Glyphosate formulations containing etheramine surfactants

Abstract

Herbicidal compositions are provided comprising glyphosate or a salt thereof and an etheramine surfactant having the representative chemical structure (a)wherein R1 is a straight or branched chain C6 to about C22 alkyl, aryl or alkylaryl group, m is an average number from 1 to about 10, R2 in each of the m (O-R2) groups is independently C1-C4 alkylene, R3 groups are independently C1-C4 alkylene, and x and y are average numbers such that x+y is in the range from 2 to about 60; or (b)wherein R1 is a straight or branched chain C6 to about C22 alkyl, aryl or alkylaryl group, m is an average number from 1 to about 10, R2 in each of the m (O-R2) groups is independently C1-C4 alkylene, R3 groups are independently C1-C4 alkylene, R4 is C1-C4 alkyl, x and y are average numbers such that x+y is in the range from 0 to about 60, and A- is an agriculturally acceptable anion; or (c)wherein R1 is a straight or branched chain C6 to about C22 alkyl, aryl or alkylaryl group, m is an average number from 1 to about 10, R2 is each of the m (O-R2) groups is independently C1-C4 alkylene, R3 groups are independently C1-C4 alkylene, and x and y are average numbers such that x+y is in the range from 2 to about 60.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTIONNovel agriculturally acceptable formulations of the herbicide N-phosphonomethylglycine (glyphosate) comprising tertiary or quaternary etheramine or etheramine oxide surfactants are provided.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONGlyphosate is well known as a highly effective and commercially important herbicide useful for combating the presence of a wide variety of unwanted vegetation, including a agricultural weeds. Glyphosate is conventionally applied as a formulated product dissolved in water to the foliage of annual and perennial grasses and broad leaf plants and the like, is taken up over a period of time into the leaves, and thereafter translocates throughout the plant.Usually, glyphosate is formulated in commercial compositions in the form of a water-soluble salt. Salts in commercial use include the ammonium salt, alkylamine salts, such as the isopropylamine salt, alkali metal salts, such as the sodium salt, and the trimethylsulfonium salt. However, formulations of ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

A surprising advantage of aqueous compositions of the invention over prior art compositions is that the glyphosate concentration can be increased to very high levels, for example from about 450 to about 500 g a.e. / l, yet the surfactant concentration is still adequate to give excellent herbicidal performance without the end-user requiring to add more surfactant in the spray tank. Many such highly concentrated compositions have remarkably good storage stability under a wide range of temperature conditions.

Problems solved by technology

A drawback of ethoxylated tertiary alkylamine surfactants of prior art is that when included in concentrate formulations at levels consistent with good herbicidal performance, they tend to be irritant to eyes.

A further drawback of ethoxylated tertiary alkylamine surfactants of the prior art is that when water is added to them, they tend to form a stiff gel which adds to the complexity and expense of manufacturing formulations containing such surfactants, by making it difficult to clean vessels and pipes.

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