COATING OF PESTICIDE WITH SULFONATED POLYMERS

Abstract: A pesticide composite composed of a substrate including a pesticide; and at least one film of sulfonated polymer coating at least a portion of a surface of the substrate. A method of producing a coated pesticide composite involving providing a substrate including a pesticide; and coating at least one surface of the substrate with a film of sulfonated polymer dissolved in a solvent system including an organic liquid.

Description: C OA TING OF PESTICIDE WITH SULFONATED POLYMERS This application is a Continuation-in-part application of ϋ.S.S.N. 808,034 filed December 12, 1985 and U.S.S.N. 855,349 filed April 24, 1986, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference thereto. This application also relates to U.S.S.N. 110,264 filed 10/20/87, filed concurrently herewith, commonly owned with the present application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference thereto. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to pesticides, including herbicides, insecticides, bactericides, fungicides, nematicides, and sporicides to which thin or ultra-thin films or coatings of sulphonated polymers have been applied to produce an improved controlled release pesticide for delivery into agricultural ecosystems. 2. Discussion of Background and Material Information Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur are the primary elements essential to plant growth. Soils contain all of these elements in addition to other macro and micronutrients that enhance plant growth. Typically, however, such elements are seldom present in the soil in sufficient quantity or in forms that can support maximum plant productivity and yield. Therefore, fertilizers having specific chemical formulations and in pre-determined * amounts must be added to enrich the soil to ensure maximum plant yield. The amount and form of the fertilizer adr'.ed are pre-determined by chemically assaying the amount and availability of the required nutrient(s) in the soil, for example, as disclosed by Methods of Soil Analysis. 1982. Amer. Soc. Agronomy, Madison, I. Thus, appropriate fertilizer is added in amounts calculated to ensure the required plant yield based on known fertilizer response curves established by extensive agronomic testing for the particular plant and plant growth environment. Fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and/or potassium, by way of example, may be applied as solid granules or in liquid form. These primary fertilizers may be supplemented with certain trace elements such as copper, iron, manganese, zince, cobalt, molybdenum, boron usually supplied as oxides or salts containing the elements in the 4cationiσ or anionic form. Suitable salts are, for example, sulphates, nitrates, chlorides, molybdates or borates. The difference between trace element deficiency and toxicity, however, is but a few parts per million as measure by the concentration of the element in the soil. Sustainable, high productivity agriculture, therefore, requires that plant-required nutrients in the soil be supplemented or enriched with exogenously applied nutrients in the form of fertilizers. Similarly, the need to optimize plant growth by minimizing competition for valuable soil nutrients and moisture requires adequate control of plant pests, and in particular weeds, insects, and other plant pathogenic organisms. The quality of the soil which has been used for agricultural purposes, however, is rapidly deteriorating. Excessive cultivation is destroying the soil structure and fabric thus making the soil more sensitive to erosion by wind and water, to dehydration due to increased aeration, and to increased compaction due to excessive use of heavy farm implements. In an attempt to minimize these undesireable effects, there has been a recent trend to minimize or substantially eliminate tillage. Thus, there is a major incentive to perform as many farm operations as possible simultaneously. Accordingly, farmers are attempting to enrich the soil with fertilizers and apply pest-control chemicals simultaneously. The simultaneous fertilizer/pesticide application concept, however, is not without difficulties. The need, for application of pesticide and fertilizer to the soil may not be contiguous, and both fertilizers and pesticides are subject to extensive losses, the extent of the losses increasing the longer these chemicals are in the soil. The efficiency of utilization of fertilizers, i.e., the percent uptake of the applied fertilizers is notoriously low. Chemical, biological and physical processes compete with the plant for the added fertilizer nutrients, usually to the detriment of plant productivity. For example, nitrogen fertilizers added to the soil may be leached into the groundwaters, chemically sequestered into clay minerals, chemically volatilized to ammonia gas in soils of high pH, and biologically removed from the soil by denitrification to dinitrogen or nitrous oxide gases, or immobilized into the active soil microbial biomass. These competing and simultaneous processes result in fertilizer use efficiency of nitrogen often being less than 50%. Although most soils contain high levels of phosphorus, it tends to become chemically immobilized as calcium phosphates or iron and aluminum phosphates and is thus not plant-available. Fertilizer phosphorus applied to these soils, however, is rapidly immobilized resulting in fertilizer use efficiencies seldom exceeding 30%. Pesticides applied to soils also