阅读说明：本技术 麦草畏的链烷醇胺盐的高浓缩溶液 (Highly concentrated solutions of alkanolamine salts of dicamba ) 是由 K.莫勒 M.施米德特 K.穆宁 P.鲁斯 J.范杜尔默 于 2018-04-23 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明是一种除草剂组合物,其包含麦草畏的链烷醇胺盐,其能够保持为单相液体至少1周的时间,并且包含少量的水和高载量的所述盐。这样的除草剂组合物能够在没有大量水的情况下保持液态,从而提高了它们在暴露于环境条件下时在延长的时间段内保持液态的能力,以在不损害组合物的稳定性的情况下,提高了它们运输活性盐通过叶片基质的有效性,并且通过增加盐载量能够降低运输成本。(the present invention is a herbicidal composition comprising an alkanolamine salt of dicamba, which is capable of remaining as a single-phase liquid for a period of at least 1 week, and which comprises a small amount of water and a high loading of said salt. Such herbicidal compositions are capable of remaining liquid in the absence of significant amounts of water, thereby increasing their ability to remain liquid for extended periods of time when exposed to ambient conditions, to increase their effectiveness in transporting active salts through the leaf substrate without compromising the stability of the composition, and to reduce shipping costs by increasing salt loading.)

1. A herbicidal composition comprising water and an alkanolamine salt comprising the reaction product of an alkanolamine compound with dicamba, wherein the alkanolamine salt is capable of remaining as a single phase liquid for at least 1 week as determined by subjecting the alkanolamine salt continuously to the following test conditions: a 2ml sample comprising the alkanolamine salt and less than 5 wt.% water based on the weight of the sample and no non-aqueous solvent was placed on the glass surface and exposed to the atmosphere at a temperature in the range of 20 ℃ to 25 ℃ and at about 1 atmosphere.

2. The herbicidal composition of claim 1, wherein the sample subjected to the test does not comprise solids dispersed throughout the liquid.

3. The herbicidal composition of claim 1, wherein the sample subjected to the test does not comprise added solvent other than water.

4. The composition of claim 3, wherein the sample subjected to the test conditions comprises water in an amount of no more than 3 wt.% based on the weight of the sample and no other added solvent.

5. The herbicidal composition of claim 4, wherein the herbicidal composition comprises water in an amount of no more than 10 wt.%, based on the weight of the herbicidal composition.

6. The herbicidal composition of claim 5, wherein the herbicidal composition comprises water in an amount of no more than 5 wt.%, based on the weight of the herbicidal composition.

7. The herbicidal composition of claim 1, wherein a sample undergoing the test remains a single phase liquid for a period of at least one month.

8. The herbicidal composition of claim 7, wherein a sample undergoing the test remains a single phase liquid composition for a period of at least two months.

9. A herbicidal composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition comprises a salt load of at least 700 g a.e./L.

10. A herbicidal composition according to claim 9, wherein the salt loading is at least 900 g a.e./L.

11. The herbicidal composition of claim 1, wherein the sample undergoing the test comprises less than 3 wt.% water, based on the weight of the sample, no other added solvent, and remains a single phase liquid composition for a period of at least two months at an alkanolamine salt loading of at least 800 g a.e./L.

12. A herbicidal composition according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the alkanolamine comprises methylaminoethanol (MMEA), 2-Dimethylaminoethanol (DMEA) or a mixture thereof.

13. A method of preparing a herbicidal composition comprising:

a. Reacting the alkanolamine compound with dicamba in the presence of water to form a two-phase composition comprising a liquid phase and a solid phase, and

b. Exposing the two-phase composition to conditions sufficient to form a single-phase liquid composition.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the single phase composition comprises no more than 5 wt.% water, based on the weight of the single phase composition.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the two phases form a stable single phase liquid in the absence of a surfactant, dispersing aid, or wetting agent.

16. The method of claim 14, comprising:

a. Reacting an alkanolamine compound with dicamba in the presence of water to form a two-phase composition comprising a liquid phase and a solid phase, wherein water is used in an amount of no more than 10 wt.%, based on the weight of the two-phase composition, and

b. Exposing the two-phase composition to conditions sufficient to form a single-phase liquid composition without adding more water or in an amount such that the single-phase liquid composition comprises no more than 10 wt.% water, based on the weight of the single-phase liquid composition.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the herbicide composition is stable for at least 1 week as measured by the following test method: a 2ml sample comprising the alkanolamine salt and less than 5 wt.% water based on the weight of the sample and no non-aqueous solvent was placed on the glass surface and exposed to the atmosphere at a temperature in the range of 20 ℃ to 25 ℃ and at about 1 atmosphere.

18. A method of applying an herbicide composition to a foliar substrate comprising spraying said herbicide composition onto a foliar substrate, said composition comprising water and a salt comprising the reaction product of an alkanolamine and dicamba, wherein said salt is capable of remaining as a single-phase liquid for at least (1) one week, as determined by the following test method: a 2ml sample comprising the alkanolamine salt and less than 5 wt.% water based on the weight of the sample and no non-aqueous solvent was placed on the glass surface and exposed to the atmosphere at a temperature in the range of 20 ℃ to 25 ℃ and at about 1 atmosphere.

