Microencapsulated Clomazone Formulation Reducing Volatility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Clomazone, a highly effective herbicide, is highly volatile, leading to unintended bleaching and contamination of non-target plants and groundwater due to its volatility, and existing encapsulated formulations fail to significantly reduce volatility and maintain bioefficacy.
Innovation Solution
A microencapsulated clomazone formulation with a polymeric shell wall formed by interfacial polymerization, incorporating a stabilizing effective amount of polymers and copolymers of terpenes, which reduces volatility and improves shell wall plasticity, thereby minimizing off-target vapor transfer and maintaining bioefficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If clomazone is applied in conventional emulsifiable concentrated formulation, then herbicidal efficacy is achieved, but volatility causes off-target damage and whitening of non-target plants
Solution Approach 1:
The clomazone active ingredient is segmented into individual microcapsules, each containing a small amount of the herbicide. This segmentation prevents the bulk movement and volatility of free clomazone, as the encapsulated form releases the active ingredient gradually rather than allowing rapid vaporization that causes off-target damage
Solution Approach 2:
A polymeric shell wall is formed around the clomazone using interfacial polymerization between aqueous and organic phases. This flexible polymeric membrane encapsulates the active ingredient, providing a barrier that reduces volatility while allowing controlled release through the shell wall, thereby maintaining herbicidal efficacy without the harmful volatility effects
2Stability of the object's composition
If encapsulation is attempted using polyurea and polyamide polymeric shells, then encapsulation structure is formed, but volatility reduction is insufficient and physical characteristics deteriorate with agglomeration and capsule wall breaking
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical and physical parameters of the polymeric shell by using specific monomer ratios and interfacial polymerization conditions. This creates a shell with optimized plasticity and flexibility that prevents breakage during spray application while maintaining effective volatility reduction, overcoming the limitations of rigid polyurea and polyamide shells
Solution Approach 2:
The encapsulation system uses a composite structure formed by interfacial polymerization between aqueous and organic phases, creating a polymeric shell with combined properties of both phases. This composite shell structure provides both mechanical stability to prevent agglomeration and breakage, and sufficient volatility reduction, unlike the single-material approaches that failed
3Stability of the object's composition
If interfacial polymerization is used to form encapsulated formulation, then capsule structure is created, but poor solubility of clomazone in water results in poorly defined droplets and increased free active ingredient in aqueous phase
Solution Approach 1:
An organic phase acts as an intermediary medium during interfacial polymerization, providing a environment where clomazone can be properly solubilized and distributed. This organic phase mediates between the water-insoluble clomazone and the aqueous polymerization medium, ensuring proper droplet formation and preventing excessive free active ingredient in the aqueous phase by maintaining clomazone within the encapsulation process
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The formulation achieves substantial reduction in volatility, minimizing off-site injury and maintaining herbicidal efficacy throughout its shelf life, with reduced permeation of the shell wall to the active ingredient, resulting in effective weed control with minimal damage to non-target plants.
Implementation Method 1
a microencapsulated clomazone formulation with a polymeric shell wall formed by interfacial polymerization
Implementation Method 2
an acceptable release rate of the active ingredient clomazone. It is believed that an improvement in plasticity of the polymeric shell wall would substantially reduce the permeation of the shell wall to the active ingredient
Data Source
AI summary
A storage stable capsule suspension formulation comprising clomazone encapsulated within a polymeric shell wall of microcapsules, a process for the preparation thereof and method of controlling weeds utilizing said formulation.