suffer losses. ater- soluble pesticides are readily leached into groundwaters. The magnitude of these losses and the inherent danger to humans and animals as a result of consumption of these contaminated waters has resulted in legislation in America and Europe to control the rate of application of many pesticides. Yet without prudent application of pesticides, crop pests will destroy crops and yields will be substantially reduced. Pesticides are also immobilized by chemical combination with clay minerals and soil organic matter thereby destroying their chemical reactivity and effectiveness against the target pest. In addition soil microorganisms attack these pesticides by processes such as decarboxylation, dechlorination, fission of heterocyclic rings, and the like. As a result of these reactions, the pesticide is often rendered ineffective or may be transformed into a more toxic chemical entity that is recalcitrant to further biodegradation and thus poses a magnified environmental hazard. For example, atrazine residues remain effective for an extended time period. The result is that continuous corn cultivation is not possible and plant breeders have been forced to develop atrazine- resistant corn cultivars. In addition, pesticides are often required to be effective over long time periods and yet the aforementioned processes act immediately upon introduction of the pesticide to the soil so that pesticidal efficacity diminishes substantially. For these reasons, therefore, it is important that fertilizer use efficiency be dramatically increased and that pesticides remain effective as required. It is also essential that neither the fertilizers nor pesticides become hazards to human or animal health through movement into aquafer or chemical transformations in the soil that are magnified through the food chain. Admixing of fertilizers and pesticides is becoming increasingly common for reasons of economy but more so to minimize the effects of excessive tillage on soil degradation. Recently it has become common practice to impregnate fertilizers such as urea with liquid solutions of herbicides such as triallate which are applied to the soil in the concept of "weed and feed." These mixtures of fertilizer and pesticide may be formed by a i) co- granulation.process ii) the pesticide may be sorbed onto the fertilizer, or iii) the fertilizer may be immersed into the pesticide solution for coating and impregnation. Although many attempts to control or slow the release of fertilizers and/or pesticides have been made with varying degrees of success, these efforts have focused primarily on encapsulation of the product with oils, waxes, resins or polymers, or admixing with chemical agents which control enzymatic release of the fertilizer or pesticide. However, current encapsulation practices are both time-consuming and prohibitively expensive for wide-scale commercial agriculture. The present invention, therefore, is based on the discovery that a solution of sulphonated polymer salt applied as a film or coating to a pesticide results in an agricultural product that effectively controls the target pests, and yet does not suffer from the disadvantages of conventional pesticides and particularly pesticides which are not coated with a sulfonated polymer film. Although it is known to protect solid substrates, such as pipes, slabs, sheets and the like from the external environment with the use of barrier or protective coating materials, this technology has not been applied in accordance with the present invention, particularly with respect to agricultural products. In conventional applications, however, protection from water or moisture, polymer or organic materials are widely used. For cost effectiveness these materials are applied as thin films. The thickness of the film depends upon the desired degree of water protection. The thicker the film, the more likely that water penetration would be slowed down. In practice, applying an effective thin coating is difficult because of the various stresses tending to make the film discontinuous (e.g., film-rupture, pin holes). Films will rupture when a threshold stress is exceeded. The lateral stress tending to rupture a film is inversely proportional to an exponential power of the film thickness. The thinner the film, the more easily it will rupture. To provide film strength current practice requires the establishment of crosslinks in the coating by curing. Crosslinking (curing) can also improve the coating's resistance to water. Thin films which consist of molecules in relatively random configurations with a high degree of entanglements are superior to films containing molecules in relatively coiled states with few molecular entanglements. Accordingly, polymers containing associating ionic groups, i.e., ionomers, which have a high degree of molecular interactions make excellent protective films. There are many applications for thickened or gelled solutions of polymers in inorganic liquids. There are also a number of physical and chemical techniques for preparing such systems. The present invention is concerned with a sulfonated polymer film or coatings having improved barrier properties which have been found to be particularly suitable for application to agricultural products, such as fertilizers and pesticides. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a pesticide provided with thin or ultra-thin films or coatings of sulfonated polymers to result in improved barrier properties and methods for producing such a coated pesticide. The pesticide coated with films of sulfonated polymers in accordance with the present invention are subject to decreased dissolution of soluble pesticide components resulting in increased pesticide use efficiency. The controlled release aspect of the pesticide coated with films in accordance with the present invention permits the pesticide to attack target pests without sacrificing any of the advantages discussed herein. In this regard, the coated pesticide has been found to exhibit increased resistance to biodegradation, and increased safety of handling of the pesticide. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Fig. l illustrates a plot of release of urea versus immersion time in water at 37°C for the thin, sulphonated coatings of the instant invention and control samples. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to processes for forming films or coatings having improved barrier properties from an organic solution of a sulphonated polymer on pesticides, preferably in a solid form. The thin, substantially defect- free films or coatings of the present invention ensures increased pesticide use efficiency by the plant in diverse and sundry plant growth media including situations where the pesticide is applied in close or intimate proximity to the seed or plant. The discovery of the film-forming properties of sulphonated ionomers has made possible the extension of their use to coating of fertilizers and more recently pesticides. In controlled release fertilizer applications, coatings of sulphonated ionomers will act as barriers to water-soluble constituents of the pesticides, shielding them from premature release in plant growth media for periods ranging from several days to several years depending on the polymer chemistry and the coating thickness. For purposes of the present invention, it is important that the film or coating be as thin as possible. In this regard, the coating concentration is dictated not only by economic considerations but also by the required performance. In most cases, the performance requirements include the control of release or dissolving property of the pesticide achievable with the application of at least one film or coating free of fine pinholes or any other defects. The present invention is a substantial improvement over conventional coated pesticides, because current commercially-available controlled release agricultural products, e.g., fertilizers, must have relative thick coatings, i.e., 20-60% coating on a weight basis. Although films or coatings of sulfonated polymers as thin as 200 micron, e.g., within the range of 50-200 micron, may be used in accordance with the present invention, the discovery of sulphonated ionomer coatings permits the application of thin, i.e., <50 micron, and preferably between about 0.5 to about 20 microns, defect-free films or coatings on fertilizers and/or pesticides can now be achieved. Thus their use presents a potential route for making affordable controlled release fertilizer and/or pesticides and extending applications of the same to a wide range of agricultural crops. The present invention is based on the discovery that a solution of a sulphonated polymer salt can meet the requirements of an improved thin film or coating for vegetation enhancement agents, such as fertilizers and pesticides in addition to their combinations. The process of the present invention can be more specifically described as a process for the stimulation of the germination and growth of vegetable matter, such as a seed or a plant, including seedlings, young plants or any organ from which a plant can be generated, while controlling or eliminating pests and undesired vegetation which involves the step of applying a fertilizer and/or pesticide having a thin layer of a sulphonated polymer coated thereon to the plant growth medium either before, simultaneously with or after the addition of the seed or plant to the said plant growth medium. In addition, the process also relates to the intimate admixing of fertilizers, such as urea, ammonical, phosphorus and/or sulphur fertilizers, and/or pesticides with a seed or plant, as defined herein, without damage to the same in a plant growth medium which involves the steps of: 1) admixing or otherwise contacting an agricultural product, such as fertilizer, pesticide or combinations thereof, having a thin, sulphonated film or coating thereon with a seed or plant; 2) placing the coated agricultural product in close proximity to the seed or plr.nt with or without a separation of time between the step of applying the coated agricultural product and seeding step. The component materials of the controlled release coatings of the present invention generally include a water insoluble sulfonated polymer dissolved in an organic solvent system to form a solution with a concentration level within the range of about 0. 