19. a single phase liquid composition comprising the reaction product of an alkanolamine salt and dicamba for use as a herbicide for application to a leaf substrate.

20. A method of selling or offering for sale a herbicide composition comprising associating an advertisement or a set of instructions with a herbicide composition comprising the reaction product of an alkanolamine and dicamba, and informing a potential or actual buyer that the herbicide composition offered for sale or sale has the ability to reduce drift or improve or enhance the active life of the herbicide composition.

21. A salt obtained by combining an amine and a carboxylic acid herbicide,

Wherein the amine comprises 3- (dimethylamino) propionitrile (DMAPN), and the herbicide comprises 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D), 3, 6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (dicamba), glufosinate or glyphosate; or

Wherein the amine comprises 1, 2-diaminopropane (1, 2-DAP) and the herbicide comprises 3, 6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (dicamba), glufosinate or glyphosate.

22. The salt of claim 21, wherein the amine comprises 3- (dimethylamino) propionitrile (DMAPN) and the herbicide comprises 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D), 3, 6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (dicamba), glufosinate or glyphosate.

23. The salt of claim 21, wherein the amine comprises 1, 2-diaminopropane (1, 2-DAP) and the herbicide comprises 3, 6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (dicamba), glufosinate or glyphosate.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the field of herbicides. The present invention particularly relates to certain herbicidal compositions comprising the reaction product of an alkanolamine compound with dicamba.

background

Various herbicide active ingredients have acidic functional groups in their molecular structures. Aqueous formulation concentrates may avoid or reduce the need for non-aqueous solvents. When used in aqueous formulations, these acid groups may be neutralized with an amine to obtain a formulation having the desired pH. Even though some amine-herbicide combinations are commercially available (e.g., ROUNDUP, BANVEL, etc.), it is desirable to increase the maximum loading of active salt (g acid/liter formulation) and improve the efficacy of leaf penetration over time.

Many amine salts of active herbicides, particularly the water soluble salts, are solid and require relatively large amounts of water to provide a liquid composition. The reaction of liquid amines with various carboxylic acid functional herbicides typically results in the formation of a two-phase system, a lower layer of amine-herbicide salt solids and an upper saturated liquid layer containing water, unreacted amine and/or dissolved amine salt of the herbicide. Increasing the amount of water to the point where all of the solids are dissolved increases shipping costs because more water must be transported. It would be desirable to provide a stable herbicide composition with a high loading of the herbicide amine salt or a low concentration of solvent, as such a composition would enable reduced shipping costs.

It would also be desirable to have a composition that can remain a single phase liquid for longer periods of time at ambient conditions. Once the amine salt has cured, the efficacy of the herbicide amine salt on the leaf substrate as measured by diffusion or other transport mechanisms is compromised. It would be advantageous to use amine salts of acid functional herbicides that remain liquid for longer periods of time at ambient conditions, thereby increasing the active treatment time of the amine salt of acid functional herbicide.

The present invention addresses the need to obtain a single phase liquid with a high loading of active amine salt of herbicide and which can remain stable in the liquid state for a longer period of time.

Disclosure of Invention

there is now provided a herbicidal composition comprising water and an alkanolamine salt comprising the reaction product of an alkanolamine compound with dicamba, wherein the alkanolamine salt is capable of remaining as a single-phase liquid for at least 1 week as determined by subjecting the alkanolamine salt successively to the following test conditions: a 2ml sample comprising the alkanolamine salt and less than 5 wt.% water based on the weight of the sample and no non-aqueous solvent was placed on the glass surface and exposed to the atmosphere at a temperature in the range of 20 ℃ to 25 ℃ and at about 1 atmosphere.

Also provided is a method of preparing a herbicidal composition comprising:

a. reacting the alkanolamine compound with dicamba in the presence of water to form a two-phase composition comprising a liquid phase and a solid phase, and

b. Exposing the two-phase composition to conditions sufficient to form a single-phase liquid composition.

also provided is a method of preparing a herbicidal composition comprising:

a. Reacting an alkanolamine compound with dicamba in the presence of water to form a two-phase composition comprising a liquid phase and a solid phase, wherein water is used in an amount of no more than 10 wt.%, based on the weight of the two-phase composition, and

b. Exposing the two-phase composition to conditions sufficient to form a single-phase liquid composition without the addition of more water or in an amount such that the single-phase liquid composition comprises no more than 10 wt.% water, based on the weight of the single-phase liquid composition.

The compositions made by this method are desirably stable for at least 1 week, as measured by the test methods described above.

Also provided is a method of applying an alkanolamine salt of dicamba to a foliar substrate comprising spraying onto the foliar substrate a herbicide composition comprising water and a salt comprising the reaction product of an alkanolamine compound with dicamba, wherein the salt is capable of remaining as a single-phase liquid for at least (1) one week, as determined by the test method described above.

