Sharing of formulation additives from leading companies

Editor’s Note:

The crop protection industry has faced unprecedented challenges in recent years because the agrochemical industry is playing one of the major roles in increasing agricultural output to feed growing populations and, on the other hand, protecting the environment and improving applicator safety. Some distinct challenges include responding to increasing resistance by weeds and pressures created by disease, the reduction of residues, and shortages of water resources. Further, tighter regulations also lead to fewer new active ingredients becoming available in the market.

Amidst these problems, formulation additives are crucial to helping increase the effectiveness and safety of formulations. AgroPages invited four leading companies in the specialty chemical industry to explain some of their latest technologies, which they are using to overcome the challenges the industry is facing.

AkzoNobel 

Key Words: Adsee 1629 and Adsee C-70S

Adsee® 1629, a robust quaternary ammonium salt-based adjuvant, is a result of AkzoNobel´s continuous focus on simplifying production, manage inventory, decrease working capital and minimize the amount of raw materials. It increase bioefficacy of several herbicides, such as paraquat, glufosinate and 2,4-D. Due to excellent compatibility properties, it is suitable for high load formulation as well as mixed active formulations. It is designed to play an essential role in safeguarding food supply by helping herbicide producers to improve quality and efficiency while doing more with fewer resources.

Adsee 1629 balances wetting and absorptivity to enable maximum penetration of the pesticide into the plant for maximum effectiveness. The adjuvant is robust and works with pesticide from various sources and of varying qualities. In combination with Adsee® C-70S, formulators can use different ratios and concentrations of the surfactants to produce a full range of viscosities, from low viscosity to a gel formulation.

The combination of Adsee 1629 and Adsee C-70S offer formulators to invent new multi active herbicides that are safe, robust, highly efficient and with optimal rheological properties.

Croda

  Key Words: Atlox 4916

Croda recently developed a new ‘star polymer’ Atlox™ 4916. This product was added to Croda’s innovation pipeline to help overcome challenges faced by the crop protection market such as continuing weed resistance. Atlox 4916 was originally designed for suspoemulsion (SE) formulations where multiple active ingredients with very different physical properties can be combined into one product. These multi-active formulations are often very complex, and require high performing surfactants to stabilise the system.

Atlox 4916 is a high molecular weight polymeric emulsifier and dispersant with low HLB developed to provide excellent stability when used in a variety of crop formulations.  With its unique ‘star structure’, the design of this molecule is targeted at providing multiple chain anchoring points into both the aqueous and the oil phases.

Atlox 4916 has superior anchorage at the oil/water/particle interface providing unrivalled stability even in the most challenging formulation conditions. For example, enhancing emulsion stability through increased steric hindrance of irreversible flocculation.  The star consists of a sorbitol base reacted with ethylene oxide (EO). This product is then further reacted with a polymerised fatty acid resulting in between 2-6 polymerised fatty acid chains randomly distributed across the star shape.

This unique star shaped architecture is what gives Atlox 4916 its superior stability.  Figure 1 shows the oil/water interface as occupied by three surfactant molecules of differing molecular weight and shape. As shown, there is a larger portion of the Atlox 4916 molecule anchored in both the water and the oil phases when compared to the smaller sorbitan ester emulsifier molecule and even the traditional block copolymer. This creates a larger steric barrier effectively preventing droplet coalescence and so the stability of the emulsion is increased.


Figure 1: Functionality of a monomeric surfactant, a traditional polymeric surfactant and the newly developed star polymer Atlox 4916

Clariant

Key Words: Synergen GA, Genagen NBP and Synergen ME

Important formulation ingredients like tallow amine ethoxylates and N-Methylpyrrolidone are challenged by regulatory authorities and society to be replaced by products delivering the same benefit without their limitations. Ideally innovations are not just replacements but can reduce complexity by increasing performance, flexibility and safety.

Clariant has recently launched three new additives for agrochemicals. Synergen GA is a high electrolyte tolerant surfactant which can be used as a building block for the development of customized and TAE-free formulations of water conditioners, salts of agrochemicals and fertilizers. It is a sugar based surfactant with a renewable carbon index (RCI) above 95% and therefore with an excellent ecological profile.

Genagen NBP, a safe water-miscible solvent with excellent solvent power and with non-reprotoxic, not mutagenic and not sensitizing properties is the ideal replacement for NMP, addressing the needs of agrochemical formulators.

Synergen ME, a new tank-mix adjuvant that is based on an all-in-one approach with an unmatched combination of AMS, MSO and surfactants. It protects sensitive herbicides from antagonistic salts, improves spray behaviour and foliar uptake of active substances and thus maximises weed control. This product provides a very convenient use for the farmer by addressing and eliminating the various bottlenecks for agrochemical performance. 

Lamberti

Key Words: Emulson AG COAT/S

Adding a good built-in film forming agent in a FS seed treatment represent a wise choice for any formulator. By improving the overall quality of the thin layer of crop protection product film deposited onto the seeds, it is possible to enhance the visual appearance of the seeds, reduce dust off, and improve the plantability profile of any given treatment without impacting on germination, with obvious advantages for the end user.

By acknowledging the importance of this class of coformulants for a proper seed treatment, Lamberti has recently launched in the market a new acrylic-based film forming agent, named Emulson AG COAT/S, specifically designed for performing FS formulations. The ideation and creation process of this product has followed a rigorous scientific approach: initially the focus has been toward any potential candidate stable in high load built in FS, giving the flexibility to the polymer to be included in a wide range of formulations. As second step, an intensive evaluation of film forming performance against desired characteristics for seed application like resistance to abrasion, resistance to friction, water resistance and film continuity has been carried out: only outstanding performers were selected. Finally plantability, germination and dust off were measured, to make sure the final product could comply with very stringent standards.

From this thorough process Emulson AG COAT/S was selected, to offer an excellent built in film forming agent able to provide a cost effective solution for any FS filming need.

Solvay

Key Words: AgRho®

In addition to offer most of the co-formulants necessary to formulate sustainable plant protection products, Solvay provide ready-to-use, safe and environmentally friendly solutions, and also R&D formulation support services to satisfy the needs of the agro industry.

Solvay’s multi-purpose tank mix adjuvants combines water conditioning (ammonium sulfate (AMS)-free), wetting and sticker properties in addition to drift control and anti-bounce performance. The anti-drift AgRho® tank mix adjuvants series includeAgRho® targuar, AgRho® Starguar control, AgRho® VersaTwin, AgRho® Safedrift and Geronol VO/2012.

To improve the nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency and to reduce the environmental impact Solvay Novecare Agro has developed innovative, safe and easy-to-use urease and nitrification inhibitor formulations such as AgRho® N Protect B, AgRho® N-Dual Protect, and AgRho® NH4 Protect, based on green solvents, to protect the farmers investment and to increase the crop yield.

Based on natural polymer, the novel product AgRho® GSB is developed for seed enhancement. The innovation product can boost germination and root development, subsequently increase the resistance of crop to stress condition and achieve higher yield.