Vinyl Ester Polymer Adjuvants for Drift Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional agricultural spray adjuvants face issues with high surfactant levels leading to increased drift potential, phytotoxicity, and poor droplet size distribution, resulting in reduced efficacy and stability of spray compositions.
Innovation Solution
Agricultural spray compositions comprising a vinyl ester-based polymer dispersion, a plasticizer, and an active ingredient, where the polymer dispersion is stabilized with a protective colloid or surfactant, and the plasticizer is selected from various esters and glycols, forming an adjuvant with improved droplet size control and reduced surfactant requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional spray adjuvants are used to improve spray composition, then surfactant levels increase, but drift potential and phytotoxicity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the adjuvant system by replacing conventional high-surfactant formulations with a polymer dispersion-based system containing specific plasticizers (e.g., triethylene glycol diester) and water conditioning agents. This parameter change reduces surfactant levels while maintaining spray composition efficacy, thereby reducing drift potential and phytotoxicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite adjuvant system comprising polymer dispersion, plasticizer, and water conditioning agent working together synergistically. This composite approach replaces the single-component conventional adjuvants, achieving reduced surfactant levels while maintaining or improving spray performance and reducing harmful effects.
2Shape
If high surfactant levels are used in spray adjuvants, then droplet formation is improved, but droplet size distribution becomes poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the physical parameters of the spray system by introducing polymer dispersions with specific molecular weights and plasticizers that alter droplet formation dynamics. This results in improved droplet size distribution with reduced driftable fines while maintaining effective droplet formation for target coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural spray pre-mix composition, comprising from 0.01 wt % to 40 wt % of an agricultural spray adjuvant comprising a vinyl ester-based or vinyl acrylate-based polymer dispersion and greater than 15 wt % of a plasticizer and from 1 wt % to 50 wt % of a water conditioning agent.