In another embodiment, a composition is provided comprising the reaction product of an alkanolamine with dicamba for use as a herbicide for application to foliar substrates.

Also provided is a method of selling or offering for sale a herbicide composition, the method comprising associating an advertisement or a set of instructions with a herbicide composition, the herbicide composition comprising the reaction product of an alkanolamine and dicamba, and the advertisement or instructions informing a potential or actual purchaser that the herbicide composition offered for sale or sale has the ability to reduce drift or improve or enhance the active life of the herbicide composition.

Through research conducted to obtain single phase amine salts of carboxylic acid herbicides, we have also discovered two amines that exhibit the ability to form soluble salts with at least three of the four carboxylic acid herbicides tested, at reasonable to high loadings. While none of these specific amines can form a single phase liquid that is stable at ambient temperatures for extended periods of time, we have recognized their unique advantage of forming soluble salts with many carboxylic acid herbicides at acceptable loading levels, thereby avoiding the necessity of having to use a different amine for each different carboxylic acid herbicide. Thus, also provided is a salt comprising 3- (dimethylamino) propionitrile (DMAPN) in combination with any of four separate carboxylic acid herbicides selected from 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D), 3, 6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (dicamba), glufosinate or glyphosate; and the amine compound 1, 2-diaminopropane (1, 2-DAP) in combination with any one of three separate carboxylic acid herbicides selected from 3, 6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (dicamba), glufosinate or glyphosate. These combinations can form soluble salts at acceptable loadings.

Drawings

Figure 1 shows a decision flow diagram for the preparation of herbicide amine salt solutions.

Detailed Description

It is to be understood that the following is not intended to be an exclusive list of defined terms. Other definitions may be provided in the foregoing description, as for example, when the defined term is used concomitantly in the context.

As used herein, "can" is synonymous with optionally. The terms "a", "an" and "the" mean one or more. The term "and/or," when used in a list of two or more items, means that any one of the listed items can be used alone, or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be used. For example, if a composition is described as comprising components A, B and/or C, the composition may comprise a alone; b alone; separately comprises C; the combination comprises A and B; a combination comprising a and C, a combination comprising B and C; or a combination comprising A, B and C. The terms "comprising," "including," and "comprising" are open-ended transition terms used to transition from a subject recited before the term to one or more elements recited after the term, wherein the one or more elements listed after the transition term are not necessarily the only elements that make up the subject.

As used herein, the terms "having", "has", "containing", "includes", "including" and "having" have the same open-ended meaning as "comprising", "including" and "including" described above.

The present description uses numerical ranges to quantify certain parameters relating to the invention. It should be understood that when numerical ranges are provided, such ranges are to be construed as providing literal support for claim limitations that only recite the lower value of the range as well as claim limitations that only recite the upper value of the range. For example, a disclosed numerical range of 10 to 100, or ranging from 10 to 100 or from 10 to 100, provides literal support for claims referencing "greater than 10" (without an upper limit) and claims referencing "less than 100" (without a lower limit), and provides literal support for endpoints of 10 and 100 and includes endpoints of 10 and 100. It will also be understood that each specific numerical value provided herein should be interpreted to provide literal support for any intermediate range and each number within the range. Numerical ranges should apply not only to the stated range values, but also to data points not necessarily expressed as ranges. Thus, if the specification describes the data point 100 in one example, and the second related data point 48 is described elsewhere in the specification or in other examples, a range of 48 to 100 is described and intended.

Any two numbers of the same characteristic or parameter reported in the working examples may define a range. These numbers may be rounded to the nearest decile, percentile, decile, unit, tens, hundreds, or thousands to define a range.

There is now provided a herbicidal composition comprising water and an alkanolamine salt comprising the reaction product of an alkanolamine compound with dicamba, wherein the alkanolamine salt is capable of remaining as a single-phase liquid for at least 1 week as determined by subjecting the alkanolamine salt successively to the following test conditions: a 2ml sample comprising the alkanolamine salt and less than 5 wt.% water based on the weight of the sample and no non-aqueous solvent was placed on the glass surface and exposed to the atmosphere at a temperature in the range of 20 ℃ to 25 ℃ and at a pressure of about 1 atmosphere. The alkanolamine salt sample subjected to the test was not extracted from the herbicide composition but was independently synthesized under the same reaction conditions and formulations used to prepare the alkanolamine salt in the herbicide composition except that the amount of water used was adjusted to not exceed 5 wt.% or other optional water concentrations described below. If such a sample remains a single phase liquid to the naked eye for at least one week under these test conditions, the herbicidal composition is considered to contain an alkanolamine salt of dicamba that can remain a single phase liquid composition regardless of the amount of aqueous or nonaqueous solvent contained in the herbicidal composition. The herbicide composition may comprise any amount of solvent, including water and any adjuvants. Many amine salts of acid functional herbicides can be monophasic liquids when diluted with sufficient aqueous or non-aqueous solvent, or assisted with a surfactant. However, the herbicidal compositions of the present invention comprise a particular salt that remains as a single phase liquid for at least one week when subjected to a particular set of test conditions. The advantage of using such salts is to both reduce shipping costs by utilizing high loadings of active salt and to extend the efficacy of the active herbicide on the leaf substrate by maintaining the liquid even at very low concentrations of water or other solvent.

