Hydrotropic Pest Control Composition for Wetting Hydrophobic Foliage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Contact herbicides face challenges in adhering to and spreading on hydrophobic plant surfaces, leading to inefficient coverage and potential damage to non-target plants, while polymers used to improve adhesion can increase viscosity and clog application devices.
Innovation Solution
Aqueous pest control compositions containing hydrotropic salts and surfactants form an anisotropic lyotropic liquid crystalline microstructure, enhancing adhesion and spreading without clogging, and maintaining phase stability across temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional contact herbicides are applied to hydrophobic plant surfaces, then rapid pest control action is achieved, but adhesion and spreading are insufficient leading to poor coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the herbicide formulation by incorporating hydrotropic salts (such as sodium lauryl sulfate) that alter the surface properties of the liquid droplets. This enables the formulation to transition from hydrophobic to hydrophilic characteristics, improving wetting and adhesion to plant surfaces while maintaining rapid contact action
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite herbicide formulation combining traditional contact herbicide active ingredients with hydrotropic salt components. This composite structure leverages the rapid action of contact herbicides while the hydrotropic salts provide enhanced adhesion and spreading properties, resolving the contradiction between speed and coverage
2Reliability
If polymers are added to improve adhesion, then herbicide retention on plant surface increases, but viscosity increases causing clogging in application devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces long-chain polymer additives with smaller molecular weight hydrotropic salt compounds that provide equivalent adhesion benefits without the viscosity problems. These smaller molecules can effectively improve herbicide retention while maintaining low viscosity compatible with standard spray equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the molecular size and structural parameters of the adhesion-promoting agents from large polymer chains to smaller hydrotropic salt molecules. This parameter change maintains the adhesion function while eliminating the viscosity increase that causes clogging in application devices
3Speed
If contact herbicides do not adhere sufficiently to plant surfaces, then rapid control is achieved, but herbicide drips off causing damage to non-target plants
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the surface tension and adhesion parameters of the herbicide formulation through hydrotropic salts, enabling the liquid to spread and adhere properly to plant surfaces. This prevents dripping and runoff that would otherwise cause damage to non-target plants while preserving the rapid contact action mechanism
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 compositions effectively adhere to and spread on target surfaces, providing rapid pest control without damaging non-target plants and maintaining compatibility with spray delivery devices.
Implementation Method 1
forms a unique anisotropic lyotropic liquid crystalline microstructure that allows the composition to better adhere to and spread on a target surface
Implementation Method 2
The pest control composition may comprise from about 1% to about 12% of the one or more surfactants
Implementation Method 3
allows the composition to better adhere to and spread on a target surface
Data Source
AI summary
A pest control composition includes from about 4 wt % to about 10 wt % of sodium lauryl sulfate; one or more C5 to C9 hydrotropic salt; from about 1 wt % to about 10 wt % of one or more active ingredients selected from the group consisting of corn mint oil, peppermint oil, spearmint oil, rosemary oil, thyme oil, citronella oil, clove oil, cedarwood oil, cinnamon oil, geranium oil, eugenol, 2-phenylethyl propionate, menthol, menthone, thymol, carvone, camphor, methyl salicylate, p-cymene, linalool, geraniol, cinnamyl acetate, cinnamic alcohol, cinnamaldehyde, citronellol, eucalyptol/1,8-cineole, alpha-pinene, bornyl acetate, gamma-terpinene, and combinations thereof; and from about 60 wt % to about 95 wt % of water. The pest control composition exhibits a water peak in a 2H spectrum having a width encompassing 90% of the area of the entire water signal of about 50 Hz or more, as determined by the 2H NMR Method.