Powder Formulations

Abstract
The present invention relates to powder formulations which consist of at least one agrochemical active substance, at least one polyurethane and/or polyurethane urea, and, if appropriate, additives and which have a particle diameter of less than 125 μm, to processes for the preparation of these formulations and to their use for applying agrochemical active substances.
Description
EXAMPLES
Example 1

A stirred three-necked flask apparatus is charged with 37.82 g of 1,2-propanediol, 100 g of acetone and 0.07 g of dibutyltin dilaurate, and 78.11 g of Desmodur® T 80 are added dropwise with cooling in such a way that the internal temperature climbs to 50° C. The isocyanate content is 0.23% 2.5 hours after the dropwise addition has been ended and after afterreaction at 50° C. After addition of 5 g of water and a further 30 minutes afterreaction at 50° C., the solution is free of isocyanate. 29 g of Folicur are introduced, and the acetone is removed by distillation up to an internal temperature of 160° C. The distillation residue is poured onto a Teflon sheet and, after cooling, pulverized in a Braun mixer. After screening over a mesh size of 63 μm, 98 g of product are obtained. According to particle size determination, 50% of the particles are <24 μm. The active substance content according to GLC is 20.1%.


Release of active substance:


In a sealed 500 ml Erlenmeyer flask, 50.0 mg of the powder are stirred at 20° C. in 200 ml of Cipac 500 ppm water. The amount of Folicur is 50.25 mg/l.


Samples are taken from the suspension at the times indicated hereinbelow and filtered through a 0.2 μm microfilter, and the active substance content is determined by means of HPLC.
















Sampling after [h]
Folicur content [mg/l]



















1
0.33



6
0.48



24
0.63



48
0.85



168
1.68



336
3.96



504
6.12



696
9.42



840
10.6



1008
11.97










Example 2

In a stirred three-necked flask apparatus, 100 g of a polyester of phthalic acid and 1,2-ethanediol with a mean molar mass of 2000 g/mol and an OH content of 1.7% are molten and dehydrated for 30 minutes at 100° C. and 15 mbar. Thereafter, 9.2 g of Desmodur® PU 1806 (diphenylmethane diisocyanate, isomer mixture, Bayer) are added dropwise in the course of 15 minutes and the mixture is stirred for 4.5 hours at 130° C. Thereafter, the mixture is free of isocyanate according to IR spectrum. 27.3 g of imidacloprid are introduced and the internal temperature is raised to 150° C. The melt is poured onto a Teflon sheet and, when cold, pulverized in a Braun mixer and screened to give particles <125 μm. The active substance content found, determined by HPLC, is 19.4%.


Release of active substance:


In a sealed 200 ml Erlenmeyer flask, 52 mg of the powder are stirred at 25° C. in 100 ml of Cipac 500 ppm water. The amount of imidacloprid is 100 mg/Il.


Samples are taken from the suspension at the times indicated hereinbelow and filtered through a 0.2 μm microfilter, and the active substance content is determined by means of HPLC.
















Sampling after [h]
Imidacloprid content [mg/l]



















1
12.8



6
30.7



24
74.5



48
125.3



168
213.9



336
252.7










Example 3

In a stirred three-necked flask apparatus, a prepolymer is prepared by introducing 111 g of isophorone diisocyanate and adding 35.4 g of 1,6-hexanediol portionwise at 120° C. Stirring is continued until the calculated value of 11.48% of NCO is reached, or almost reached. 10.92% of NCO were found.


36.6 g of the prepolymer are dissolved in 120 g of methylene chloride, and the solution is added dropwise with cooling at room temperature to a solution of 10.7 benzylamine and 50 g of methylene chloride. A few minutes after the dropwise addition has ended, the solution is free of NCO according to IR spectrum. 21.6 g of imidacloprid are introduced. The mixture is heated slowly to 150° C., during which process methylene chloride is removed by distillation. At 150° C., a vacuum of 15 mbar is applied. The melt is poured onto a Teflon sheet and pulverized in a Braun mixer and the powder is screened to give particles <125 μm. 30.0% of imidacloprid, as determined by HPLC, were found.


Release of active substance:


In a sealed 2 l Erlenmeyer flask, 3333 mg of the powder are stirred at 25° C. in 1000 ml of Cipac 500 ppm water. The amount of imidacloprid is 1000 mg/l.


Samples are taken from the suspension at the times indicated hereinbelow and filtered through a 0.2 μm microfilter, and the active substance content is determined by means of HPLC.
















Sampling after [h]
Imidacloprid content [mg/l]



















1
13.65



6
26.06



24
59.71



48
99.64



168
333.6










Example 4

A stirred three-necked flask apparatus is charged with 11.8 g of 1,6-hexanediol and 2.16 g of benzyl alcohol, and 24.2 g of isophorone diisocyanate are added dropwise at 90° C. in the course of 35 minutes. Thereafter, the internal temperature is raised to 160° C. in the course of 2.5 hours. The product is NCO-free according to IR spectrum. 16.45 g of imidacloprid are slowly introduced into the melt. The homogeneous melt is poured onto a Teflon sheet and, when cold, conuninuted in a Braun mixer and the powder is screened to give particles <125 μm. 29.9% of imidacloprid, as determined by HPLC, were found.


Release of active substance:


In a sealed 2 l Erlenmeyer flask, 3345 mg of the powder are stirred at 25° C. in 1000 ml of Cipac 500 ppm water. The amount of imidacloprid is 1000 mg/l.