A "single-phase liquid" is a homogeneous liquid that does not contain two or more distinct layers when viewed with the naked eye. Behavior inconsistent with a single phase liquid includes liquid/liquid separation of layers, or liquid/solid streaks, in each case noticeable to the naked eye. Although the physical properties of the composition may vary with temperature and pressure, the composition of matter is considered to be a single phase liquid that is a homogeneous liquid when measured at temperatures of 20 to 25 ℃ and about 1atm temperature, and does not contain two or more distinct layers when viewed with the naked eye. A single phase liquid is not necessarily a true solution in a physical sense, but appears as a single phase to the naked eye as described above.

optionally, the single phase liquid also does not contain the presence of solids dispersed throughout the liquid, as observed by the naked eye. For example, the single-phase liquid in this case is not an emulsion, suspension or dispersion, and, as determined with the naked eye, does not contain two or more layers in each case.

The herbicidal composition comprises an alkanolamine salt of dicamba having the ability to remain a single phase liquid in the presence of small amounts of water. The amount of water present is so low that one would expect the alkanolamine salt of dicamba to solidify or crystallize. The herbicidal composition comprises an alkanolamine salt of dicamba having the ability to remain a single-phase liquid in the presence of no more than 10 wt.%, or no more than 7.5 wt.%, or no more than 6 wt.%, or no more than 5 wt.%, or no more than 4 wt.%, or no more than 3 wt.%, or no more than 2.0 wt.%, or no more than 1.5 wt.%, or no more than 1.0 wt.%, or no more than 0.75 wt.%, or no more than 0.5 wt.%, or no more than 0.25 wt.%, or no more than 0.1 wt.% water, based on the weight of the herbicidal composition. The concentration of water in the herbicide composition may be 1 to 1,000 times lower than the concentration of water in a supersaturated solution of the reaction product and water.

The herbicide composition comprises an alkanolamine salt of dicamba. Dicamba is 3, 6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid, having the following structure:

The alkanolamine compound comprises at least one hydroxyl group and at least one amine group and comprises at least 1 carbon atom, and may be branched or straight chain, saturated or unsaturated, or have at least 3 carbon atoms. Examples of suitable alkanolamines include N-methylaminoethanol (MMEA) and 2-Dimethylaminoethanol (DMEA).

The herbicide composition containing the alkanolamine salt of dicamba may be a formulated composition such as a concentrate, tank mix or Ready To Use (RTU) composition. The alkanolamine salt of dicamba can be mixed with other ingredients, but since the alkanolamine salt of dicamba can remain liquid with very little water, the formulated composition itself can also be formulated with small amounts of water. Accordingly, there is also provided a herbicidal composition comprising an alkanolamine salt of dicamba obtained by combining various ingredients, at least one of which comprises the reaction product of an alkanolamine and dicamba, and wherein the herbicidal composition comprises no more than 10 wt.%, or no more than 7.5 wt.%, or no more than 6 wt.%, or no more than 5 wt.%, or no more than 4 wt.%, or no more than 3 wt.%, or no more than 2.0 wt.%, or no more than 1.5 wt.%, or no more than 1.0 wt.%, or no more than 0.75 wt.%, or no more than 0.5 wt.%, or no more than 0.25 wt.%, or no more than 0.1 wt.% of water, based on the weight of the herbicidal composition, for sale to end users in a package.

Desirably, the herbicide composition comprises an alkanolamine salt of dicamba that has the ability to remain a single phase liquid in the presence of not only the low levels of water described above, but also low levels of non-aqueous solvents. The solvent refers to a molecule inert to the alkanolamine salt of dicamba and further excludes the reactive raw materials used to prepare the alkanolamine salt of dicamba or byproducts thereof. The solvent may be water or non-water molecules.

Optionally, the herbicidal composition is liquid in the presence of water, wherein the amount of any solvent (aqueous or non-aqueous solvent) does not exceed 10 wt.%, or does not exceed 7.5 wt.%, or does not exceed 6 wt.%, or does not exceed 5 wt.%, or does not exceed 4 wt.%, or does not exceed 3 wt.%, or does not exceed 2.0 wt.%, or does not exceed 1.5 wt.%, or does not exceed 1.0 wt.%, or does not exceed 0.75 wt.%, or does not exceed 0.5 wt.%, or does not exceed 0.25 wt.%, or does not exceed 0.1 wt.%, based on the weight of the herbicidal composition.

The herbicidal composition may comprise a molar ratio of water to non-aqueous solvent of at least 1:10, or at least 1:2, or at least 1:1, or at least 2:1, or at least 5:1, or at least 10:1, or at least 50:1, or at least 100: 1. In one embodiment, no non-aqueous solvent is added to the alkanolamine salt of dicamba. The concentration of water in the herbicide composition may be 1 to 1,000 times lower than the concentration of water in a supersaturated solution of the reaction product and water.