1 to 20 weight percent and preferably about 0.5 to 6.0 weight percent. The solvent system may include an organic solvent with or without a polar cosolvent, such as alcohol or amine. The solvent can be an organic l iquid which is capable of dissolving the polymeric backbone of the sulfonated polymer. The water insoluble sulfonated polymers of the present invention comprise from about 4 to about 200 milliequivalents (meq. ) of pendant sulfonate groups per 100 grams of polymer, and preferably from 10 to 100 meg. pendant sulfonate groups . In most instances , the sulfonates utilized in the present invention are acids or are neutral iz ed with transition elements selected from Groups IVA, VA, VIA, VIIA, VIIIA, IB, and IIB of the Periodic Table of Elements , and lead , tin , and antimony , as well as ammonium and amine counterions . Sulfonated polymers which are suitable for purposes of the present invention include both plastic and elastic polymers . Specific polymers include sulfonated polystyrene, sulfonated methyl styrene , sulfonated copolymer of styrene-t- butyl styrene, styrene -methyl styrene, styrene-isobutylene, sulfonated ethylene copolymers, sulfonated atactic propylene polymers and propylene copolymers , sul fonated styrene/acrylonitrile copolymers , sulfonated styrene/methyl methacrylate copolymers , sulfonated block copolymers of styrene/ethylene oxide , acrylic acid copolymers with styrene, sulfonated isobutylene isoprene copolymers (Butyl rubber) , sul fonated ethylene-propyl ene terpolymers , sul fonatec" isoprene styrene or butadi ene styrene or butadiene styrene-block copolymers and the sulfonated hydrogenated block copolymers . Preferred sulfonated polymers of the present invention are ethylene-propylene terpolymers . Butyl rubber and poly-stryrene , with the ethylene-propylene terpolymers and polystyrene being more preferred. Most preferred sulfonated polymers are ethylene- propylene. The sulfonated polymers of the present invention may vary in number average molecular weight within the range from about 1,000 to 10,000,000, preferably 5,000 to 1,000,000, more preferably from 10,000 to 600,000. These polymers may be prepared by methods known in the art, for example, see U.S. Patent No. 3,642,728, commonly owned with the present application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto. Preferred sulfonated polymers for use in the present invention, which are sulfonated ethylene propylene terpolymers, may be prepared by the procedures described in U.S. Patent No. 3,870,841, commonly owned with the present application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto. Neutralization of the cited polymers with appropriate metal hydroxides, metal acetates, metal oxides, or ammonium hydroxide, and the like can be effected by means well-known in the art. For example, the sulfonation process with Butyl rubber, containing 0.3 to 1.0 mole percent unsaturation, can be performed using a suitable solvent, such as toluene, with acetyl sulfate as the sulfonating agent, as described in U.S. Patent No. 3,836,511, commonly owned with the present application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto. The resulting sulfonic acid derivative can then be neutralized with a number of different neutralization agents, such as sodium phenolate and similar metal salts. The amounts of such neutralization agents employed will normally be stoichiometrically related to the amount of free acid in the polymer, in addition to any unreacted reagent which is still present. It is preferred to use 10% more neutralizing agent than required to ensure full neutralization. The additional amount of such neutralization agent should be sufficient to effect at least 50 percent neutralization of the sulfonic acid groups present in the polymer, preferably at least 90 percent, and most preferably essentially complete neutralization of such acid groups should be effected. Thus, the degree of neutralization of said sulfonate groups may vary from essentially none, i.e., the free acid form, to greater than 90 mole percent or 100 mole percent, and preferably 50 to 100 mole percent. With the utilization of neutralized sulfonates in this present invention, it is most preferred that the degree of neutralization be substantially complete, i.e., with no substantial free acid present and without substantial excess of the base, other than that needed to ensure neutralization. It has been found that the neutralized sulfonates possess greater thermal stability compared to their acid form. Thus, it is preferred that the polymers which are normally utilized in the present invention comprise substantially neutralized pendant groups and, thus, an excess of the neutralizing material may be utilized without adversely affecting the results for purposes of the present invention. The sulfonated polymers of the present invention may be neutralized prior to incorporation into the previously mentioned organic solvent or by neutralization of the acid form in situ. Preferably the acid derivative is neutralized immediately after preparation. For example, if the sulfonation of an EPDM terpolymer is conducted in solution, then the neutralization of the acid derivative can be conducted immediately following the sulfonation procedure. The neutralized polymer may then be isolated by means well known to those skilled in the art, i.e., coagulation, steam stripping or solvent evaporation, because the neutralized polymer has sufficient thermal stability to be dried for employment at a later time in the process of the present invention. It is well known that some unneutralized sulfonic acid derivatives do not possess good thermal stability and the above operations avoid that problem. Specific examples of organic liquids to be employed as solvents with the various types of polymers are: SOLUTIONS Polymer Organic Liquid sulfonated polystyrene benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, methylethyl ketone, xylene, styrene, ethylendichloride, methylene chloride. sulfonated poly-t-butyl- benzene, toluene, xylene, ethyl styrene benzene, styrene, t-butyl styrene, aliphatic oils, aromatic