Stable emulsions

An oil-in-water agrochemical emulsion comprising

• (i) an aqueous phase;
• (ii) a liquid organic phase emulsified in the aqueous phase, the liquid organic phase comprising at least one lipophilic active ingredient and, optionally, a lipophilic organic solvent;
• (iii) at least 5 w/w %, with respect to the total weight of the final emulsion, of salts;
• (iv) a thickener;
• and
• (v) a combination of surfactants comprising
• between 0.1 and 15 w/w %, with respect to the total weight of the final emulsion, of a polyanionic block copolymer surfactant comprising a hydrophobic moiety and a hydrophilic moiety, wherein at least 60 w/w % of the hydrophilic moiety comprises charged monomers and wherein the weight percentage of the charged monomers is at least 35 w/w % with respect to the total weight of the polyanionic block copolymer surfactant;
• and
• between 0.1 and 15 w/w %, with respect to the total weight of the final emulsion, of a second surfactant selected from
• sorbitan esters of fatty acids;
• polyalcoxylated alcohols selected from the group consisting of esters of polyalkoxylated polyols, polyalkoxylated polyols, and polyalkoxylated C4-C30 aliphatic alcohols;
• and
• aliphatic or aromatic sulphates or sulphonates selected from the group consisting of alkyl sulphates, alkyl aryl sulphates, aryl alkyl sulphates, aryl sulphates, alkyl sulphonates, alkyl aryl sulphonates, aryl alkyl sulphonates and aryl sulphonates.

A process for the preparation of the emulsion that comprises

• (i) emulsifying an organic phase comprising at least one lipophilic active ingredient, optionally a lipophilic organic solvent, and between 0.1 and 15 w/w %, with respect to the total weight of the final emulsion, of a second surfactant selected from
• sorbitan esters of fatty acids;
• polyalcoxylated alcohols selected from the group consisting of polyalkoxylated polyols or esters thereof, and polyalkoxylated C4-C30 aliphaitic alcohols;
• and
• aliphatic or aromatic sulphates or sulphonates selected from the group consisting of alkyl sulphates, alkyl aryl sulphates, aryl alkyl sulphates, aryl sulphates, alkyl sulphonates, alkyl aryl sulphonates, aryl alkyl sulphonates and aryl sulphonates;
• into an aqueous phase comprising water and between 0.1 and 15 w/w %, with respect to the total weight of the final emulsion, of a polyanionic block copolymer surfactant comprising a hydrophobic moiety and a hydrophilic moiety, wherein at least 60 w/w % of the hydrophilic moiety comprises charged monomers and wherein the weight percentage of the charged monomers is at least 35 w/w % with respect to the total weight of the polyanionic block copolymer surfactant, the aqueous phase optionally comprising less than 5 w/w %, with respect to the total weight of the final emulsion of salts;
• (ii) optionally, mixing the previously obtained emulsion with a first amount of thickener;
• (iii) mixing the emulsion obtained in the previous step with an amount of salts up to a minimum of 5 w/w %, with respect to the total weight of the final emulsion;
• (iv) mixing the emulsion obtained in the previous step with a thickener.