# US 2019/0313640 A1 · Methods for managing herbicide vaporization

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- Number: US 2019/0313640 A1
- Document ID: US20190313640A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/310,775
- Filed: 2017-06-19
- Published: 2019-10-17
- Earliest claimed: 2016-06-20
- Assignees: Agquam LLC
- Applicants: Agquam LLC
- Inventors: Scott PARRISH
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190313640A1

## CPC

- A01N 37/40: having at least one carboxylic group or a thio analogue, or a derivative thereof, and one oxygen or sulfur atom attached to the same aromatic ring system
- A01N 25/02: containing liquids as carriers, diluents or solvents
- A01N 25/30: characterised by the surfactants
- A01N 37/10: Aromatic or araliphatic carboxylic acids, or thio analogues thereof; Derivatives thereof
- A01N 39/04: Aryloxy-acetic acids; Derivatives thereof
- A01N 57/20: containing acyclic or cycloaliphatic radicals
- A01N 57/10: having phosphorus-to-oxygen bonds or phosphorus-to-sulfur bonds (A01N57/02 takes precedence)
- A01N: PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTS THEREOF (preservation of food or foodstuff A23); BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES OR AS HERBICIDES (preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes which kill or prevent the growth or proliferation of unwanted organisms A61K); PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS

## Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of methods for conditioning water in the preparation of agricultural sprays for application of herbicides. The methods further relate to drift reduction of such agricultural sprays. In particular, while providing water conditioning and potentially drift reduction as well, the methods do not increase or effectively reduce vaporization of the herbicides carried within the agricultural sprays.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for conditioning water in an agricultural spray mixture comprising at least one herbicide wherein vaporization of the herbicide is either not increased or is reduced comprising: (a) providing an aqueous solution comprising at least one herbicide selected from the group consisting of dicamba and 2,4-D; (b) providing an adjuvant consisting essentially of an effective amount of a mineral acid selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, perchloric acid, hydroiodic acid, hydrobromic acid, hydrochloric acid and nitric acid and a polyamine surfactant combined in an agricultural spray solution wherein said adjuvant does not contain ammonium sulfate (AMS); (c) mixing a ratio equivalent to 1 quart to 2 gallons of the adjuvant of (b) to 100 gallons of (a); and (d) maintaining the pH of the mixture of (a) and (b) at a pH above 2.3.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said acid has the ability to completely or nearly completely dissociate in water and react with cations.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said polyamine surfactant is a fatty amine alkoxylate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein said fatty amine alkoxylate is a fatty amine ethoxylate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein said fatty amine alkoxylate is tallow amine ethoxylate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the combination of the aqueous solution of (a) and the adjuvant of (b) has a pH of between 1.2 and 3.1 below the aqueous solution of (a) without the adjuvant of (b).

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the aqueous solution of (a) has a pH within the range of 7.2-7.5.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the adjuvant of (b) has a pH within the range of 1.9-2.1.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the aqueous solution of (a) has a pH within the range of 4.3-6.3.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the mineral acid is concentrated sulfuric acid.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the aqueous solution of (a) has a pH in a range from 7.2-7.5; the adjuvant of (b) has a pH in a range of 1.9-2.1; and the combination of the aqueous solution of (a) and the adjuvant of (b) has a pH in a range from 4.3-6.3.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the aqueous solution of (a) has a pH in a range from 7.2-7.5; the adjuvant of (b) has a pH in a range of 1.9-2.1; and the combination of the aqueous solution of (a) and the adjuvant of (b) has a pH in a range from 4.4-4.5.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the aqueous solution of (a) has a pH in a range from 7.2-7.5; the adjuvant of (b) has a pH in a range of 1.9-2.1; and the combination of the aqueous solution of (a) and the adjuvant of (b) has a pH in a range from 4.3-4.5.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the aqueous solution of (a) has a pH in a range from 7.2-7.5; the adjuvant of (b) has a pH in a range of 1.9-2.1; and the combination of the aqueous solution of (a) and the adjuvant of (b) has a pH in a range from 5.2-5.7.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the aqueous solution of (a) has a pH in a range from 7.2-7.5; the adjuvant of (b) has a pH in a range of 1.9-2.1; and the combination of the aqueous solution of (a) and the adjuvant of (b) has a pH in a range from 6-6.3.