oils, hexane, heptane, decane, nonane. sulfonated ethylene- pentane, aliphatic and aromatic propylene terpolymer solvent oils, such as Solvent "100 Neutral", "150 Neutral", and similar oils, benzene, diesel oil, toluene, xylene, ethyl benzene, pentane, hexane, heptane, octane, isooctane, nonane decane aromatic solvents, ketone solvents. sulfonated styrene-methyl dioxane, halogenated aliphatics, ethacrylate copolymer e.g., methylene chloride, tetrahydrof uran . sulfonated polyisobutylene saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons, dissobutylene, triisobu-ylene, aromatic and alkyl substituted aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, n-butyl ether, n- amyl ether, methyl oleate, aliphatic oils, oils predominantly paraffinic in 13 nature and mixtures containing naphthenic hydrocarbons. "Solvent 100 Neutral," "Solvent 150 Neutral," and all related oils, low molecular weight polymeric oils such as squalene, while oils, and process oils having 60 percent or less aromatic content. sulfonated polyvinyl toluene, benzene, xylene, toluene cyclohexane, ethyl benzene, styrene, methylene chloride, ethylene dichloride. In order to reduce the viscosity of organic solutions of the sulfonated polymer so as to be able to employ the organic hydrocarbon solution in a coating process, a polar cosolvent may be added to the organic solution of the sulfonated polymer to solubilize the pendant ionomeric groups. In this regard, the cosolvent is useful in breaking up associated domains resulting from aggregation of ionic species. The cosolvent may be included in a concentration of from 0.01 to 15.0 weight percent and preferably 0.1 to 5.0 weight percent by total weight of polymer organic liquid and cosolvent. The polar cosolvents suitable for this purpose should have a solubility parameter of at least 10.0, preferably at least 11.0 of the total mixture of organic liquid, water insoluble ionomeric polymer and polar cosolvent. Normally, the polar cosolvent will be a liquid at room temperature; however, this is not a requirement. It is also preferred, but not required, that the polar cosolvent be soluble or miscible with the organic liquid"at the levels employed for purposes of this invention. The polar cosolvent may be selected from the group consisting essentially of alcohols, amines, di- or tri-functional alcohols, amides, acetamides, phosphates, or lactones and mixtures thereof. Preferred polar cosolvents are aliphatic alcohols, preferably selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, 1,2-propane diol, monoethyl ether of ethylene glycol and n- ethylformamide. The most preferred polar solvents is toluene and the most preferred cosolvent is isopropanol. The coatings of the present invention are formed by applying the organic solution of the sulfonated polymer over the substrate at any suitable temperature for the purpose, for example an ambient temperature or a temperature within the range of 50-80°C, by either dip-coating, spray-coating or other technique, such as brushing, for spreading a thin coating of the elastomer on the substrate. Preferred temperatures for purposes of this application are within the range of 30 to 60°C. The organic solvent system is then permitted to evaporate with or without the aid of forced drying gas, such as air or nitrogen gas. This step is called the drying process. The drying gas temperature can be any temperature suitable for this purpose. For example, the drying gas temperature can be about ambient temperature or about the boiling point of the organic solvent system. After drying, the thickness of the applied coating should be 0.5 to 200 microns and preferably 100 to 200 microns. More preferred is a coating thickness of less than 50 microns, with a coating thickness of 0.5 to 20 microns being most preferred, for both performance and economic reasons. * To control the thickness of the applied coating, the solution concentration of the sulfonated polymeric is applied at any concentration up to the solubility limit of the polymer in solution for the polymer solvent system selected which is within the skill of one in the art. For example, for sulfonated ethylene-propylene polymer in a toluene-isopropanol solvent system, the polymer concentration could be 0.1 to 20 weight percent and preferably at 0.5 to 6 weight percent. The coating solution of the sulfonated polymer can be applied in single or multiple layers, depending on the desired coating thickness. In any instance, the organic solvent system is evaporated after the application of each layer. The sulfonated polymer coating can be applied over the substrate of interest or over a previous coating. In the latter case, such practice can modify or improve the performance of the coating system. The sulfonated polymer coating can be used as a barrier to create desired slow release for many types of fertilizers suitable for purposes of the present invention including, by way of example, those disclosed in co-pending application U.S.S.N 110,264, filed 10/20/87, filed concurrently herewith, commonly owned with the present invention, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto. The plant growth media to which the present invention is applied includes liquid cultures i.e., hydroponics, soil¬ less cultures and any mixture of sand, vermiσulite, peat, perlite, or any other inert or relatively inert support, and soils which can be either irrigated or rainfed soils. Although the present invention can include combinations of fertilizers with any