Essential Oil Insect Control Formulation Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional low or minimum risk pesticides often require high concentrations of essential oils for efficacy, leading to stability issues due to phase separation and volatilization, and pose safety concerns due to hazardous characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising an essential oil component, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate (ATC), and amorphous precipitated silica, formulated as an emulsified oil in a continuous aqueous phase, which achieves stability and improved efficacy against insects with lower active ingredient content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high concentrations of essential oils are used to achieve desired efficacy, then insect control effectiveness is improved, but stability deteriorates due to phase separation and volatilization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses Acetyl Tributyl Citrate (ATC) as an intermediary substance to solubilize essential oils in the aqueous phase. The ATC forms a clear, stable solution that prevents phase separation while maintaining the bioactivity of the essential oil components, thus resolving the contradiction between efficacy and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the formulation by using a clear solution system instead of traditional emulsions or suspensions. This parameter change eliminates the instability associated with phase separation while maintaining high essential oil concentrations for effective insect control.
2Reliability
If high concentrations of essential oils are used to achieve desired efficacy, then insect control effectiveness is improved, but safety deteriorates due to hazardous characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
ATC serves as a safe intermediary carrier that allows the use of lower concentrations of essential oils to achieve the same efficacy. This reduces the exposure to potentially hazardous essential oil components while maintaining pest control effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the concentration parameter of essential oils in the formulation. By using the clear solution system with ATC, the same insect control effectiveness is achieved with lower essential oil concentrations, thereby improving safety characteristics.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional essential oil formulations are diluted, then application flexibility is improved, but stability deteriorates as oil phases separate quickly
Solution Approach 1:
ATC acts as a stabilizing intermediary that remains effective at lower concentrations after dilution. It continues to solubilize the essential oil components in the diluted formulation, preventing phase separation and maintaining stability even when the product is diluted for application.
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 achieves up to 100% mortality against insects with significantly lower essential oil content compared to conventional formulations, maintaining long-term stability and safety.
Implementation Method 1
compositions and formulations described herein are generally directed towards essential oil based formulations that are formed as emulsified oils in a continuous aqueous phase
Implementation Method 2
A composition is provided comprising an essential oil component, an Acetyl Tributyl Citrate (ATC) component, and an amorphous precipitated silica component
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, compositions or formulations for insect control are described herein. In some embodiments, a composition or formulation described herein comprises an essential oil component, an Acetyl Tributyl Citrate component, and amorphous precipitated silica component.