Improving non-aqueous dispersions for agrochemical application

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The total sales of agrochemicals in 2019 was US$59 billion with Bayer CropScience, Syngenta, BASF, and Corteva accounting for 57% thereof. Agrochemicals are frequently manufactured as colloids using aqueous fluids, but it is also essential to have alternative oil-based carrier fluids for situations where active ingredient hydrolysis is an issue. We propose to study agrochemical colloidal particles in non-aqueous dispersion (NAD) to improve their physical stability inter alia. This iCASE project proposal with Professor Dirk Aarts in Physical Chemistry at Oxford is aimed at better understanding and then enhancing the co-formulants required. The Oxford group have significant experience and expertise with NADs, and they are ideally placed to help Syngenta characterise them better, for example by improved measurement of the colloid-colloid interactions, which is one of the long-standing goals in fundamental colloid science. This collaboration will seek new dispersants and thickeners for such NADs. The research will accelerate and underpin new projects within Syngenta. This could lead to an increased concentration of agrochemical in the product, more facile manufacturing, improved robustness of the formulation on storage and so on. These outputs will flow from improved fundamental understanding of the dispersion and structuring mechanisms at play in typical agrochemical NADs.Project Objectives:1) - Only a few polymeric dispersants are used within agrochemical NAD design - the challenge is to find novel dispersion mechanisms to expand the options; 2) - Effective structuring of NADs against sedimentation is technically limited - only small packs (5 litres) are feasible. The challenge is to allow 500 - 5000 litres for intermediate storage; 3) - Interactions between ingredients such as surfactants often show antagonistic effects on the particle dispersion, causing flocculation and unwanted phase separation. The challenge is to understand and control these interactions to improve colloid stability. Aims: 1) - Improved understanding of particle-particle interactions in such NAD; 2) Novel dispersion mechanisms and chemistry of related dispersants; 3) Improve understanding of particle network structuring in such NADs; 4) Novel structuring mechanisms and materials related to that aim; 5) Develop strategies to avoid unwanted antagonistic interactions between the particles and the various ingredients of the NAD. The proposed research project, aimed at improving the stability and performance of non-aqueous dispersions (NADs) for agrochemicals, strongly aligns with multiple strategic priorities of the EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council). By addressing fundamental challenges in colloid science and agrochemical formulation, the project contributes to the promotion of physical sciences for human health, supports sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation, advances manufacturing techniques, and directly addresses the global challenge of food security. The collaboration with Syngenta and the focus on enhancing agrochemical formulations, along with the development of novel dispersion mechanisms and chemistry, emphasize the project's potential to have far-reaching societal and economic impacts in agriculture, manufacturing, and environmental sustainability, closely aligning with the overarching goals of the EPSRC. This project falls within the EPSRC Physical Sciences research area.