Tank-Mix

Abstract

A tank-mix is disclosed herein including a) 1,2-cyclohexandicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester, b) a mixture of anionic surfactants selected from b1) alkylbenzenesulfonates and b2) sulfosuccinate, and c) a nonionic surfactant. A weight % ratio of b1):b2) is 3:1 to 20:1 and a weight % ratio of anionic surfactants to nonionic surfactant is b1)+b2)c).

A spray mix is further disclosed including said tank mix and a pesticide. A process is also disclosed for the preparation of said spray mix; and to a method for controlling phytopathogenic fungi and/or undesirable plant growth and/or undesirable insect or mite infestation and/or for regulating the growth of plants. The method includes allowing the spray mix to act on the respective pests, the habit thereof or the plants to be protected from the respective pest, on the soil and/or on undesirable plants and/or the crop plants and/or the habitat thereof.

Claims

1. A tank-mix comprising: a) 1,2-cyclohexandicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester, b) a mixture of anionic surfactants selected from b1) alkylbenzenesulfonates and b2) sulfosuccinates, and c) a nonionic surfactant, wherein a weight % ratio of b1) to b2) is 3:1 to 20:1 and wherein a weight % ratio of anionic surfactants to nonionic surfactant is b1)+b2)c).

2. The tank-mix according to claim 1, wherein the weight % ratio of b1) dodecylbenzenesul-fonates to b2) sulfosuccinates is from 3:1 to 20:1 and wherein the weight % ratio of anionic surfactants to nonionic surfactant is b1)+b2)>c).

3. The tank-mix according to claim 1, wherein the weight % ratio of b1) dodecylbenzene-sulfonates to b2) sulfosuccinates is from 3:1 to 10:1 and wherein the weight % ratio of anionic surfactants to nonionic surfactant is b1)+b2)c).

4. The tank-mix according to claim 1, wherein b1) is present in an amount of 75 to 95 weight % and b2) is present in an amount of 5 to 25 weight % based on a total amount of anionic surfactants.

5. A tank-mix according to claim 1, comprising: a) 70 to 92 weight % of 1,2-cyclohexandicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester, b) 4 to 15 weight % of a mixture of anionic surfactants selected from b1) alkylbenzenesulfonates and b2) sulfosuccinates, wherein b1) is present in an amount of 75 to 95 weight % and b2) is present in an amount of 5 to 25 weight % based on a total weight of anionic surfactants, and c) 4 to 15 weight % of a nonionic surfactant, wherein the sum of a), b) and c) adds up to 100 weight % based on a total weight of the tank-mix and wherein the weight % ratio of anionic surfactants to nonionic surfactant is b)c).

6. The tank-mix according to claim 1, wherein the nonionic surfactant is an alkoxylate.

7. The tank-mix according to claim 1, wherein the nonionic surfactant is a castor oil alkoxylate.

8. The tank-mix according to claim 1, wherein b) is a mixture of b1) do-decylbenzenesulfonates and b2) sulfosuccinates.

9. A spray mix comprising a pesticide and the tank-mix according to claim 1.

10. A process for the preparation of the spray mix according to claim 9 by mixing the pesticide, the 1,2-cyclohexandicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester, the mixture of anionic surfactants and the nonionic surfactant.

11. A non-therapeutic method for controlling phytopathogenic fungi and/or undesirable plant growth and/or undesirable insect or mite infestation and/or for regulating the growth of plants, wherein the spray mix according to claim 9 is allowed to act on the respective pests, the habit thereof or the plants to be protected from the respective pest, on the soil and/or on undesirable plants and/or the crop plants and/or the habitat thereof.

Description

EXAMPLES

[0153] Solvent: 1,2-cyclohexandicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester

[0154] Non-ionic surfactant 1 (NS1): liquid ethoxylated castor oil, 40 ethylene oxide units

[0155] Non-ionic surfactant 2 (NS2): Oxirane, methyl-, polymer with oxirane, monobutyl ether (EO/PO-blockcopolymer surfactant)

[0156] Non-ionic surfactant 3 (NS3): C10 Guerbet alcohol ethoxylate, 10 EO

[0157] Non-ionic surfactant 4 (NS4): C13/C15 Oxo alcohol ethoxylate, 3EO

[0158] Non-ionic surfactant 5 (NS5): liquid ethoxylated castor oil, 30 ethylene oxide units

