Spray drift reduction

Abstract

Spray drift reductants for agrochemical formulations and methods for reducing spray drift in agrochemical formulations are disclosed. An agrochemical formulation may comprise at least one spray drift reductant comprising a fatty acid ester of a C 3 to C 8 polyol, or an oligomer thereof having from 2 to 5 repeat units. The formulation also comprises at least one agrochemical active and/or nutrient, and optionally, a clathrate compound. A sprayable agrochemical formulation may comprise 0.01 wt. % to 1.0 wt. % of a spray drift reductant that is non-ionic, non-self-emulsifiable, has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of less than 7, and is capable of reducing spray drift by at least 10%, and also comprises at least on agrochemical active and/or nutrient, and optionally, a clathrate compound.

1 . A sprayable agrochemical formulation comprising;
 i) at least one spray drift reductant comprising a fatty ester of a C 3  to C 8  polyol, or an oligomer thereof having from 2 to 5 repeat units;   ii) at least one agrochemical active and/or nutrient; and   iii) optionally a clathrate compound.   
     
     
         2 . The formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein the fatty ester of a C 3  to C 8  polyol, or oligomer thereof, has a general structure (I):
   P.[R 1 ] m   (I)
   
       wherein:
 P is the residue of a C 3  to C 8  polyol, or residue of an oligomer thereof having from 2 to 5 repeat units, each said polyol having m active hydrogen atoms, where m is an integer in the range from 2 to 7; 
 each R 1  independently represents hydrogen, a C 1  to C 28  hydrocarbyl, or an alkanoyl group represented by —C(O)R 2  wherein R 2  represents a C 8  to C 28  hydrocarbyl; and 
 wherein at least one R 1  group is or comprises an alkanoyl group represented by —C(O)R 2 . 
 
     
     
         3 . The formulation according to  claim 2 , wherein the polyol residue is a C 3  to C 6  polyol residue. 
     
     
         4 . The formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein said oligomer has from 2 to 4 repeat units. 
     
     
         5 . The formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein the polyol oligomer is selected from diglycerol, triglycerol, tetraglycerol, dierythritol, trierythritol, tetraerythritol, di-1,3-propanediol, tri-1,3-propanediol, di(trimethylolpropane), or tri(trimethylolpropane). 
     
     
         6 . The formulation according to  claim 2 , wherein the polyol has a value of m active hydrogen atoms in the range from 2 to 6. 
     
     
         7 . The formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein the polyol is selected from ethylene glycol, isosorbide, 1,3-propanediol, propylene glycol, trimethyloipropane, trimethylolethane, glycerol, triglycerol, erythritol, threitol, pentaerythritol, sorbitan, arabitol, xylitol, ribitol, fucitol, mannitol, sorbitol, sucrose, maltose, galactitol, iditol, inositol, volemitol, isomalt, maltitol, or lactitol. 
     
     
         8 . The formulation according to  claim 2 , wherein the C 1  to C 28  hydrocarbyl comprising group R′ is selected from a C 1  to C 28  alkyl or a C 1  to C 28  alkenyl. 
     
     
         9 . The formulation according to  claim 8 , wherein the C 1  to C 28  alkyl or a C 1  to C 28  alkenyl is selected from dodecyl, tridecyl, tetradecyl, pentadecyl, hexadecyl, heptadecyl, octadecyl, nonadecyl, eicosyl, or branched variants thereof, and the alkenyl radicals are selected from dodecenyl, tridecenyl, tetradecenyl, pentadecenyl, hexadecenyl, heptadecenyl, octadecenyl, nonadecenyl, eicosenyl, or branched variants thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The formulation according to  claim 2 , wherein said alkanoyl group represented by —C(O)R 2  is a residue of a fatty acid. 
     
     
         11 . The formulation according to  claim 10 , wherein the fatty acid is selected from a C 10  to C 30  fatty acids. 
     
     
         12 . The formulation according to  claim 10 , wherein the fatty acid is selected from caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid, myristoleic acid, palmitoleic acid, sapienic acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, vaccenic acid, linoleic acid, linoelaidic acid, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, erucic acid, or docosahexaenoic acid. 
     