The herbicide composition of the present invention is not limited to a specific concentration of solvent. For example, the herbicidal compositions of the present invention may comprise at least 15 wt.%, or at least 20 wt.%, or at least 30 wt.% or at least 50 wt.%, or even 70 or 80 wt.%, or more of an aqueous or non-aqueous solvent, provided that the herbicidal composition contains an alkanolamine salt of dicamba having the ability to remain as a single phase liquid composition as determined by the test method described above. The alkanolamine salt of dicamba used in the present invention has an extended ability to remain in the liquid state. We have found that herbicidal compositions comprising these salts can be maintained as single phase liquids for extended periods of time, for example, even in low concentration solvents for at least one week, or at least two weeks, or at least one month, or at least two months, or at least three months. Optionally, a sample may be tested more rigorously by using a sample containing only up to or about 3 wt.%, or only up to or about 2 wt.% water, based on the weight of the sample, and no other non-aqueous solvent, and any composition that passes this more rigorously test should also be considered to pass the test at 5 wt.% water.

The alkanolamine salt of dicamba contained in the herbicidal composition is desirably water soluble so that aqueous herbicide solutions or formulations can be prepared. Thus, in various embodiments, the dicamba alkanolamine salts of the present invention are water soluble at room temperature or at elevated temperatures (e.g., 40-80 ℃) such that they can be formulated as aqueous solutions.

The alkanolamine salt of dicamba is suitable for the preparation of high-load herbicide solutions, concentrates and/or emulsion concentrates.

The herbicidal composition may be in the form of an intermediate suitable for formulation into a formulated composition, or a formulated composition. Examples of formulating compositions include concentrates (also known as premixes), tank mixes (tank-mixes), or Ready To Use (RTU) formulations.

By preparing a herbicidal composition in which the loading of the alkanolamine salt of dicamba is as high as possible, shipping and storage costs can be minimized. Ideally, the herbicide composition comprises a total loading of dicamba alkanolamine salt ("active salt loading") of at least 500 g a.e./L, or at least 700 g a.e./L, at least 800 g a.e./L, at least 850 g a.e./L, or at least 900 g a.e./L, or at least 1000 g a.e./L. Samples subjected to the above test method may also contain any of the above loadings, desirably loadings at the higher end of the range, and even active salt loadings in excess of 1000 g a.e./L, such as at least 1100, or at least 1200, or at least 1300 g a.e./L.

Tank mixes and RTU formulations comprising one or more alkanolamine salts of dicamba will typically comprise a total loading of active salt of 0.1 g a.e./L to 50 g a.e./L.

The amine compounds 3- (dimethylamino) propionitrile (DMAPN) and 1, 2-diaminopropane (1, 2-DAP) can form soluble salts at reasonably high loadings with various individual carboxylic acid herbicides selected from 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D), 3, 6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (dicamba), glufosinate or glyphosate. Examples of suitable active salt loadings include at least 400g a.e./L, or at least 500 g a.e./L, or at least 600 g a.e./L, or at least 700 g a.e./L.

The alkanolamine salt of dicamba is obtained by reacting an alkanolamine compound with dicamba. For example, in one method, dicamba in its free acid form is mixed with an alkanolamine base in water or a combination of water and other suitable solvents.

In the herbicidal salts of the present invention, the alkanolamine compound may be in protonated or quaternized form.

Typically, when preparing the alkanolamine salt of dicamba, an equimolar or excess amount of base may be used. However, when some alkanolamine compounds containing more than one amine functional group (e.g., di-and trialkanolamines) are used, equimolar or excess amounts of base compound may not be necessary. Thus, in various embodiments, the molar ratio of alkanolamine compound to dicamba is typically at least 0.4:1, at least 0.5:1, at least 0.6:1, at least 0.7:1, at least 0.8:1, at least 0.9:1, at least 1:1, at least 1.1:1, at least 1.2:1, at least 1.3:1, at least 1.4:1, at least 1.5:1, at least 1.6:1, at least 1.7:1, at least 1.8:1, at least 1.9:1, or at least 2: 1. In these and other embodiments, the molar ratio of alkanolamine compound to dicamba may be in the range of 0.4:1 to 2:1, 0.5:1 to 2:1, 0.7:1 to 2:1, 0.8:1 to 1.8:1, 0.8:1 to 1.5:1, 0.9:1 to 1.3:1, 1:1 to 1.3:1, or 1.05:1 to 1.3: 1.

the reaction between alkanolamine and dicamba can be carried out without addition of a catalyst.

The preparation of alkanolamine herbicide salts can result in a multi-phase system, one phase being a crystalline solid of the alkanolamine salt of dicamba and the other phase being a liquid. The two phases may, but need not, be separated into two layers of their respective phases. In this case, the liquid layer may comprise a solvent, such as water, unreacted alkanolamine compound and dissolved alkanolamine salt of dicamba. Alternatively, the composition may comprise a solid phase dispersed in a liquid phase, such as may occur under agitation or shear. A method of forming a herbicidal composition by reacting an alkanolamine with dicamba in the presence of water to form a liquid phase and a solid phase, and then over time the two phases form a stable single-phase liquid can be employed. The two phases may spontaneously form a single phase. The two phases can form a single phase in the presence of a small amount of water, as described above, and optionally in the absence of a catalyst.