pesticide, the use of pesticides alone as well as pesticides not combined with fertilizers has been found to be particularly suitable for purposes of the present invention. Illustrative of pesticides suitable for purposes of the present invention include the herbicides and insecticides listed below: HERBICIDES such as: Atrazine Aatrex Green Cross Products Triallate Avadex BW Monsanto Chemical Co. Trifluralin Treflan Eli Lilly Inc. (Elanco) Glysophate Roundup Monsanto Chemical Co. Glysophote + 2,4-D Rustler Monsanto Chemical Co. Sethoxydim POAST BASF Metochlor Dual Green Cross Products - 16 - EPTC Epta Chipman Inc. EPTC + R25788 Eradicane 8-E Chipman Inc. Metolachlor + arazine Primextra Green Cross Products Metribuzin Sencor Chemagro Ltd. INSECTICIDES such as: These are current granular insecticides: Terbu os Counter 5-G Cyanamid Ltd. Fonofos Dyfonate Chipman Inc. Carbofuran Furadan Chemagro Ltd. Aldicarb Temik Union Carbide The vegetable matter, including seeds and plants, envisioned to be treated with pesticide in accordance with the present invention include the following: CEREALS, such as: Common Name Botanical Name Barley Hordeum vulgare Buckwheat Fagopyrun esculentum Canarygrass Phalaris canariensis Maize Zea mays Millet Pennisteum Oats Avena sativa Rice Oryza sativa Rye Secale cereale Sundangrass Sorghum sudanense Sorghum Sorghum vulgare Sesame Seasamum orientale Triticale Triticale SPP Wheat Triticum aestivum GRASSES (including turf) , such as: Common Name Botanical Name Bahiagrass Paspalum notatum Beachgrass: American Am ophilia breviligulata European Ammophilia arenaria - 17 - Bentgrass: Colonial Agrostis tenuis Creeping Agrostis palustris Velvet Agrostis canina Bermudagrass Cynodon dactylon Bluegrass: Annual Poa annua Canada Poa compressa Kentucky Poa pratensis Bluegrass: Rough Poa trivialis Upland Poa glaucantha Bromegrass-smooth Bro us inermis Bromesedge Andropogon virginicus Buffalograss Buchloe dactyloides Canarygrass, reed Phalaris arundinacea Carpetgrass Axononpus af inis Centipedegrass Eremochloa ophiuroides Crabgrass: Large Digitaria sanguinalis Smooth Digitaria ischaemum Dallisgrass Paspalum dilatatum Fescue: Chewings Festuca rubra Hard Festuca ovina Meadow Festuca elatior Red Festuca rubrum Sheep Festuca ovina Tall Festuca arundinaceae Goosegrass Eleucine indica Grama: Blue Bouteloua gracilis Sideoats Bouteloua curtipendula Japanese lawngrass Zoysia japonica Kikuyugrass Pennisetum clandestinum Lovegrass, weeping Eragrostis curvula Manilagrass Zoysia atrella Orchardgrass Dactylis glomerata Paspalum, field Paspalum laeve Quackgrass Agropyron repens Redtop Agrostis alba - 18 - Ryegrass: Annual Lolium multiflσrum Perennial Lolium perenne Ste. Augustinegrass Stenotaphrum secundatum Timothy Phleum pratense Velvetgrass Holcus janatus Wheatgrass: Crested Agropyron desertorum Fairway Agropyron cristatum Streambank Agropyron riparium Zoysiagrass Zoysia spp. LEGUMES, such as: Common Name Botanical Name Alfalfa (lucerne) Medicago sativa Bean Phaseolus vulgaris Chickpea Cicer aeritinum Clover Trifolium spp. (T. pratense, T. repens, T. subterraneum) Cowpea Vigna sinensis Fababean Vicia faba Groundnut Arachis hypogaea Lentil Lens culinaris Lupin Lupinus Mungbean Vigna unguicultata Pea Pisum sativum Soybean Glycine max Winged bean Phaseolus aureus OILSEEDS, such as: Common Name Botanical Name Canola Brassica napus Coconut Cotton Mustard Brassica juncea Flax Linum usitissatum Linseed Olive oil Palm 19 Rape seed Brassica campestris Safflower Sesame seed Sunflower Helianthus an us ROOTS AND TUBERS, such as: Common Name Botanical Name Cassava Manihot esculenta Potato Solanu tuberosu Sweet potato Ipo oea batatis Taro Colocasia esculenta Yam Discorea rotundata SUGAR CROPS, such as: Common Name Botanical Name Sugar beet Sugarcane Saccharum spp. Maple tree VEGETABLES such as: Common Name Botanical Name Bean Phaseolus vulgaris Beet Beta vulgaris Broccoli Brassica oleracea var italica Brussel sprouts Brassica oleracea var gemmifera Cabbage Brassica oleracea var capitata Cantaloupe Cucumis melo Carrot Daucus carota var. sativus Cauliflower Brassica oleracea var acephala Celery Apiu graveolens Chard Beta vulgaris Chicory Cichorium intybus Chinese cabbage Brassica rapa Collard Brassica oleracea var acephala Cucumber Cucumis satvus Dill Anethum graveolens Egg Plant Solanum melongena Endive Cichorium endiva Fennel Foeniculum vulgar Kale Brassica oleracea Kohl Rabi Brassica oleracea Leek Allium ampeoloprasum Lima Bean Phaseolus limensis (P. lunatus) Mustard Brassica juncea Okra Abelmuschus esculentus Onion Allium cepa Parsley Petroselinum crispun (P. hortense) Parsnip Pastinaca sativa Pea Pisum sativum Pepper Capsicum annum Pumpkin Cucurbita spp. Radish Raphanus sativus Rutabaga Brassia napus Salsify Tragopogon porrifolious Spinach Spinacia oleracea Squash Cucurbita spp. Sweet Corn Zea mays var rugos (var. saccharata) Swiss chard Beta vulgaris Tomato Lycopersicon lycopersicum Turnip Brassica rapa Watermelon Citrullus lanatus TREES such as: Common Name Botanical Name Coniferous: White spruce Picea glauca Black spruce Picea mariara Red spruce Picea rubens Red pine Pinus resinosa Jack pine Pinus banksiana Lodgeppole pine Pinus contorta Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa Eastern white pine Pinus strobus Western white pine Pinus monticola Balsam fir Abies balsamea Douglas fir Pseudotsuga taxifolia Rocky Mountain juniper Juniperus scopulorum Red juniper Juniperus virginiana Tamarack Larix laricina Hemlocks Tsuga spp. Deciduous: Maple