Practical Guide

to Adjuvants

Smart Science to Improve Lives

TM
Spray Formation Spray Retention Wetting Deposit Formation Uptake

The effective delivery of active ingredients is increasingly reliant on the

Recommended Use Rates
incorporation of adjuvants into the formulation. The choice of adjuvant is
Adjuvant use rates can vary considerably depending on the mode of
determined by the end use requirements. Optimum performance can often be
application (tank mix vs built-in), head space available in the formulation,
achieved by using a balance of adjuvants to achieve the desired effects.
the rate of dilution for formulations in the tank or the desired adjuvancy
Croda presents a wide range of multifunctional adjuvants in this guide effect being targeted.
and explores how these products can solve problems in each stage of the Typical inclusion levels would be:
adjuvancy process. Tank mix: 0.1 – 0.5% Built-in: 50 – 200g/L

Spray Formation Spray Retention

Adjuvants can help reduce the amount of driftable fine droplets generated The addition of adjuvants enhances the ability of the spray droplet to remain on
after spraying, which in turn reduces the problems associated with spray the surface of the leaf making the active ingredient more available to the crop.
drift. How do surfactants help?
n Driftable fine droplets (<105 µm) can be a problem n They dissipate kinetic energy of the droplet during impact
n Preventing contamination of waterways and neighbouring crops is n They rapidly reduce surface tension
important
What type of surfactants are required?
n Spray nozzle choice also reduces drift but combining it with surfactants
n Small, dynamic surfactants that move rapidly to the interface
has an even bigger effect
n Low molecular weight, branched, end capped, nonionic
n Croda supply products that can be built-in or tank-mixed

n Spray drift can be measured using wind tunnel technology

AtplusTM 245 – Alkoxylated alcohol
AtloxTM AL-2575 LF – C8-C10 alkylpolysaccharide
Atplus DRT-EPS – Non-ionic surfactant blend
TM
AtloxTM MBA 11/8 – Polyoxyethylene (8) monobranched alcohol
AtplusTM DRT-100 – Vegetable derived fatty ester TweenTM 22 – Polyoxyethylene (8) sorbitan monolaurate
TweenTM 23 – Polyoxyethylene (12) sorbitan monolaurate
TweenTM 24 – Polyoxyethylene (16) sorbitan monolaurate

Figure 2:
Droplets adhere to or
bounce (run off) from the
leaf surface

Bounce
OR

Adhere

40
38 Linear C12 chain
Image 1: Pesticide being applied to crops through spraying
Surface Tension (mN/m)

Branched C12 chain

36
18 34
32
16
Driftable Fines % (Particle Size <105 µm)

30
14 28

12 26
24
10 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Number of EO units
8

6 Figure 3: Effect of ethylene oxide (EO) chain length on surface tension at critical micelle
concentration (CMC) for linear and branched alkyl C12 (EO)n surfactants
4

2
Figure 3 shows that surfactants with lower amounts of EO are better for
spray retention as they lower the surface tension. Branched chains are
0 also better than the equivalent linear chain. For example if you look at the
Water No Adjuvant 0.25% 0.375% 0.5%
Atplus DRT-EPS Atplus DRT-EPS Atplus DRT-EPS
eight moles of EO on the graph, the branced version has a much lower
surface tension than the linear chain.
Figure 1: Volume of driftable fine droplets (%<105 μm) generated from spraying water, a 1%
w/w ae glyphosate and 2.5% AMS solution, and the inclusion of Atplus DRT-EPS at various
A lower surface tension can be favourable for spray retention as the
levels using a TJ8002 flat fan nozzle at 40 psi droplet has a better ability to dissipitate kinetic energy, reducing bounce
off.
Figure 1 shows that including glyphosate in the solution increases the
percentage of driftable fine droplets in comparison to water. However, the
addition of Atplus DRT-EPS reduces this level meaning that the spray
quality has been improved. The data also demonstrates that a non-ionic
surfactant can be included without a detrimental effect on particle size.

