Solid herbicide compositions containing fluroxypyr-meptyl

Abstract

The present disclosure concerns herbicide granules and powders containing a high-load of fluroxypyr-meptyl. The granules exhibit good storage stability and good herbicidal efficacy when added to water and applied by spray application to control unwanted plant growth.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A coated herbicide powder comprising crystalline particles of fluroxypyr-meptyl coated with a mixture of surfactants comprising:
 a) a water soluble nonionic surfactant; and   b) a water soluble anionic surfactant.   
     
     
         2 . The powder of  claim 1  comprising from about 350 grams active ingredient per kilogram (gai/kg) to about 800 gai/kg of fluroxypyr-meptyl. 
     
     
         3 . The powder of  claim 2  comprising from about 500 gai/kg to about 700 gai/kg of fluroxypyr-meptyl. 
     
     
         4 . The powder of  claim 2  comprising from about 600 gai/kg to about 700 gai/kg of fluroxypyr-meptyl. 
     
     
         5 . The powder of any one of  claims 1 - 4  in which the water soluble nonionic surfactant is a polyvinyl alcohol with a degree of hydrolysis from about 87% to about 99%. 
     
     
         6 . The powder of  claim 5  in which the polyvinyl alcohol has a degree of hydrolysis from about 87% to about 89%. 
     
     
         7 . The powder of any one of  claim 5  or  6  comprising from about 1 g/kg to about 100 g/kg of the water soluble nonionic surfactant. 
     
     
         8 . The powder of  claim 7  comprising from about 10 g/kg to about 50 g/kg of the water soluble nonionic surfactant. 
     
     
         9 . The powder of any of one of  claims 1 - 8  in which the water soluble anionic surfactant is a lignosulfonate salt selected from a sodium lignosulfonate and/or a calcium lignosulfonate. 
     
     
         10 . The powder of  claim 9  comprising from about 10 g/kg to about 600 g/kg of the water soluble anionic surfactant. 
     
     
         11 . The powder of  claim 10  comprising from about 50 g/kg to about 500 g/kg of the water soluble anionic surfactant. 
     
     
         12 . The powder of  claim 10  comprising from about 100 g/kg to about 400 g/kg of the water soluble anionic surfactant. 
     
     
         13 . The powder of  claim 1  in which the fluroxypyr-meptyl has a degree of crystallinity of at least about 80 percent. 
     
     
         14 . The powder of  claim 13  in which the fluroxypyr-meptyl has a degree of crystallinity of at least about 90 percent. 
     
     
         15 . The powder of  claim 13  in which the fluroxypyr-meptyl has a degree of crystallinity of at least about 95 percent. 
     
     
         16 . The powder of any of  claims 1 - 15  further comprising one or more additional inert ingredients. 
     
     
         17 . A high-load, herbicide granule which comprises:
 a) crystalline particles of fluroxypyr-meptyl coated with a mixture comprising:
 i. a water soluble nonionic surfactant; and 
 ii. a water soluble anionic surfactant. and 
   b) a particle agglomeration suppressant.   
     
     
         18 . The granule of  claim 17  in which the herbicide granule is a water dispersible granule. 
     
     
         19 . The granule of any one of  claim 17  or  18  comprising from about 350 gai/kg to about 700 gai/kg of fluroxypyr-meptyl. 
     
     
         20 . The granule of  claim 19  comprising from about 350 gai/kg to about 600 gai/kg of fluroxypyr-meptyl. 
     
     
         21 . The granule of  claim 19  comprising from about 400 gai/kg to about 550 gai/kg of fluroxypyr-meptyl. 
     
     
         22 . The granule of any one of  claims 17 - 21  in which the water soluble nonionic surfactant is a polyvinyl alcohol with a degree of hydrolysis from about 87% to about 99%. 
     
     
         23 . The granule of  claim 22  in which the polyvinyl alcohol has a degree of hydrolysis from about 87% to about 89%. 
     
