of claim 1 , wherein the pesticide composition is a soluble, pourable liquid having a surfactant load that is less than or equal to 20.0 w/w % of the pesticide composition.
11. The pesticide composition of claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient is a solid dispersed in the continuous, homogeneous liquid crystal phase in thermodynamic equilibrium.
12. The pesticide composition of claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient is an oil or is dissolved in an oil, said active ingredient dispersed as a liquid in a continuous homogeneous liquid crystal phase in thermodynamic equilibrium.
13. The pesticide composition of claim 1 , wherein the active ingredient is an oil or is dissolved in an oil, said active ingredient incorporated into a lipophilic layer of a lamellar liquid crystal phase.
14. The pesticide composition of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant adjuvant further comprises a canola dimethylaminopropylamine amidoamine oxide surfactant.
15. A composition comprising: an active ingredient and a surfactant adjuvant blend, wherein the surfactant adjuvant blend is a homogeneous single-phase liquid crystal in thermodynamic equilibrium, the composition is anisotropic, the composition exhibits birefringence, and the composition has a viscosity low enough to be pumped or poured, and wherein the active ingredient is selected from the group consisting of metolachlor, imidacloprid, fluoxastrobin, flumetralin, amicarbazone, tebuconazole, 2,4-D acid, dicamba, glyphosate, a glyphosate salt, and combinations thereof.
16. The composition of claim 15 , wherein one of the surfactants in said surfactant adjuvant blend is an alkylpolysaccharide.
17. The composition of claim 16 , wherein another surfactant in said surfactant adjuvant blend is a phosphate ester surfactant.
18. The composition of claim 17 , wherein the phosphate ester is a phosphate ester of an alcohol ethoxylate.
19. The composition of claim 18 , further including a crop oil penetration aid or a spreading aid.
20. A method of controlling pests by applying the pesticide composition of claim 1 , wherein the pesticide composition is applied to the pest or pest's environment or diluted in a spray solution and applied to the pest or pest's environment.
21. A method of controlling pests by adding the composition of claim 15 to a spray tank dilution containing active ingredient, wherein the final combined spray tank mixture is adapted to be applied to the pest or pest's environment.