The Adjuvancy Process

Wetting
Adjuvants can help pesticide spray droplets to wet waxy surfaces or soil Humectancy
substrates, which ensure the active ingredient is distributed evenly across 120
the leaf or within the soil.
100
n Effective leaf wetting n Increased foliar coverage

Water Content %
80
n Improved soil wetting
60
What role do surfactants play? 40
n They reduce surface tension and contact angle
20
n They provide efficient packing at the interface
0
0 50 100 150 200
Time (hours)
Hydravance 200 – Proprietary blend
TM
Water Hydravance 100 Hydravance 200
AtloxTM AL-2575 LF – C8-C10 alkylpolysaccharide
TweenTM 22 – Polyoxyethylene (8) sorbitan monolaurate Figure 6: Percentage of water retained in a soil plug after periods of time when applied with
water alone, water with Hydravance 100 and water with Hydravance 200
The results from the soil moisture retention test demonstrate that
Image 2:
Hydravance 200 has the ability to reduce the evaporation rate of water
Wetting ability of surfactant
compared to water which
over that of water alone and Hydravance 100. As a result more moisture is
beads-up on waxy leaf surfaces retained in the soil plug profile.

Deposit Formation
Active ingredient deposit structures can be directly linked to the
incorporation of adjuvants which influence evaporation of droplet water
and prevent precipitation of the active ingredient.
A: Large contact angle B: Small contact angle
Which properties of surfactants are important?
n Humectancy (measured by Dynamic Vapour Sorption)

n Film forming

AtloxTM AL-2575 LF – C8-C10 alkylpolysaccharide

AtplusTM UEP-100 – Alkoxylated polyol ester

Image 3: Contact angle of droplets can be measured. Large contact angle of water (A) versus
reduced contact angle of water and surfactant (B) demonstrate wetting ability of surfactants Micro deposit structure of an active ingredient on a cuticle surface is
studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
Soil Wetting Image 5: Insecticide only (no adjuvant).
Soils are naturally hydrophobic in nature. As a result, soil hydrophobicity can This needle like structure represents
lead to water pooling and surface run-off, which has a direct consequence an uneven distribution of the pesticide
particulates
on plant growth. When applications include agrochemical treatments, such
as pre-emergence herbicides, negative interactions with the soil can also
lead to reduced percolation and distribution of the active solution within the
soil.
250

200 Image 6: Insecticide plus Croda

Absorption time (seconds)

adjuvant Atplus UEP-100

150
demonstrates a more homogeneous
100 distribution and size of pesticide
particulate
50

Hydravance 100 Hydravance 200

Figure 4: Soil wetting and penetration was assessed using dried isolated soil plugs treated with 100
adjuvant solutions. Each soil plug was placed in a 0.4% w/v, 40 ml of aqueous adjuvant solution
and the time taken for each of the soil plugs to absorb all the solution was recorded. On average, 80
% Evaporation

the soil plug containing Hydravance 200 absorbed the water over two times faster than the water
containing Hydravance 100 60

40

20

0 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

Time (minutes)
Atplus UEP-100 Glycerine Polysorbate 20

Figure 5: The result of the Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) humectancy test shows the rate of
evaporation over a period of time of the spray solution (0.05% w/v adjuvant) at 25 °C
Water Standard Surfactant HydravanceTM 200 Increased humectancy is linked to keeping the active ingredient in a more
Image 4: The image shows a cross section of soil plugs that have been applied with just water, bioavailable state which results in increased delivery and/or delivery over a
water with a standard surfactant and water with Hydravance 200. With Hydravance 200 the longer period of time. The evaporation rate is significantly lower (probability
whole soil plug is wet throughout whereas the other soil plugs are only partially wetted due to value of significance <0.05) with Atplus UEP-100 when compared with
surface run-off and poor absorption
glycerine and polysorbate 20.
TweenTM 23 Uptake
– Polyoxyethylene (12) sorbitan monolaurate
Adjuvants can influence penetration of systemic pesticides through the leaf cuticle resulting in increased bioavailability of the active ingredient.
n Effective systemic foliar uptake is achieved

n Adjuvant choice can be active dependent (hydrophilic / lipophilic)

n Surfactants enhance diffusion through the cuticle

n Large molecules of high molecular weight are favoured over small molecules which can cause necrosis of the leaf (phytotoxic effects)

n Uptake is studied by Franz Cells and active ingredient detection using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)

