Multifunctional Agricultural Adjuvant Compositions with Dispersed Ammonium Sulfate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural adjuvant compositions that include ammonium sulfate (AMS) dissolved in water are limited by the solubility of AMS in water, leading to potential health hazards due to airborne particles and restricted concentration, and water acts as an inactive ingredient, limiting their effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A multifunctional agricultural adjuvant composition that disperses AMS particles in a liquid component, such as methylated seed oil, allowing for higher concentrations and a wider variety of compositions, with surfactants and other additives to enhance functionality and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If ammonium sulfate is dissolved in water to create agricultural adjuvant compositions, then the composition can provide water conditioning and nitrogen benefits, but the concentration is limited by solubility (maximum 41 wt.% at 0°C) and water acts as an inactive ingredient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of ammonium sulfate from dissolved to dispersed particulate form, and changes the continuous phase from water to oil-based liquid components. This allows concentrations exceeding 41 wt.% while maintaining stability and preventing crystallization issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite adjuvant system combining oil-based liquid components with dispersed ammonium sulfate particles, replacing the simple water-AMS solution. This composite approach enables higher AMS concentrations while incorporating multiple active ingredients and surfactants for enhanced functionality.
2Quantity of substance
If ammonium sulfate is dispersed in oil-based liquid components at high concentrations, then the concentration of active ingredients increases and water solubility limitations are overcome, but the composition complexity increases with multiple components required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the adjuvant composition to perform multiple functions simultaneously: oil-based liquid components serve as both the continuous phase and active adjuvant ingredient, dispersed ammonium sulfate provides water conditioning and nitrogen, and surfactants enable stabilization. This multi-functionality justifies the multi-component structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The composition is segmented into distinct functional components (oil-based liquid, dispersed ammonium sulfate particles, surfactants) that can be independently selected and optimized. This modular approach manages complexity by allowing each component to be tuned for its specific function rather than requiring a single complex substance.
3Ease of manufacture
If ammonium sulfate is used in dissolved form, then the composition is simple to prepare, but airborne particles may form when concentration limits are exceeded causing health hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the concentration parameter beyond the solubility limit by transitioning from dissolved to dispersed particulate form. This prevents supersaturation and subsequent crystallization that would create airborne particles, while still achieving high ammonium sulfate concentrations (>41 wt.%).
Solution Approach 2:
Oil-based liquid components serve as an intermediary medium that disperses ammonium sulfate particles, preventing their aggregation and airborne formation. This intermediary phase allows high concentrations to be maintained in a stable, non-aerosolizing form.
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 prevents AMS from becoming airborne, increases the concentration of active ingredients, and allows for more efficient handling and application, while providing improved performance and safety by utilizing AMS as a water conditioner and enhancing the effectiveness of agricultural sprays.
Implementation Method 1
The multifunctional agricultural adjuvant composition includes one or more surfactants. The one or more surfactants exhibit a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of about 4 to 9 or 16 to about 30.
Implementation Method 2
one or more ammonium sulfate particles dispersed in the one or more liquid components
Implementation Method 3
one or more liquid components comprising methylated seed oil
Data Source
AI summary
Multifunctional agricultural adjuvant compositions (“MAACs”) include at least one liquid component and one or more solid agricultural particles dispersed in the liquid component. The liquid component may include at least one methylated seed oil. Examples of the solid agricultural particles include ammonium sulfate, other water conditioners, amino acids, or polymers. The MAAC exhibits one or more desired functions depending on the quantity and composition of the liquid component, the quantity and composition of the solid agricultural particles, and, optionally, adding one or more surfactants and/or one or more additional components (e.g., rheology modifiers) to the MAAC. The desired functions of the MAAC may include at least one of a water conditioner, a surfactant, a high surfactant oil concentrate, a crop oil concentrate, or a drift reduction and a deposition adjuvant.