Shear-Stable Polymer Composition for Spray Drift Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pesticide formulations suffer from reduced effectiveness of anti-drift polymers under high shear conditions, leading to increased spray drift and off-target movement due to the formation of small droplets, which are detrimental to adjacent crops and water sources.
Innovation Solution
An aqueous composition comprising specific polymers and additives, such as poly(C2-C4)alkylene glycol mono-(C8-C22)-carboxylic acid esters and alkoxylated alkylamines, stabilizes the polymer under shear, maintaining droplet size and reducing spray drift by less than 5% of droplets having a volume mean diameter of <141 μm.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If anti-drift polymers are used to control spray drift, then droplet size is increased and drift is reduced, but under high shear conditions the polymer effectiveness is reduced and small droplets form
Solution Approach 1:
A shear-stable polymer is introduced as an intermediary substance that maintains its functional properties under high shear conditions. This polymer acts as a mediator between the spray formulation and the environmental conditions, preserving droplet size control and preventing drift even when subjected to the mechanical stress of spraying operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the polymer's physical and chemical parameters to achieve shear stability. By selecting polymers with specific molecular weights, viscosities, and structural characteristics, the formulation maintains its anti-drift functionality under varying shear conditions while still effectively controlling droplet size and preventing off-target movement.
2Stability of the object's composition
If polymers are used to prevent small droplet formation, then drift control is improved, but under shear conditions the polymers fail and small droplets are formed causing drift
Solution Approach 1:
The shear-stable polymer is incorporated into the spray formulation in advance, before application. This preliminary inclusion ensures that the polymer is already positioned to perform its droplet-size-controlling function when spraying occurs, maintaining stability throughout the application process and preventing the formation of drift-prone small droplets.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite spray formulation by combining the shear-stable polymer with the pesticide active ingredient and other formulation components. This composite structure ensures that the polymer's droplet-stabilizing properties are maintained throughout the formulation, providing consistent drift control while preserving pesticidal activity.
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 effectively reduces spray drift and maintains pesticidal activity by stabilizing droplet size under shear conditions, minimizing off-target movement and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
adding certain additives to the aqueous composition comprising polymer and pesticide improves the shear stability of the polymers resulting in the retention of their drift control properties, even under high shear, by controlling the hydrodynamic volume of the polymer
Implementation Method 2
The aqueous composition of the present invention is stable to shear
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is an aqueous composition including at least one polymer P1), at least one additive and at least one pesticide or salt thereof. Also described herein is a method for reducing spray drift, the method including spraying the aqueous composition onto a tract of land either prior to planting an agricultural crop or pre- or post-harvest of an agricultural crop. The aqueous composition is stable to shear.