Lipophilic siloxanes to reduce surface tension on oil-based agricultural sprays

摘要

The present invention teaches the use of novel lipophilically modified organosilicone materials and their use as agricultural adjuvants with carrier oils. The lipophilically modified silicones (LMS) of the present invention include linear organosilicone compounds or certain cyclic organosilicone compounds of the formulae: Ra(Me)3-aSi-ÄOSi(Me)2Üx-ÄOSi(Me)RÜy-OSi(Me)3-aRa wherein a = 0 or 1; when a = 0, x = 0 to 4, y = 1 to 4, and when a = 1, x = 0 to 4, and y = 0 to 4, provided that the sum of x + y is where m is 0 to 4, and n is 1 to 5, provided that m + n = 3 to 5. R is the lipophilic group and may be an aryl, substituted aryl, aralkyl, alkyl phenyl ether, substituted alkyl phenyl ether or an alkyl alkyleneoxide group. The compounds potentiate spreading of mineral or vegetable oils or oil-containing emulsions in dormant spray oils, crop oil concentrates, pesticides, and the like on difficult-to-wet surfaces such as waxy leaf cuticles and arthropod exoskeletons.