Acer spp. Alder Alnus spp. Birch Betula spp. Hickory Carya spp. Chestnut Castanea dentata Dogwood Cornus spp. Ash Fraxinus spp. Crabapple Malus spp. Sycamore Plantanus occidentalis Cottonwood Populus spp. Cherry Prunus spp. Oak Quercus spp. Willow Salix spp. Elm Ul us spp. ORNAMENTAI-S such as: Common Name Botanical Name Carnation Dianthus caryophyllus Chyrsanthenum Crysanthemum morifolium Orchid Cattleya spp., cymbidiums spp. Rose Rosa manetti Snapdragon Antirrhinium ajus Bulbs: Begonias Crocus Snowdrop Hyacinth Lilly Daffodil INDUSTRIAL CROPS such as: Common Name Common Name Common Name Cocoa Hops Sesame Coffee Jute Tea Cotton Oil palm Tobacco Hemp Rubber The rate of release of the active ingredient from the coated pesticide of the present invention can be controlled by the thickness of the sulfonated polymer coating, the degree of sulfonation of the polymer, the degree of neutralization of the sulfonate groups in the sulfonated polymers, the type of cation in the sulfonated polymers, the biodegradability of the sulfonated polymer, and the integrity and conformity of application of the polymer. In accordance with the present invention, a substrate including a pesticide is subjected to one of the previously mentioned coating techniques so as to form a sulfonated polymer film on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate although it is preferred to form the sulfonated polymer film as a coating so as to completely encapsulate the substrate. The substrate including the pesticide preferably has a relatively small particle size on the order of about 1 to about 10 mm. Thus, in those instances where the substrate is a substantially solid form, such as granules, the substrate including the pesticide can be fluidized so as to expose the surfaces of the particles to a spray of the sulfonated polymer solution thereby enhancing the uniformity of the coating thickness. As used herein, the substrate including the pesticide is meant to include the pesticide itself, as well as other substances, such as inert carrier materials as well as fertilizers, with which the pesticide can be combined. In this regard, the pesticide may be physically combined With the substrate by adsorption or absorption, for example by mixing the pesticide with the substrate or impregnating the substrate with the pesticide. For example, 5.8 liters of triallate have been combined with 60 kg of urea by mixing prior to drying and subsequent coating with a sulphonate film. The coated composite of substrate including the triallate pesticide would be useful in treating one acre of hard spring red wheat. Thus, particularly suitable substrates for purposes of the present invention are solid materials which are impregnated with the pesticides prior to being coated with the sulfonated polymer films. In this regard, it should also be understood that the film of sulfonated polymer in accordance with the present invention may be applied to a pesticide which has previously been coated with a similar or dissimilar coating. Alternatively, a pesticide coated with a film of sulfonated polymer in accordance with the present invention could additionally be coated with a dissimilar material. Preferably, however, the process in accordance with the present invention is performed so that the sulfonated polymer film is in direct contact with or forms an exterior surface on the substrate including the pesticide. The following examples demonstrate the performance of sulfonated polymer as a barrier coating. Example 1, Preparation of Sulfonated EPDM A sulfonated EPDM terpolymer (TP-320) is prepared by sulfonating a 40 Mooney viscosity at 100°C EPDM terpolymer (Royalene 521-Uniroyal) which has about 50 weight percent ethylene, about 5 weight percent ENB, with acetyl sulfate and neutralizing with Zn (Ac) 2 according to the procedure of U.S. Patent No. 3,836,511, herein incorporated by reference, thereby producing 10 meq. of zinc sulfonate groups per 100 grams of the EPDM terpolymer and 25 meq. of zinc sulfonated groups per 100 grams of the EPDM terpolymer. Example 2, Improved Barrier Properties of a Sulfonated Polymer A solution of the sulfonated EPDM polymer of Example 1 was prepared for application as a coating solution. The solution was cast as a coating over samples in order to measure the barrier properties for urea extraction by water through the thin film coating. Preparation of Solution The solution A was prepared by mixing and consisted of 2.5 grams of zinc sulfo-EPDM similar to the one described in Example 1 (Uniroyal Ionic Elastomer- 2560) , containing 25 meq. of sulfonate groups per 100 grams of ethylene propylene ethylidenenorborne terpolymer neutralized with zinc, in 100 grams of a solvent consisting of 97.5% toluene and 2.5% methanol reagent. Coatinσ Procedure To determine the barrier properties of film formed from the solution of the sulfonated EPDM terpolymer, urea slides were coated for immersion tests. The coating procedure and the procedures for conducting immersion tests were as follows: Urea samples were prepared by depositing reagent grade urea (Fisher Scientific) over microscope glass slides. This was done by dipping glass slides into molten urea at a temperature of about 135-145°C, followed by cooling and solidification of the urea layer. The urea layer was built up to about 7 mm by 4 to 5 successive dipping and cooling cycles. These urea samples were then coated by a polymeric film using a second dipping procedure. Urea slides were repeatedly dipped into polymeric solutions, such