# US 5,037,653 A · Pesticidal chemical formulations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,037,653 A - Document ID: US5037653A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 07/435,441 - Filed: 1989-11-20 - Granted: 1991-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 1987-03-30 - Assignees: NC Development, Inc. - Inventors: Howard B. Dawson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5037653A ## CPC - A01N 25/04: Dispersions, {emulsions, suspoemulsions, suspension concentrates} or gels (foams A01N25/16) - 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 Water-miscible pesticidal formulations whose average particle size is at most 200 nm include water, oil, a surfactant, and a cosurfactant, wherein either the oil is a pesticide or the formulation comprises a pesticide dissolved in the oil. The pesticide may be a pyrethroid such as cypermethrin or deltamethrin. The formulations can be molecular solutions, micellar solutions or microemulsions (water-in-oil or oil-in-water) and are generally clear. They exhibit improved activity over conventional pesticidal formulations, particularly in the protection of grain, fruit and brassica plants and against insects, mites and/or larvae. The formulations are especially useful in protecting stored grain, for example against the lesser grain borer weevil (Rhyzopertha dominica). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A water-miscible formulation which is a microemulsion, a micellar solution or a molecular solution and whose average particle size is at most 200 nm, the formulation including water, a water-insoluble, oil-soluble pesticidal oil, a surfactant and a cosurfactant, wherein either the pesticidal oil is a pesticide or the pesticidal oil comprises a pesticide dissolved in oil, the cosurfactant comprising a nonionic surfactant having a hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) of less than 10. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A formulation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cosurfactant comprises an ethylene oxide propylene oxide block copolymer or an alcohol ethoxylate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A formulation as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cosurfactant comprises an ethylene oxide propylene oxide block copolymer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A formulation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surfactant is an anionic surfactant. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A formulation as claimed in claim 4, wherein the surfactant is a hydrocarbon sulphonic acid. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A formulation as claimed in claim 5, wherein the hydrocarbon sulphonic acid is an alkyl or alkylaryl sulphonic acid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) A formulation as claimed in claim 5, wherein the hydrocarbon sulphonic acid is a C.sub.8 -C.sub.16 alkyl benzene sulphonate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1, 2, 3) A formulation as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the pesticidal oil consists substantially only of a pesticide. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1, 2, 3) A formulation as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the formulation comprises on a w/v basis: oil (20 to 50%), surfactant (1 to 20%), cosurfactant (1 to 20%) and water (20 to 70%), provided that the total number of percentage parts of the ingredients cannot exceed 100. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1, 2, 3) A formulation as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 , wherein the formulation comprises on a w/v basis: oil (1 to 20%), surfactant (1 to 10%), cosurfactant (1 to 10%) and water (40 to 95%), provided that the total number of percentage parts of the ingredients cannot exceed 100. ### Claim 11 A method of protecting stored grain against pests, the method comprising applying to grain a pesticidal formulation which is a microemulsion, a micellar solution or a molecular solution and whose average particle size is at most 200 nm, the formulation including water, oil, a surfactant and a cosurfactant, wherein either the oil is a pesticide or the formulation comprises a water-insoluble, oil-soluble pesticide dissolved in the oil. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 11) A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the formulation is as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2 or 3. ### Claim 13 A water-miscible formulation which is a microemulsion, a micellar solution or a molecular solution and whose average particle size is at most 200 nm, the formulation comprising water, oil, a surfactant and a cosurfactant having an HLB of less than 10. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A formulation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pesticide is a pyrethroid. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1, 2, 3) A formulation as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the formulation is a microemulsion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the formulation is a microemulsion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the cosurfactant comprises a nonionic surfactant. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the nonionic surfactant has a hydrophile-lipophile balance of less than 12. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the cosurfactant is oil-soluble.