Also provided is a method of preparing a herbicidal composition comprising:

a. Reacting the alkanolamine compound with dicamba in the presence of water to form a two-phase composition comprising a liquid phase and a solid phase, and

b. Exposing the two-phase composition to conditions sufficient to form a single-phase liquid composition.

the first step a) comprises forming a two-phase composition comprising a liquid phase and a solid phase, the solid phase comprising a crystallized dicamba alkanolamine salt and the liquid phase comprising a solution comprising the dicamba alkanolamine salt dissolved in water, followed by the second step b) comprising exposing the two-phase composition to conditions sufficient to form a single-phase liquid. To determine whether the composition in step b) is a single phase liquid, the composition is observed to be a single phase with the naked eye at a temperature ranging from 20 ℃ to 25 ℃ and 1 atmosphere. This particular method is to be distinguished from a method of determining whether a particular alkanolamine salt of dicamba can remain as a single-phase liquid for an extended period of time (e.g., 1 week or more).

The formation of the single-phase liquid composition in step two occurs by exposing the two-phase composition to a temperature and pressure for a time sufficient to form a single-phase liquid composition. The two-phase composition may be in the form of a liquid and a solid layer, or in the form of a dispersion of a solid in a liquid. The exposure step may be as simple as taking time without stirring or adding any other ingredients, or may be accelerated at elevated temperature and/or reduced pressure, optionally with stirring or by addition of a surfactant. The exposing step may be performed in a closed container, if desired. Suitable preparation temperatures and pressures are not particularly limited so long as conditions favor the formation of a single phase liquid herbicidal salt composition. Examples of suitable preparation temperatures are from 10 ℃ to 60 ℃. The time sufficient to form a single phase liquid composition may vary depending on the particular alkanolamine-dicamba combination and the application of mechanical agitation, temperature and pressure. For example, the time may be one (1) hour, 1 day, 1 week, or 2 weeks or more. This time can be reduced by using elevated temperatures and/or reduced pressures.

The single phase composition is capable of forming a single phase without the addition of large amounts of water. For example, there is also provided a method of preparing a herbicidal composition comprising:

a. reacting an alkanolamine compound with dicamba in the presence of water to form a two-phase composition comprising a liquid phase and a solid phase, wherein water is used in an amount of no more than 10 wt.%, based on the weight of the two-phase composition, and

b. exposing the two-phase composition to conditions sufficient to form a single-phase liquid composition without adding more water or in an amount such that the single-phase liquid composition comprises no more than 10 wt.% water, based on the weight of the single-phase liquid composition.

In an embodiment of the method, the amount of water in any one or both of steps a) and b) may be no more than 7.5 wt.%, or no more than 6 wt.%, or no more than 5 wt.%, or no more than 4 wt.%, or no more than 3 wt.%, or no more than 2.0 wt.%, or no more than 1.5 wt.%, or no more than 1.0 wt.%, or no more than 0.75 wt.%, or no more than 0.5 wt.%, or no more than 0.25 wt.%, or no more than 0.1 wt.%.

By employing this method, single phase liquid compositions can be shipped at high active salt loadings, thereby reducing shipping costs. Furthermore, the high loadings obtainable in the present invention can be achieved by initially forming a single phase liquid with a small amount of water without introducing additional processing steps and energy to remove the large amount of water.

In both methods, the biphasic liquid composition may optionally spontaneously form a single-phase liquid from a biphasic composition comprising a liquid phase and a solid phase, which means that the solid alkanolamine salt of dicamba is capable of forming a single-phase liquid despite the stirring, time and/or mechanical manipulation that may be used, without the use of processing aids or surfactants added in addition to the reaction ingredients. For example, in one embodiment, a single phase liquid composition containing the alkanolamine salt of dicamba is formed from a two phase composition of a liquid phase and a solid phase without the addition of surfactants, dispersion aids and/or wetting agents, and optionally, after the formation of the single phase liquid composition, surfactants, dispersion aids and/or wetting agents may be optionally added.

The herbicidal composition may be a gel, a pourable liquid at 22 ℃/1 atm, and may be transparent, translucent, or opaque.

If desired, the herbicide composition may also comprise, in addition to the dicamba salt, salts of other acidic herbicides, such as bronsted-lorenic acid or lewis acids. These additional herbicides desirably comprise at least one proton donating group, such as a carboxylic acid group. The optional additional acidic herbicide may comprise two or more carboxylate anions which may be the same or different acid moieties, for example two or more carboxylic acid groups or one carboxylic acid group and one phosphoric acid group, or desirably at least one proton donating group, or at least one carboxylic acid moiety or in salt form.