as those listed below in Table 1, followed by drying in a vacuum oven at 70°C for about 3 hours. The dipping and drying cycles were repeated until the film thickness shown in Table 1 were obtained. The barrier properties of the various polymeric films were determined by immersion of each coated urea slide in about 100 g. of deionized water at room temperature. The amount of urea released into the water was determined by recovering the urea after evaporating the water. Each sample was initially immersed for 1 day, followed by immersion in fresh water for 3 days and for weekly intervals thereafter. Table 1 shows the permeabilities of urea solution extracted from the coated urea slides and immersed in water at room temperature. The permeabilities of the coating materials were determined by applying Fick's law of diffusion at steady state. Fick's law states that: J m = DA § where J m = mass flux (loss) through the film or membrane, A = transport area, C = concentration gradient, o = film or membrane thickness, and D = membrane diffusivity constant which is equal to the ratio of permeability (P) over the solubility ratio (K) or urea in the membrane and in water. The performance of the zinc-sulfo-EPDM film was compared with films that were formed from solutions of other commercial coating materials. The first commercial coating solution was a tung oil solution made by Formby of Mississippi at 30 weight percent solids in petroleum distillate. The second commercial coating solution was linseed oil modified polyurethane Type I made by Minwax Paint Co. of NJ at 45% solids in petroleum distillate. The two commercial coatings were cured at 70°C for 48 hours after coating. The permeability of urea solution through the zinc sulfonated EPDM terpolymer film was found to be about 3 orders of magnitude lower than either that of tung oil or that of polyurethane. As shown in Table 1, this Example shows that thin films of zinc sulfonated EPDM terpolymer complex provide a much better barrier than do commercial materials. - 27 Table 1 Permeability of urea solution from coated urea slides in water at room temperature. Solutions of sulfonated EPDM polymer of Example 1 were prepared as a coating solution as set forth in Example 2. Except for the coatings of reagent sulfur and paraffin wax, discussed below, the samples were coated in accordance with the procedure set forth in Example 2. For purposes of this Example, thick coatings of reagent sulfur and paraffin wax (M.P. = 55°C) were applied through melting i.e., these materials were melted at about 5°C to 10°C above their melting point; after quickly dipping urea samples in the melt the hot coated samples were then brought to room temperature slowly. This layering procedure was repeated three to four times. Figure 1 shows that ZSE-10 offered that best protection in preventing the dissolution of urea in water at a room temperature of about 22°C. As indicated, uncoated urea dissolved quickly in water, but even thick coatings of sulfur, unsulfonated EPDM and PEVAC on similar samples did not sufficiently protect urea from dissolving in water. Paraffin wax and modified polyurethane type 1 (made by Minwax Paint Company) protected urea from dissolving in water for at least six days. ZSE-10, however, performed the best in protecting urea from water dissolution. It is further understood that although the invention has been specifically described with reference to particular means and embodiments, the foregoing description is that of preferred embodiments of the invention. The invention is not limited to the particulars disclosed, but extends to all equivalents, and various changes and modifications may be made in the invention wihtout departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

Claims: CLAIMS: 1. A pesticide composite comprising: (a) a substrate including a pesticide; and (b) at least one film of sulfonated polymer coating at least a portion of a surface of said substrate. 2. The pesticide composite according to claim 1, wherein said film comprises a sulfonated polymer having a sulfonate content of about 4 to about 200 meq. per 100 grams of said sulfonated polymer. 3. The pesticide composite according to claim 2, wherein said sulfonated polymers are neutralized sulfonated polymers and said sulfonate groups are neutralized with a member selected from the group consisting of an ammonium counterion and a metal counterion. 4. The pesticide composite according to claim 3, wherein said sulfonate groups are 50 to 100 mole percent neutralized. 5. The pesticide composite according to claims 1 - 4, wherein said neutralized sulfonated polymer is formed from an elastomeric polymer. 6. A method of producing a coated pesticide composite comprising: (a) providing a substrate including a pesticide; and (b) coating at least one surface of said substrate with a film of sulfonated polymer dissolved in a solvent system including an organic liquid. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said solvent system comprises a cosolvent. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said cosolvent is a polar cosolvent.

Inventors: DRAKE EVELYN NOBLES, DUVDEVANI ILAN, MANALASTAS PACIFICO VIERNES, PASTERNAK ISRAEL SZABSAJ, THALER WARREN ALAN, DRAKE, EVELYN, NOBLES, DUVDEVANI, ILAN, MANALASTAS, PACIFICO, VIERNES, PASTERNAK, ISRAEL, SZABSAJ, THALER, WARREN, ALAN
Applicants: EXXON CHEMICAL PATENTS INC, EXXON CHEMICAL PATENTS, INC.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A01N25
IPC codes: A01N25, C05G3