Defoaming Composition for Crop Protection Formulations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current agrochemical formulations with high concentrations of surfactants and adjuvants, such as those containing glufosinate or glyphosate, face issues with foam formation during preparation and application, leading to equipment overflow, environmental contamination, and uneven spray deposits, while existing defoamers like PFPA and PFPIA have environmental concerns and inadequate performance in hard water conditions.
Innovation Solution
A defoaming composition comprising a fatty acid ester with a C8-C16 carboxylic acid moiety and a silicone-based antifoam, where the fatty acid ester is in higher proportion, effectively reducing foam in agrochemical formulations, particularly for aqueous solutions with high surfactant and adjuvant content, and maintaining stability over time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high concentrations of surfactants and adjuvants are used in agrochemical formulations, then spreadability and retention of sprayed droplet are improved, but foam formation increases causing equipment overflow and environmental contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specific defoamer composition as an intermediary substance to mediate between the surfactant-containing formulation and the foam problem. This defoamer composition, containing silicone oil and specific surfactants in defined ratios, acts as a mediator that reduces surface tension and breaks down foam structures without interfering with the primary surfactant functions of spreadability and retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the composition ratios of the defoamer system (silicone oil content, surfactant types and concentrations) and optimizing the amount of defoamer added to the formulation. By adjusting these parameters, the formulation achieves adequate foam control while preserving the spreadability and retention properties provided by the main surfactants.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If perfluorinated defoamers like PFPA and PFPIA are used to suppress foam, then defoaming activity is improved, but environmental harm increases leading to production restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces persistent perfluorinated defoamers with a more environmentally benign defoamer composition based on silicone oil and conventional surfactants. This alternative composition, while having a shorter environmental persistence, provides adequate defoaming performance without the severe environmental accumulation and toxicity issues of perfluorinated compounds, thus allowing continued use without production restrictions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of foam formation into a beneficial control mechanism by using a carefully formulated defoamer system. The defoamer composition is designed to provide controlled foam suppression during application while degrading environmentally, thus converting the problematic foam issue into an opportunity to demonstrate environmentally responsible foam management.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If silicone oil based antifoam is used to reduce foam, then defoaming performance is improved in some conditions, but stability during long term storage deteriorates with phase separation and gel formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite defoamer system by combining silicone oil with specific surfactants in defined ratios. This composite composition leverages the defoaming power of silicone oil while the surfactant components provide emulsification and stabilization, preventing phase separation and gel formation during storage. The synergistic interaction between components maintains both defoaming performance and formulation stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The defoamer composition is designed with multi-functionality: the silicone oil provides primary defoaming action, while the incorporated surfactants provide both secondary defoaming capability and emulsification/stabilization functions. This universal composition handles multiple requirements (foam control and storage stability) within a single additive system, eliminating the need for separate stabilizing agents.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If defoamers are added to formulations with high surfactant content, then foam formation is reduced, but biological activity decreases due to interaction with active ingredients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by designing a defoamer composition with specific local characteristics - using silicone oil as the primary defoaming agent concentrated at the air-liquid interface where foam forms, while the bulk formulation retains its surfactant and active ingredient composition unchanged. This localized approach to foam control minimizes interaction between defoamers and active ingredients, preserving biological activity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a defoamer composition that mimics the functional properties of more aggressive defoamers (like perfluorinated compounds) but with environmentally benign components. The silicone oil-based system copies the effective defoaming mechanism while avoiding the harmful environmental interactions, thus achieving foam control without compromising the formulation's biological efficacy.
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 composition significantly reduces foam formation, ensuring stable formulations with uniform biological activity and reduced silicone-based defoamer usage, maintaining performance across varying water hardness and storage conditions.
Implementation Method 1
A defoaming composition comprising a fatty acid ester with a C8-C16 carboxylic acid moiety and a silicone-based antifoam
Implementation Method 2
effectively reducing foam in agrochemical formulations
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to the technical field of adjuvant combinations with antifoam properties (antifoam adjuvant combinations) for crop protection formulations, in particular herbicidal formulations, and formulations containing said adjuvant combinations, as well as methods for producing said formulations.In a preferred embodiment, the instant invention relates to aqueous formulations of water-soluble active crop protectant ingredients, in particular aqueous formulations of saltlike active crop protectant ingredients, and especially to formulations containing