Samples are taken from the suspension at the times indicated hereinbelow and filtered through a 0.2 μm microfilter, and the active substance content is determined by means of HPLC.
















Sampling after [h]
Imidacloprid content [mg/l]



















1
11.58



6
16.26



24
33.33



48
54.17



168
134.6










Example 5
Preparation of a Low-Molecular-Weight Polyurethane with Good Crystallization Properties

A stirred three-necked flask apparatus is charged with 168 g of hexamethylene diisocyanate and 46 g of ethanol are added dropwise at 90° C. in the course of 1 hour. Then, 45 g of 1,4-butanediol are added dropwise in the course of a further hour, and the temperature is raised to 160° C. Stirring is continued at this temperature until the melt no longer contains isocyanate according to IR spectroscopy. The product is poured onto a Teflon sheet and, when cold, comminuted in a Braun mixer.


Example 6
Preparation of a Polyurethane in Acetonic Solution

A stirred three-necked flask apparatus is charged with 35.3 g of 1,2-propanediol and 71.5 g of acetone, and 64.8 g of isomer mixture consisting to 80% of toluylene diisocyanate and to 20% of 2,6-toluylene diisocyanate are added dropwise, with cooling. Stirring is continued for 2 hours at 50° C. The isocyanate content of the clear solution is 0.1%.


Example 7
Preparation of a Powder Formulation with a Temperature-Sensitive Active Substance

In a stirred three-necked flask apparatus, 30 g of methiocarb, 20 g of polyurethane of Example 5, 85.8 g of the acetonic solution of Example 6 and 0.1 g of stearic acid are heated to 110° C., and the acetone is removed via a distillation head, first under atmospheric pressure and thereafter at up to 15 mbar. The melt is poured onto a Teflon sheet and, when cold, ground in a Braun mixer and screened to give particles <125 μm. The active substance content identified by HPLC is 26.5%.


Release of active substance:


In a sealed 500 ml Erlenmeyer flask, 0.038 g of the powder is stirred in 200 ml of buffer solution pH 4 (Riedel-de Haen, Art. No. 33543) at 25° C. The amount of methiocarb is 50 mg/l.


Samples are taken from the suspension at the points in time indicated hereinbelow and filtered through a 0.2 μm microfilter, and the active substance content is determined by means of HPLC.
















Sampling after [h]
Methiocarb content [mg/l]



















1
4.35



6
7.16



24
10.13



48
11.83









Claims
  • 1. A powder comprising, at least one agrochemical active substance,at least one polyurethane, or polyurethane urea, or a mixture thereof, and,optionally, one or more additives,wherein said powder has a particle size of less than 125 μm in diameter.
  • 2. The powder according to claim 1, wherein the polyurethane, or the polyurethane urea, has a mean molar mass of from 200 to 50,000 g/mol.
  • 3. The powder according to claim 2, wherein the polyurethane, or the polyurethane urea, has a mean molar mass of from 250 to 20,000 g/mol.
  • 4. The powder according to claim 1, wherein, the agrochemical active substance is between 1 and 50% by weight,the polyurethane, the polyurethane urea, or the mixture thereof is between 50 and 99% by weight, andthe additive is between 0 and 30% by weight.
  • 5. The powder according to claim 1, wherein the agrochemical active substance is selected from a group consisting of imidacloprid, carpropamid, tebuconazole and methiocarb.
  • 6. A process for the preparation of a powder according to claim 1, comprising, homogenizingat least one agrochemical active substance,at least one polyurethane, or polyurethane urea, or a mixture thereof, and,optionally, one or more additives,in a melt at a temperature between 50° C. and 200° C., and,cooling and comminuting the mixture to obtain a powder having a particle size of less than 125 μm in diameter.
  • 7. The process according to claim 6, wherein the agrochemical active substance is mixed with the polyurethane, the polyurethane urea, or the mixture thereof, in the presence of a solvent and the solvent is subsequently removed.
  • 8. A method of applying an agrochemical active substance to plants or their environment, comprising contacting plants or their environment with a powder according to claim 1.
  • 9. A composition according to claim 1 further comprising one or more extenders, or surface-active agents.
  • 10. The composition according to claim 9, wherein the agrochemical active substance is selected from a group consisting of imidacloprid, carpropamid, tebuconazole and methiocarb.
  • 11. The composition according to claim 9, wherein the polyurethane, or the polyurethane urea, has a mean molar mass of from 200 to 50,000 g/mol.
  • 12. The composition according to claim 11, wherein said polyurethane, or said polyurethane urea, has a mean molar mass of from 200 to 20,000 g/mol.
  • 13. The composition according to claim 9, wherein, the agrochemical active substance is between 1 and 50% by weight,the polyurethane, the polyurethane urea, or the mixture thereof is between 50 and 99% by weight, andthe additive is between 0 and 30% by weight.
  • 14. The powder according to claim 4, wherein the agrochemical active substance is selected from a group consisting of imidacloprid, carpropamid, tebuconazole and methiocarb.
  • 15. The powder according to claim 4, wherein the polyurethane, or the polyurethane urea has a mean molar mass of from 200 to 50,000 g/mol.
  • 16. The powder according to claim 15, wherein the polyurethane, or the polyurethane urea has a mean molar mass of from 200 to 20,000 g/mol.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
102004004143.1 Jan 2004 DE national
PCT Information
Filing Document Filing Date Country Kind 371c Date
PCT/EP05/00474 1/19/2005 WO 00 4/26/2007