High-Concentration Glyphosate Formulation With Low Viscosity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current glyphosate herbicide concentrates face challenges with high viscosity, compatibility issues, and the need for surfactants, which increase costs and reduce efficacy at higher concentrations, leading to handling difficulties and formulation instability.
Innovation Solution
A surfactant-free, highly concentrated glyphosate formulation using an inert additive, such as vegetable or cereal-derived extracts, to enhance adhesion and absorption, allowing higher glyphosate concentrations without surfactants, improving stability and efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If glyphosate concentration is increased in aqueous solutions, then herbicidal efficacy is improved, but viscosity increases making handling difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the formulation by switching from traditional surfactant systems to a hydrophobe-based system, which fundamentally alters how the high-concentration glyphosate solution behaves. This parameter change allows maintaining high glyphosate concentration (70-85% w/w) while keeping viscosity manageable through the unique properties of hydrophobes as stabilizing agents
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite formulation system combining glyphosate salt, hydrophobe stabilizing agent, and water in specific proportions. This composite approach allows the incompatible components (high concentration glyphosate and low viscosity) to coexist by using the hydrophobe as a bridging element that stabilizes the mixture without requiring traditional surfactants
2Reliability
If surfactants are added to enhance herbicide performance, then adhesion and absorption are improved, but cost increases and efficacy at high concentrations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates surfactants from the formulation, replacing them with hydrophobes as the stabilizing and performance-enhancing agent. This removal of surfactants allows achieving higher glyphosate concentrations that would be incompatible with traditional surfactant-based systems, while still maintaining or improving herbicidal efficacy through the hydrophobe's unique properties
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces expensive surfactants with hydrophobes, which are more cost-effective stabilizing agents. This substitution allows formulating higher concentrations of active ingredient (glyphosate) at lower overall cost, making the product more economically viable while maintaining efficacy
3Productivity
If surfactants are included to reduce dilution requirements, then application cost is reduced, but formulation complexity and compatibility issues increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes surfactants from the formulation entirely, simplifying the ingredient list and reducing formulation complexity. The hydrophobe-based stabilization system requires fewer components and eliminates compatibility issues associated with mixing multiple surfactant types, while still achieving the desired application efficiency through reduced dilution requirements
4Quantity of substance
If high concentration glyphosate formulations are created, then storage and shipping efficiency is improved, but viscosity and stability problems occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the stabilization mechanism by replacing surfactant-based systems with hydrophobe-based stabilization. This parameter change in the chemical system allows high concentration glyphosate formulations (70-85% w/w) to remain stable during storage and handling, overcoming the viscosity and precipitation problems that plague traditional high-concentration formulations
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 higher glyphosate concentrations (up to 75%) with reduced viscosity, enhanced stability, and improved compatibility with other herbicides, maintaining or exceeding efficacy compared to surfactant-containing products.
Implementation Method 1
enhance adhesion and absorption
Implementation Method 2
enhance adhesion and absorption
Data Source
AI summary
An herbicide is disclosed that allows an increase in the concentration of two types of glyphosate herbicide, monoisopropylamine (MIPA) and Potassium (K Salt) while maintaining efficacy without reliance on surfactants. The process and formulation produce a bioefficacy of a glyphosate composition that is significantly improved using specific combinations of natural inert ingredients, yielding higher concentrations of glyphosate salts while minimizing viscosity. That is, a formulation of a higher concentration product in a ready-to-sell form that has the same efficacy when diluted as less concentrated products currently available. This invention is more cost-effective to ship and takes up less storage space while requiring less manufacturing steps and cost associated.