Patent GB-869088-A (GB)
Title: Herbicide compositions
Inventor: EATON JOHN KENNETH
Filed: 1960-01-08
Abstract: A composition for controlling the growth or destroying aquatic weeds and plants in water-ways comprises an olefinically unsaturated aliphatic aldehyde of the general formula CH2 = CR.CHO wherein R represents a hydrogen atom or a straight chain alkyl radical containing not more than 5 carbon atoms and a minor proportion preferably between 5 and 15% by weight of a surface-active agent which may be non-ionic, anionic or cationic and which passes the test described in the Specification.  The non-ionic, anionic or cationic and which strongly hydrophilic properties derived from a moderately long chain of ethylene oxide units, i.e. more than 12 units and a relatively weak lipophilic portion, i.e. a group in which the number of carbon atoms present in the alkyl portion of the group is less than the number of ethylene oxide units in the hydrophilic portion. Preferred groups constituting the lipophilic portion are groups derived from an aliphatic alcohol or fatty acid containing not more than 12 carbon atoms per molecule, or an alkyl phenol containing not more than 10 carbon atoms in the alkyl groups, or a chain of propylene oxide units.  Examples of such compounds are the condensates formed by reacting an alcohol or a phenol, e.g. an alkyl phenol with ethylene oxide, and specified condensates are those prepared by condensing a mixture of oleyl and cetyl alcohols with an average of about 22 molecules of ethylene oxide, or octyl phenol with an average of 12 or more molecules of ethylene oxide, or a polypropylene glycol of average molecular weight of not more than 2000 with sufficient ethylene oxide to give a product containing at least 20% by weight of ethylene oxide units, particularly preferred is the condensate of nonyl phenol with ethylene oxide containing about 15 ethylene oxide units per molecule.  Other suitable non-ionic surface-active agents are the straight fatty acid esters of a polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of at least 550, i.e. having more than about 12 ethylene oxide units per molecule such as the monooleate of a polyethylene glycol of average molecular weight 600, polyethylene oxide sorbitan monoleate, and the stearate of a polyethylene oxide of average molecular weight about 600.  The anionic surface-active agents are preferably of relatively high molecular weight, i.e. at least about 300 and more and preferably contain a polyethylene oxide chain within the molecule such as the sodium alkyl aryl polyether sulphates, sodium ethoxylated lauryl sulphate and calcium dodecyl benzene sulphonates.  The cationic surface-active agents are preferably compounds having one or more amine groups, e.g. amides of molecular weight of at least about 250, for example coconut fatty acid diethanolamide and particularly preferred amides are those having a polyethylene oxide chain of 12 or more ethylene oxide units per molecule such as a condensate of hydrogenated tallow amide with ethylene oxide such that the average number of ethylene oxide units is about 15 per molecule or a condensate formed by condensing propylene oxide with ethylene diamine and then condensing this with ethylene oxide such that the average molecular weight is about 4000 and the proportion by weight of ethylene oxide unit is about 45%.  A mixture of different types of surface-active agents may be incorporated in the composition and specified mixtures of nonionic and anionic surface-active agents are the blends of the alkyl aryl polyether alcohols and organic sulphonates.  A stabilizer is preferably incorporated in the composition to inhibit the polymerization of the unsaturated aldehydes, 0.1% by weight of hydroquinone being specified. Specified unsaturated aldehydes are methacrolein, and acrolein.