     
         24 . The granule of any one of  claims 17 - 23  comprising from about 1 g/kg to about 100 g/kg of the water soluble nonionic surfactant. 
     
     
         25 . The granule of  claim 24  comprising from about 10 g/kg to about 50 g/kg of the water soluble nonionic surfactant. 
     
     
         26 . The granule of any one of  claims 17 - 25  in which the water soluble anionic surfactant is a lignosulfonate salt selected from a sodium lignosulfonate and/or a calcium lignosulfonate. 
     
     
         27 . The granule of  claim 26  comprising from about 10 g/kg to about 600 g/kg of the water soluble anionic surfactant. 
     
     
         28 . The granule of  claim 27  comprising from about 50 g/kg to about 500 g/kg of the water soluble anionic surfactant. 
     
     
         29 . The granule of  claim 27  comprising from about 100 g/kg to about 400 g/kg of the water soluble anionic surfactant. 
     
     
         30 . The granule of any one of  claims 17 - 29  in which the particle agglomeration suppressant is an ionic compound selected from the group including an inorganic salt of an inorganic acid, an inorganic salt of an organic acid, and a nitrogen-containing compound such as a nitrogen fertilizer. 
     
     
         31 . The granule of  claim 30  in which the particle agglomeration suppressant is selected from the group including ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, and potassium chloride. 
     
     
         32 . The granule of any one of  claims 17 - 31  comprising from about 20 g/kg to about 300 g/kg of the particle agglomeration suppressant. 
     
     
         33 . The granule of  claim 32  comprising from about 20 g/kg to about 200 g/kg of the particle agglomeration suppressant. 
     
     
         34 . The granule of  claim 32  comprising from about 50 g/kg to about 150 g/kg of the particle agglomeration suppressant. 
     
     
         35 . The granule of any one of  claims 17 - 34  further comprising one or more additional inert ingredients. 
     
     
         36 . The granule of any one of  claims 17 - 35  in which the fluroxypyr-meptyl has a degree of crystallinity of at least about 80 percent. 
     
     
         37 . The granule of  claim 36  in which the fluroxypyr-meptyl has a degree of crystallinity of at least about 90 percent. 
     
     
         38 . The granule of  claim 36  in which the fluroxypyr-meptyl has a degree of crystallinity of at least about 95 percent. 
     
     
         39 . A high-load, herbicide granule obtainable by a process comprising:
 a) drying an oil-in-water emulsion comprising molten fluroxypyr-meptyl, a water soluble nonionic surfactant and a water soluble anionic surfactant to provide a coated herbicide powder comprising crystalline particles of fluroxypyr-meptyl coated with a mixture of the nonionic surfactant and the anionic surfactant or dry-milling a solid mixture comprising fluroxypyr-meptyl, optionally, a water soluble nonionic surfactant, a water soluble anionic surfactant and a particle agglomeration to provide a dry-milled herbicide powder;   b) adding a particle agglomeration suppressant to the coated herbicide powder prepared in step a); and   c) granulating the dry-milled herbicide powder prepared in step a) or the powder prepared in step b), and water.   
     
     
         40 . The granule of  claim 39  in which the high-load herbicide granule is a water dispersible granule. 
     
     
         41 . The granule of any one of  claim 39  or  40  wherein the water soluble nonionic surfactant is added to the dry-milled herbicide powder as a solution in water in step c). 
     
     
         42 . The granule of any one of  claims 39 - 41  comprising from about 350 gai/kg to about 700 gai/kg of fluroxypyr-meptyl. 
     
     
         43 . The granule of  claim 42  comprising from about 350 gai/kg to about 600 gai/kg of fluroxypyr-meptyl. 
     
     
         44 . The granule of  claim 42  comprising from about 400 gai/kg to about 550 gai/kg of fluroxypyr-meptyl. 
     
     
         45 . The granule of any one of  claims 39 - 44  in which the water soluble nonionic surfactant is a polyvinyl alcohol with a degree of hydrolysis from about 87% to about 99%. 
     