### Claim 16

A method for conditioning water in an agricultural spray mixture comprising at least one herbicide wherein vaporization of the herbicide is either not increased or is reduced comprising: (a) providing an aqueous solution comprising at least one herbicide selected from the group consisting of dicamba and 2,4-D; (b) providing an adjuvant consisting essentially of an effective amount of a mineral acid selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, perchloric acid, hydroiodic acid, hydrobromic acid, hydrochloric acid and nitric acid, a polyamine surfactant and an antifoam agent combined in an agricultural spray solution wherein said adjuvant does not contain ammonium sulfate (AMS); (c) mixing a ratio equivalent to 1 quart to 2 gallons of the adjuvant of (b) to 100 gallons of (a); and (d) maintaining the pH of the mixture of (a) and (b) at a pH above 2.3.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1, 16)

The method of claim 1 or 16, wherein step (c) comprises mixing a ratio equivalent to 1 quart to 1 gallon of the adjuvant of (b) to 100 gallons of (a).

### Claim 18

A method for conditioning water in and reducing drift of an agricultural spray mixture comprising at least one herbicide wherein vaporization of the herbicide is either not increased or is reduced comprising: (a) providing an aqueous solution comprising at least one herbicide selected from the group consisting of dicamba and 2,4-D; (b) providing a water conditioning adjuvant comprising an amine surfactant and a concentrated mineral acid selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, perchloric acid, hydroiodic acid, hydrobromic acid, hydrochloric acid, and nitric acid; and a drift reduction agent selected from the group consisting of at least one phospholipid, vegetable colloids, non-derivatized guar gum, non-cationic derivatized guar gum, cationic guar gum, polyethylene oxides, poly (vinyl pyrrolidones), polyacrylamides, a non-ionic emulsifier, a cationic emulsifier which is not an amine surfactant, and an anionic emulsifier; and (c) mixing the aqueous solution of (a) with the adjuvant of (b).

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein said drift reduction agent is at least one phospholipid.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein said at least one phospholipid is selected from the group consisting of lecithin, phosphatidic acid, phosphotidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol phosphate, phosphatidylinositol biphosphate, phosphatidylinositol triphosphate, and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein said at least one phospholipid is lecithin.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein said concentrated mineral acid is sulfuric acid.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein said concentrated sulfuric acid is selected from the group consisting of 93% to 98% concentrated sulfuric acid.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein said amine surfactant is selected from the group consisting of octyl amine, lauryl amine, stearyl amine, oleyl amine, tallow amine, cetylamine, N-tetradecyl amine, cocoamine, hydrogenated tallow amine, di(hydrogenated) tallow amine, dicocoalkyl amine, N-tridecyltridecanamine, N-methylstearylamine, distearyl amine, ether amine and dialkyl (C8-C20) amine.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein said amine surfactant is tallow amine.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, wherein the concentration of tallow amine is equal to or greater than the concentration of sulfuric acid in the adjuvant.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein said adjuvant further comprises an oil selected from the group consisting of free fatty acid, mineral oil, vegetable oil, methylated seed oil, ethylated seed oil, butylated seed oil, and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein said adjuvant further comprises an oil selected from soybean oil, sunflower oil, cotton seed oil, crop oil concentrate and methylated soybean oil.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein said oil is methylated seed oil.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The method of claim 29, wherein said adjuvant further comprises a glycol selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol and pentaethylene glycol.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The method of claim 30, wherein said adjuvant further comprises a non-ionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of an alkyl polyoxyethylene ether, polyoxypropylene glycol, an alkyl phenol ethoxylate, an alcohol ethoxylate, a sugar ether, a sucrose ester, a sorbitan ester ethoxylate, a crop oil concentrate, morpholine amide and a block copolymer.

### Claim 32 (depends on 30)

The method of claim 30, wherein said adjuvant does not contain and is not contacted with ammonium sulfate (AMS).