Examples of additional acidic herbicides include 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D); 4- (2, 4-dichlorophenoxy) butanoic acid (2, 4-DB); glufosinate-ammonium, glufosinate-P, glyphosate, 2- (2, 4-dichlorophenoxy) propionic acid (dichloropropan); 2- (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy) acetic acid (MCPA); 4- (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy) butanoic acid (MCPB); 4-amino-3, 6-dichloro-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid (aminopyralid); 3, 6-dichloro-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid (clopyralid); 2- [ (4-amino-3, 5-dichloro-6-fluoro-2-pyridyl) oxy ] acetic acid (fluroxypyr)); [ (3, 5, 6-trichloro-2-pyridinyl) oxy ] acetic acid (trichloro ratio) (triclopyr)); 2- (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy) propionic acid (2-methyl-4-chloropropionic acid (mecoprop)); 4-amino-3, 5, 6-trichloro-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid (picloram); 3, 7-dichloro-8-quinolinecarboxylic acid (quinclorac); 6-amino-5-chloro-2-cyclopropyl-4-pyridinecarboxylic acid (aminocyclopyrachlor), or a combination thereof.

the herbicidal composition according to the present invention may be particularly advantageous when compared to conventional amine-herbicide salts, as it can be maintained in the active form (i.e., liquid) for a longer period of time than conventional amine-herbicide salts. Thus, because of their ability to remain in a liquid state with very little water, the single phase liquid compositions can produce a longer and/or more effective effect on treated plants even if excess water evaporates under exposed atmospheric field conditions.

The herbicide compositions can be formulated into long-lasting or long-lasting herbicidal formulations (e.g., concentrates, tank mixes, and ready-to-use (RTU) formulations) when mixed with conventional adjuvants, excipients, and/or additives.

The alkanolamine salt of dicamba can be formulated with conventional adjuvants, excipients and/or additives. For example, the salt may be combined with selected adjuvants to enhance one or more properties of the salt. Adjuvants are commonly used in agriculture to improve the performance of active herbicides. In a broad sense, an "adjuvant" is a component that assists or modifies the action of a primary active ingredient. "

The use of adjuvants and agrochemicals is generally divided into two categories: (1) formulation adjuvants present in the container at the time of purchase by the distributor or grower; and (2) adding the spray adjuvant to the carrier (e.g., water) with the formulated product. Liquids sprayed onto crops, weeds or pests will usually contain both the formulation and the spray adjuvant.

Formulation adjuvants may be added to the active salt ingredients for a variety of reasons, including better mixing and handling, improved effectiveness and safety, better distribution, and reduced drift. These properties are achieved by altering the solubility, volatility, specific gravity, corrosiveness, shelf life, compatibility or spreading and penetration properties. With a wide selection of formulations available (solutions, emulsions, wettable powders, suspension concentrates (floables), granules and encapsulating materials), adjuvants can be advantageous in ensuring consistent performance.

In fact hundreds of chemical additives are now in the spray adjuvant category. Spray adjuvants can be divided into two broad categories: (1) activator adjuvants including surfactants, humectants, adhesion-spreading agents, and penetrants; and (2) modifiers for specific purposes or uses, such as emulsifiers, dispersants, stabilizers, coupling agents, co-water (co-water), compatibilizers, buffers, defoamers, drift control agents, and nutrients.

Other additives or ingredients may be incorporated into the compositions of the present invention to provide or improve certain desired properties or characteristics of the formulated product. Thus, the herbicidal composition may further comprise one or more additional ingredients such as surfactants, foam moderators, preservatives or antimicrobials, antifreezes, solubility enhancers, dispersants, stabilizers, dyes, and thickeners. For example, in various embodiments, the herbicidal compositions comprising the herbicidal salts of the present invention may further comprise a surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkoxylated tertiary ether amines, alkoxylated quaternary ether amines, alkoxylated ether amine oxides, alkoxylated tertiary amines, alkoxylated quaternary amines, alkoxylated polyamines, sulfates, sulfonates, phosphates, alkylpolysaccharides, alkoxylated alcohols, and combinations thereof. The weight ratio of acid equivalent of the carboxylic acid herbicide amine salt to surfactant can be readily determined by one skilled in the art (e.g., from 1:1 to 20:1, from 2:1 to 10:1, or from 3:1 to 8: 1).

Also provided is a method of applying an alkanolamine salt of dicamba to soil or foliar substrates comprising spraying a herbicide composition onto the soil or foliar substrate, said composition comprising water and a salt comprising the reaction product of an alkanolamine compound with dicamba, wherein said salt is capable of remaining as a single-phase liquid for at least (1) one week, as determined by the test method described above.

Herbicidal compositions suitable for application to foliar substrates can be prepared by dissolving the salt in water or other suitable solvent or by appropriate dilution of the concentrated composition (optionally including adjuvants) and applied to the foliage of the unwanted plants by methods known in the art. The leaf substrate is the leaf of the plant, and can include grass and vine. The application mixture can be applied to the foliage of one or more plants at an application rate sufficient to provide a commercially acceptable weed control rate. The application rate is usually expressed as the amount of herbicide per unit area treated, e.g. grams of acid equivalent per hectare (g a.e./ha). Depending on the plant species and growth conditions, the time required to achieve a commercially acceptable weed control rate can be as short as one week, or as long as three weeks, four weeks, or thirty days. The applied mixture of herbicide salts may be applied to the crop before sowing, at planting, pre-emergence or post-emergence, depending on the particular herbicide salt and crop.