     
         46 . The granule of  claim 45  in which the polyvinyl alcohol has a degree of hydrolysis from about 87% to about 89%. 
     
     
         47 . The granule of any one of  claims 39 - 46  comprising from about 1 g/kg to about 100 g/kg of the water soluble nonionic surfactant. 
     
     
         48 . The granule of  claim 47  comprising from about 10 g/kg to about 50 g/kg of the water soluble nonionic surfactant. 
     
     
         49 . The granule of any one of  claim 39 - 48  in which the water soluble anionic surfactant is a lignosulfonate salt selected from a sodium lignosulfonate and/or a calcium lignosulfonate. 
     
     
         50 . The granule of  claim 49  comprising from about 10 g/kg to about 600 g/kg of the water soluble anionic surfactant. 
     
     
         51 . The granule of  claim 50  comprising from about 50 g/kg to about 500 g/kg of the water soluble anionic surfactant. 
     
     
         52 . The granule of  claim 50  comprising from about 100 g/kg to about 400 g/kg of the water soluble anionic surfactant. 
     
     
         53 . The granule of any one of  claims 39 - 52  in which the particle agglomeration suppressant is an ionic compound selected from the group including an inorganic salt of an inorganic acid, an inorganic salt of an organic acid, and a nitrogen-containing compound such as a nitrogen fertilizer. 
     
     
         54 . The granule of  claim 53  in which the particle agglomeration suppressant is selected from the group including ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, and potassium chloride. 
     
     
         55 . The granule of  claim 53  or  54  comprising from about 20 g/kg to about 300 g/kg of the particle agglomeration suppressant. 
     
     
         56 . The granule of  claim 55  comprising from about 20 g/kg to about 200 g/kg of the particle agglomeration suppressant. 
     
     
         57 . The granule of  claim 55  comprising from about 50 g/kg to about 150 g/kg of the particle agglomeration suppressant. 
     
     
         58 . The granule of any one of  claims 39 - 57  further comprising one or more additional inert ingredients. 
     
     
         59 . The granule of any one of  claims 39 - 58  in which the fluroxypyr-meptyl has a degree of crystallinity of at least about 80 percent. 
     
     
         60 . The granule of  claim 59  in which the fluroxypyr-meptyl has a degree of crystallinity of at least about 90 percent. 
     
     
         61 . The granule of  claim 59  in which the fluroxypyr-meptyl has a degree of crystallinity of at least about 95 percent. 
     
     
         62 . A method of controlling undesirable vegetation comprising applying to the vegetation or an area adjacent to the vegetation, or applying to the soil to prevent the emergence of the vegetation, a herbicidally effective amount of a spray solution in water containing the granule of any of  claims 17 - 61 . 
     
     
         63 . A method of preparing the coated herbicide powder of any  claims 1 - 16  comprising:
 a) preparing a heated oil phase containing molten fluroxypyr-meptyl; 
 b) preparing a heated aqueous containing the water soluble nonionic surfactant and the water soluble anionic surfactant; 
 c) adding the heated, liquid oil phase prepared in step a) to the heated aqueous phase prepared in step b) under high shear homogenization to provide a microemulsion; and 
 d) drying the microemulsion prepared in step c) to provide the coated herbicide powder. 
 
     
     
         64 . A method of preparing the high-load herbicide granule of any of  claims 17 - 61  comprising:
 a) mixing the coated herbicide powder of any of  claims 1 - 16  or the dry-milled herbicide powder of any of  claims 39 - 61  with one or more inert ingredients to provide a second herbicide powder; 
 b) adding water with mixing to the second herbicide powder prepared in step a) to provide a wetted powder or dough; 
 c) granulating the wetted powder or dough prepared in step b) by extrusion to provide wet granules; and 
 d) drying the wet granules prepared in step c) to provide the high-load, herbicide granule.