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32, wherein said adjuvant comprises an emulsifier.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The method of claim 33, wherein said adjuvant comprises an additive selected from a buffering agent, a defoaming agent, a wetting agent, a sticking agent and a tank cleaner.

### Claim 35 (depends on 33)

The method of claim 33, wherein the water content of the adjuvant is below 5% (v/v), before dilution of the composition in carrier water.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, wherein the water content of the adjuvant is below 1% (v/v), before dilution of the composition in carrier water.

### Claim 37 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein said adjuvant comprises 1-25% by weight or volume concentrated mineral acid, 10-50% by weight or volume amine surfactant, 10-60% by weight or volume phospholipid, 10-50% by weight or volume oil and 5-50% by weight or volume glycol.

### Claim 38 (depends on 37)

The method of claim 37, wherein said adjuvant comprises 1-25% by weight or volume concentrated sulfuric acid, 10-50% by weight or volume tallow amine, 10-60% by weight or volume lecithin, 10-50% by weight or volume methylated seed oil and 5-50% by weight or volume diethylene glycol.

### Claim 39 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the non-ionic emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, alcohol ethoxylates, polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene-alkyl ethers, amine alkoxylates, fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers, fatty amine polyglycol ethers, fatty acid ethoxylates, fatty acid polyglycol esters, glyceride monoalkoxylates, alkanolamides, fatty acid alkanolamides, ethoxylated alkanolamides, ethoxylated esters, fatty acid alkylolamido ethoxylates, ethylene oxide-propylene oxide block copolymers, alkylphenol ethoxylates, alkyl glucosides, partial esters of aliphatic carboxylic acids with polyfunctional alcohols, polyethoxylated polystyrene phenyl ethers, amides of aliphatic carboxylic acids with alkanolamines, ethoxylated amides of aliphatic carboxylic acids with alkanolamines, morpholine amide and polyalkoxylated organopoly-siloxanes.

### Claim 40 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the cationic emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of primary, secondary and tertiary amines and salts thereof, alkyltrimethylammonium salts, dialkyldimethylammonium salts, trialkylmethylammonium salts, tetraalkylammonium salts, alkoxylated alkylammonium salts, ester quats, diamidoamine quats, alkyloxyalkyl quats, quaternary alkylphosphonium salts, tertiary alkylsulfonium salts, alkylimidazolium salts, alkyloxazolinium salts, alkylpyridium salts and N,N-dialkylmorpholinium salts; the cationic emulsifier may comprise chloride, bromide, methyl sulfate, sulfate or the like as counterion.

### Claim 41 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the anionic emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of alkyl sulfates, arylsulfonates, fatty alcohol sulfates, alkylsulfonates, paraffinsulfonates, alkyl ether sulfates, alkyl polyglycol ether sulfates, fatty alcohol ether sulfates, alkylbenzenesulfonates, alkylnaphthylsulfonates, alkylphenyl ether sulfates, alkyl phosphates, phosphoric acid mono-, di-, and tri-esters, alkyl ether phosphates, ethoxylated fatty alcohol phosphoric esters, alkylphenyl ether phosphates, phosphonic esters, sulfosuccinic diesters, sulfosuccinic monoesters, ethoxylated sulfosuccinic monoesters, ulfosuccinamides, a olefinsulfonates, alkyl carboxylates, alkyl ether carboxylates, alkyl polyglycol carboxylates, fatty acid isethionate, fatty acid methyltauride, fatty acid sarcoside, arylsulfonates, naphthalenesulfonates, alkyl glyceryl ether sulfonates, sulfated oils, polyacrylates and/or a-sulfa fatty acid esters.

### Claim 42 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the free fatty acid is selected from the group consisting of free C12-C18 saturated and unsaturated fatty acid.

### Claim 43 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31, wherein the sugar ether is selected from the group consisting of glucoside alkyl ether, xylose alkyl ether, arabinose alkyl ether, mannose alkyl ether, ribose alkyl ether, rhamnose alkyl ether, galactose alkyl ether, sucrose alkyl ether, maltose alkyl ether, lactose alkyl ether, fructose alkyl ether, and raffinose alkyl ether.