     
         13 . The formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein the fatty ester of a C 3  to C 8  polyol or oligomer thereof is selected from glycerol, diglycerol, or sorbitan esters of oleic acid, elaidic acid, linoleic acid, or erucic acid. 
     
     
         14 . The formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein the fatty ester of a C 3  to C 8  polyol or oligomer thereof has an HLB value of less than 7. 
     
     
         15 . The formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein the clathrate compound is a urea clathrate or thiourea clathrate. 
     
     
         16 . The formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein the molecular weight (weight average) of the spray drift reductant is in the range from 200 to 2,200. 
     
     
         17 . The formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein the formulation comprises surfactants selected from non-ionic alkoxylates and alkoxylated fatty alcohol. 
     
     
         18 . The formulation according to  claim 17 , wherein the non-ionic alkoxylate comprises an alkoxylated alcohol of the general formula:
   R 3 —O-(AO) x —H  (II)
   
       wherein
 R 3  is a straight or branched chain, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group having from 4 to 30 carbon atoms; 
 AO is an oxyalkylene group; and 
 x represents an integer in the range from 1 to 30. 
 
     
     
         19 . The formulation according to  claim 18 , wherein the oxyalkylene group AO is selected from oxyethylene (EO) and/or oxypropylene (PO). 
     
     
         20 . The formulation according to either  claim 18 , wherein x is in the range from 2 to 25. 
     
     
         21 . The formulation according to  claim 18 , wherein R 3  is the residue of a fatty alcohol selected from capryl alcohol pelargonic alcohol, capric alcohol, undecyl alcohol, lauryl alcohol, tridecyl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, pentadecyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, palmitoleyl alcohol, heptadecyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, nonadecyl alcohol, arachidyl alcohol, heneicosyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, elaidyl alcohol, linoleyl alcohol, linolenyl alcohol, or erucyl alcohol. 
     
     
         22 . The formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein the formulation is in the form of a suspension concentrate (SC), an oil-based suspension concentrate (OD), or a suspoemulsions (SE). 
     
     
         23 . The formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein the spray drift reductant is present at a concentration of from 0.01 wt. % to 2 wt. %. 
     
     
         24 . A sprayable agrochemical formulation comprising;
 i) in the range of from 0.01 wt. % to 1.0 wt. % spray drift reductant, wherein the reductant is non-ionic, non-self-emulsifiable, has a HLB of less than 7, and is capable of reducing spray drift by at least 10%; and   ii) at least one agrochemical active and/or nutrient; and   iii) optionally a clathrate compound.   
     
     
         25 . A concentrate formulation for making a sprayable agrochemical formulation, said concentrate comprising a spray drift reductant of a fatty ester of a C 3  to C 8  polyol, or an oligomer thereof having from 2 to 5 repeat units. 
     
     
         26 . A method of reducing spray drift in an agrochemical formulation comprising:
 applying the agrochemical formulation to vegetation, wherein the agrochemical formulation comprising a spray drift reductant comprising a fatty ester of a C 3  to C 8  polyol, or an oligomer thereof having from 2 to 5 repeat units, at least one agrochemical active and/or nutrient, and optionally a clathrate compound.   
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the spray drift reductant provides a percentage reduction of spray droplets having a size of less than 150 μm of at least 10% at a spray pressure of 40 psi. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the spray drift reductant provides a percentage reduction of spray droplets having a size of less than 105 μm of at least 10% at a spray pressure of 40 psi. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the spray drift reductant provides a percentage reduction of spray droplets having a size of less than 500 μm of at least 5% at a spray pressure of 40 psi. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the spray drift reductant provides a percentage reduction in relative span is at least 4% at a spray pressure of 40 psi 
     
     
         31 . A method of reducing spray drift comprising applying a diluted concentrate formulation in accordance with  claim 25  to vegetation. 
     
     
         32 . A method of treating vegetation to control pests and/or to provide nutrients, the method comprising applying a formulation in accordance with  claim 1  either to said vegetation or to the immediate environment of said vegetation.