AtplusTM UEP-100 – Alkoxylated polyol ester TweenTM L-0515 - Polyoxyethylene (5) polyoxypropylene (15) sorbitan monolaurate
TweenTM 22 – Polyoxyethylene (8) sorbitan monolaurate TweenTM L-1010 - Polyoxyethylene (10) polyoxypropylene (10)
TweenTM 23 – Polyoxyethylene (12) sorbitan monolaurate sorbitan monolaurate
TweenTM 24 – Polyoxyethylene (16) sorbitan monolaurate TweenTM L-1505 - Polyoxyethylene (15) polyoxypropylene (5) sorbitan monolaurate

60
Figure 7: Test done at 25 ºC, 40-45% relative humidity, duration 72h. Imidacloprid was applied
at 0.5 g/L containing 0.25% w/v adjuvant. All other active ingredients were applied as a 1:200
50 dilution in water from concentrates (Azoxystrobin 250 g/L SC, Tebuconazole 430 g/L SC and
Chlorpyrifos 430 g/L EW) with a final adjuvant rate of 0.05% w/v.
% Floliar Uptake

40
Atplus UEP-100 combined with a selection of active ingredients, improved
30
penetration over no adjuvant (1.8 to 4.1 times higher than control) and the
20 typical adjuvant, polysorbate 20 (typical adjuvant 1.5 to 2.8 times over the
control)
10

0
Imidacloprid Azoxystrobin Tebuconazole Chlorpyrifos
No adjuvant Atplus UEP-100 Polysorbate 20

Adjuvancy Characterisation Techniques and Capabilities

It is important to determine which adjuvant is best suited to your active ingredients, therefore predicting the behaviour of your product before investing in
expensive performance field trials and product registrations is crucial. In Croda’s five dedicated Crop Protection R&D centres located globally, we have a
range of characterisation techniques and methods that can assess the performance of your products. These capabilities will enable you to have a more
complete understanding of the adjuvancy effect Croda’s product has on your active ingredients to get a successful final formulation.

Spray Quality & Retention Droplet Uptake & Penetration

Characterisation

Spray Formation Spray Retention Wetting Deposit Formation Uptake

n Wet Droplet Analysis
and Drying Droplet
Analysis
n Contact angle
n Equilibrium Surface
Tension (EST)
n Low Speed Wind Tunnel (LSWT)
n Dynamic Vapour
Sorption (DVS)
n Dynamic Surface Tension (DST)
n Franz Cells n Laser Ablation
n Single Droplet Generator
Electrospray Ionisation
n Rainfastness Mass Spectrometry
Imaging (LAESI-MSI)

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 Characteristics Function Application

Practical Guide
Product Chemical Physical Form HLB Value Surfactant Type Cloud Point Spray Spray Wetting Deposit Uptake/ Glyphosate Drift Soil Built in Tank Mix EPA Features and Benefits
Description at 25°C Formation Retention Formation Penetration adjuvant Reduction Wetting

Atlox AL-2575 LF C8-C10 Liquid 13 Nonionic > 100 °C l l l l l l l 910, 930 An excellent glyphosate adjuvant with good environmental credentials which is low foaming. Recommended for use
Alkylpolysaccharide in microemulsions under high electrolyte conditions.

Atlox 4915 Polymeric amphoteric Liquid Amphoteric 58-59 °C l l l 180, 910 The adjuvant performance of Atlox 4915 is shown to be at least comparable to tallow amine ethoxylate when tested
dispersant and with glyphosate.

to Adjuvants
adjuvant

Atlox MBA 11/8 Polyoxyethylene (8) Solid 13 Nonionic Not determined l l l l l 910, 930 Atlox MBA 11/8 offers effective spray retention and spreading aid qualities.
monobranched alcohol

Atplus DRT-100 Emulsifier blend Semi-solid Blend Not determined l l l 950 Designed for built-in formulations or for combination with the formulators own choice of non-ionic surfactant.
This product also contributes to four of UN Sustainable Development Goals (2 - Zero Hunger, 6 - Clean Water &
Sanitation, 12 - Responsible Consumption & Production and 15 - Life on Land).