The herbicidal compositions prepared with the herbicidal salts of the present invention can be applied to the foliage of crop plants and/or undesirable plants in the vicinity of the crop plants. Crop plants include hybrids, inbreds, and transgenic or genetically modified plants having a particular trait or combination of traits, including, but not limited to, herbicide tolerance (e.g., tolerance to carboxylic acid herbicides or other herbicides), bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), high oil, high lysine, high starch, nutrient density, and drought resistance. Specific crop plants include, for example, corn, peanut, potato, soybean, canola, alfalfa, sugarcane, sugar beet, peanut, sorghum (milo), broad bean, rice, sunflower, wheat, and cotton. In various embodiments, the crop plant may be soybean, cotton, peanut, rice, wheat, canola, alfalfa, sugarcane, sorghum, and sunflower. In other embodiments, the crop plants may be corn, soybean, and cotton.

herbicidal compositions containing the herbicidal salts of the present invention may be applied to the soil prior to planting of the crop plants, for example, two to three weeks prior to planting. The application mixture may be applied to the crop plants at the time of planting, pre-emergence, or post-emergence to control weeds in a field of crop plants.

The alkanolamine salts of dicamba are particularly useful in herbicidal compositions, especially those requiring prolonged activity of the active herbicide.

In view of the efficacy of alkanolamine salts of dicamba for extending the active period of the salts, there is also provided a method of marketing a herbicide composition wherein an advertisement or a set of instructions is associated with the herbicide composition, the herbicide composition comprising the reaction product of alkanolamine and dicamba, and the advertisement or instructions inform the purchaser of the herbicide composition that the herbicide composition has the ability to reduce drift or improve or extend the active period of the herbicide composition. For example, a label on a package containing the herbicide composition of the present invention may advertise to the purchaser any of the beneficial features described herein, or instruct the purchaser to treat the crop or foliar substrate in light of the ability of the herbicide composition to remain liquid for an extended period of time once applied to the foliar substrate. The purchaser may be an actual purchaser or a potential purchaser. The advertisement or instructions may be included in the package containing the herbicide composition or may simply mention the herbicide composition that may be provided to the purchaser at an earlier or later date. The herbicide composition may be sold in tote bags, rail cars, small plastic containers (e.g., 25 liters or less), or any other suitable package, and may be sold by the active salt manufacturer to the formulator, by the formulator to the customer, or at the wholesale or retail level.

Optionally, the herbicidal alkanolamine salts of the present invention can exhibit other enhanced properties including one or more of lower volatility, wettability, reduced drift and acceptable viscosity profiles, while having lower water concentration and high loading capability.

While not wishing to be bound by theory, volatility is a known problem with application mixtures containing many salts of carboxylic acid herbicides. The volatility of an acid herbicide is related to the free acid concentration in the aqueous solution. As the amine aminating agent evaporates from the solution, the free acid concentration increases, resulting in a higher volatility herbicide. In some cases, the amine salts of the present invention may provide the desired low volatility by, for example, increased amine molecular weight or hydrogen bond acceptance, keeping the amine in solution. More stable amine concentrations in solution result in a reduction in free acid herbicide in solution and associated reduced ex-situ movement.

The present invention includes and specifically contemplates any and all combinations of embodiments, features, characteristics, parameters and/or ranges disclosed herein. That is, the invention may be defined by any combination of embodiments, features, characteristics, parameters and/or ranges mentioned herein.

it is contemplated that any ingredient, component, or step that is not specifically named or identified as part of the invention can be specifically excluded from at least some embodiments of the invention.

Any method, device, compound, composition, embodiment, or component of the present invention can be modified by the transitional term "comprising," "consisting essentially of … …," or "consisting of … …," or variations of these terms.

As used herein, the terms "acid equivalent," "a.e." or "ae" refer to the amount of herbicide present, not counting the weight of alkanolamine counterion to the salt species present.

The contents of all documents cited herein, including both patent and non-patent documents, are incorporated by reference in their entirety. To the extent that any incorporated subject matter contradicts any disclosure herein, the disclosure herein should take precedence over the incorporated subject matter.

The invention is further illustrated by the following examples of preferred embodiments of the invention, but it will be understood that these examples are included merely for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

As can be seen from the following examples, the herbicidal alkanolamine salts of the present invention can solve one or more of the following technical problems:

high load concentrates are highly (physically and chemically) stable during storage.

High load concentrates are easily diluted in water.

In the presence of low concentrations of solvents, the salts formed remain as single-phase liquids for extended periods of time, thus ensuring improved absorption and longer efficacy ratings.

The concentrates according to the invention have a reduced sensitivity to drift compared with the competing products currently on the market.

The wettability of the concentrates of the invention is unique.