Nitrogen-Containing Surfactants for Glyphosate Formulations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surfactants used in agricultural formulations, such as tallowamine ethoxylate, enhance pesticide efficacy but have unfavorable aquatic toxicity and eye irritation profiles, and there is a need for surfactants that can improve bioefficacy while reducing toxicity and irritation without compromising stability in various glyphosate formulations.
Innovation Solution
The use of nitrogen-containing surfactants with specific structures, including alkyl imino dipropionates and amine oxides, which are compatible in high load ammonium and potassium glyphosate formulations, and can enhance the efficacy of agricultural formulations without the need for additional compatibility agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional surfactants like tallowamine ethoxylate are used to enhance pesticide efficacy, then bioefficacy is improved, but aquatic toxicity and eye irritation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical structure parameters of the surfactant by introducing nitrogen-containing functional groups (amino, amido, or amine oxide groups) at specific positions in the molecular structure. This structural modification allows the surfactant to maintain effective bioefficacy while reducing aquatic toxicity and eye irritation compared to traditional surfactants like tallowamine ethoxylate
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates composite surfactant molecules combining hydrophobic alkyl groups (C12-C22) with hydrophilic nitrogen-containing functional groups (amino, amido, or amine oxide). This composite structure enables the surfactant to achieve both effective bioefficacy enhancement and reduced toxicity profiles by balancing lipophilicity and hydrophilicity in a single molecular architecture
2Object-affected harmful factors
If surfactants with better aquatic toxicity and eye irritation profiles are used, then environmental safety is improved, but bioefficacy enhancement decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the nitrogen-containing functional group parameters (amino, amido, or amine oxide) and their positions in the molecular structure to achieve the right balance between environmental safety and bioefficacy. The specific structural parameters (R groups, m, n, p, q values) are tuned to maintain surfactant effectiveness while ensuring reduced toxicity
3Object-affected harmful factors
If new surfactant structures are developed to replace traditional surfactants, then toxicity profiles are improved, but formulation stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully adjusts the chemical parameters of the new surfactant structure, including the alkyl chain length (C12-C22), the type of nitrogen-containing group (amino, amido, or amine oxide), and the ethoxylate chain length (m and n values). These parameter optimizations ensure that the new surfactant maintains compatibility and stability in various agricultural formulations while achieving improved toxicity profiles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces specific local functional groups (amino, amido, or amine oxide) at defined positions in the surfactant molecule while maintaining the overall surfactant architecture. This localized modification allows the new surfactant to achieve reduced toxicity while preserving the structural features necessary for formulation stability
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
These surfactants demonstrate improved bioefficacy and stability in concentrated glyphosate formulations, reducing aquatic toxicity and eye irritation while maintaining or exceeding the efficacy of traditional surfactants, even at lower concentrations, and are compatible in various glyphosate salt forms.
Implementation Method 1
The bioefficacy of pesticides is known to be enhanced by the addition of appropriate surfactants, or adjuvants
Data Source
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AI summary
An agricultural formulation comprises: at least one agricultural active; and an alkyl imino dipropionate having the formula: wherein R is a C6 - C24, linear or branched, alkyl group, and wherein each M is independently a cation chosen from Mg2+, Ca2+, NH4 +, K+, and Na+, and wherein the formulation is free of an alkylamine and/or derivative thereof if R is lauryl.