[0159] Non-ionic surfactant 6 (NS6): liquid ethoxylated castor oil, 20 ethylene oxide units

[0160] Anionic surfactant 1 (AS1): Ca-Dodecylbenzene sulfonate

[0161] Anionic surfactant 2 (AS2): Diethylhexylsulfonatsuccinate Na.sup.+ salt

[0162] Anionic surfactant 3 (AS3): Isodecylsulfonatsuccinate Na.sup.+ salt

[0163] Anionic surfactant 4 (AS4): Octadecanoic acid 9(or 10)-sulfonatsuccinate K.sup.+ salt

Examples 1: Preparation of Tank-Mixes and Stability Test

[0164] The tank-mixes were prepared by mixing the components as described in Table 1. The stability has been assessed at room temperature according to CIPAC method MT 36. Examples according to the invention are TM 1 to TM5 in Table 2. CTM 1 to CTM 10 represent comparative tank-mixes in Table 1.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Composition Comparative Tank-mixes (all data in wt %) CTM CTM CTM CTM CTM CTM CTM CTM CTM CTM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Solvent 95 95 95 95 95 95 88 88 88 88 NS1 1.25 2.5 1.25 NS2 2.5 1.25 1.25 2.5 1.25 1.25 NS3 0.625 1.25 0.625 NS4 0.625 1.25 0.625 NS5 4 6 8 8 NS6 AS1 1.25 1.25 2.5 1.25 1.25 2.5 8 6 4 3.5 AS2 0.5 AS3 AS4

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Composition Tank-mixes (all data in wt %) TM 1 TM 2 TM 3 TM 4 TM 5 Solvent 88 88 88 88 88 NS1 NS2 NS3 NS4 NS5 4 4 4 4 NS6 4 AS1 7 7 6.4 7.5 7.5 AS2 1 1 1.6 AS3 0.5 AS4 0.5

[0165] Each tank-mix of Table 1 was diluted in CIPAC water D (5% w/w EC in CIPAC water D).

[0166] The resulting tank-mixes were assessed according to their emulsion stability over time. The results are shown in Tables 3 and 4.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Stability test (5% CTM in CIPAC water D) CTM CTM CTM CTM CTM CTM CTM CTM CTM CTM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 After 30 unstable Very stable unstable Very unstable Stable stable stable stable minutes unstable unstable After Very Very Very Very Very Very unstable Unstable Unstable Very 24 h unstable unstable unstable unstable unstable unstable unstable

TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Stability test (5% TM in CIPAC water D) TM 1 TM 2 TM 3 TM 4 TM 5 After 30 stable stable stable stable stable minutes After 24 h stable stable stable stable stable Cipac D: water hardness 432 ppm (Ca:Mg = 4:1) Stable: no cream to maximum 2 ml cream Unstable: means 2 ml < x ml 5 ml cream Very unstable: >5 ml cream

Example 2: Improved Performance of Formulation

[0167] Method: Biofluorescence

[0168] Chlorophyll fluorescence is light re-emitted by chlorophyll molecules during return from excited to non-excited states and used as indicator of photosynthetic energy conversion

[0169] When light is applied to plants energy is mainly used for photosynthesis. Minor portion of the energy is transferred into heat and fluorescence. Herbicides working as photosystem H inhibitors block the regular photosynthesis activity and more energy is transferred into fluorescence. This fluorescence increase can be captured and used as indirect measurement of herbicide activity.

TABLE-US-00005 Recipe 1 2 3 Bromoxynil-K 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% NS5 (33.4%), 0.12% AS1 (58.3%), AS2 (8.3%) TM2 1% Water add to 100 add to 100 add to 100

[0170] Weed: black bindweed

[0171] 5 l of each formulation (see Recipe above) are applied on leaves. 5 leaves per recipe and 2 droplets per leaf.

[0172] Characteristics captured: increase in fluorescence and fluorescent area

[0173] Multiplying fluorescence intensity by fluorescent area lead to a characteristic considered as indicator for the performance of the respective recipe. The higher the figure the better the adjuvant (in this case tank mix) efficacy. The results are shown in Table 5.

TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 5 Results Recipe 1 2 3 Increase fluorescence 0.13 0.09 0.154 Area mm.sup.2 9.46 34.2 59.93 Fluorescence index 1.23 3.07 9.21

[0174] Adding solvent of the invention as tank mix component, leads to a strongly increased efficacy of the active ingredient.