Atplus DRT-EPS Non-ionic surfactant Liquid Nonionic Not determined l l l l 180, 910 Atplus DRT-EPS is an OMRI-certified tank mix adjuvant that combines adjuvancy properties, spray quality and drift
blend control into one convenient product.

Atplus PFA Alkoxylated Alcohol Liquid N/A Not determined l l 960 A pourable adjuvant developed to improve the performance of fungicidal applications.

Atplus SS-100 Blend of nonionic Liquid Nonionic Not determined l l l 910 Combines the twin benefits of quick spreading on leaf surface with effective rain-fastness to pesticide formulations,
surfactants providing greater bioefficacy and crop yield.

Atplus UEP-100 Alkoxylated polyol Liquid N/A Not determined l l l 960 Enhances uptake of the pesticide and has excellent crop safety as it is not phytotoxic.
ester

Hydravance 200 Proprietary blend Liquid Nonionic Not determined l l l 180, 910 Hydravance 200 is a soil adjuvant that increases percolation through the soil profile and facilitates an even distribution
of the application within the soil. This product also contributes to four of UN Sustainable Development Goals (2 - Zero
Hunger, 3 - Good Health & Well Being, 6 - Clean Water & Sanitation and 12 - Responsible Consumption & Production).

MultitropeTM 1214 Polyoxyethylene alkyl Liquid Anionic Not determined l l 920 Multitrope 1214 is a phosphate based anionic surfactant and leaf penetration aid adjuvant.
ether phosphate

SynprolamTM 35X15 Amine ethoxylates Liquid 15 Nonionic > 100 °C l l l 920, 930 An amine ethoxylate which has good emulsification properties. It is used as an effective glyphosate adjuvant.

Tween 22 Polyoxyethylene (8) Liquid 15 Nonionic Not determined l l l l l l 910, 930 General purpose adjuvant built on Tween 20 technology, offering enhanced surface activity to provide better wetting,
sorbitan monolaurate lower EST and lower contact angle.

Tween 23 Polyoxyethylene (12) Liquid 16 Nonionic Not determined l l l l l l 910, 930 General purpose adjuvant built on Tween 20 technology, offering enhanced surface activity to provide better wetting,
sorbitan monolaurate lower EST and lower contact angle.

Tween 24 Polyoxyethylene (16) Liquid 17 Nonionic Not determined l l l l l l 910, 930 General purpose adjuvant built on Tween 20 technology, offering enhanced surface activity to provide better wetting,
sorbitan monolaurate lower EST and lower contact angle.

Tween L-0515 Polyoxyethylene (5) Liquid 5.3 Nonionic Not determined l l l l l l 960 Lowest polarity modified Tween 20 technology with improved dynamic properties and reduced foam while retaining
polyoxypropylene (15) polysorbate safety advantages.
sorbitan monolaurate

Tween L-1010 Polyoxyethylene (10) Liquid 8.8 Nonionic Not determined l l l l l l 960 Low polarity modified Tween 20 technology with improved dynamic properties and reduced foam while retaining
polyoxypropylene (10) polysorbate safety advantages.
sorbitan monolaurate

Tween L-1505 Polyoxyethylene (15) Liquid 12.7 Nonionic Not determined l l l l l l 960 Intermediate polarity modified Tween 20 technology with improved dynamic properties and reduced foam while
polyoxypropylene (5) retaining polysorbate safety advantages.
sorbitan monolaurate

REACH: For further information please contact your sales representative.

Non-warranty
The information in this publication is believed to be accurate and is given in good faith, but no representation or warranty as to its completeness or accuracy is made. Suggestions for uses or applications are only opinions. Users
are responsible for determining the suitability of these products for their own particular purpose. No representation or warranty, expressed or implied, is made with respect to information or products including, without limitation,
warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement of any third party patent or other intellectual property rights including, without limit, copyright, trademark and designs. Any trademarks identified
herein are trademarks of the Croda group of companies.
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Europe, Middle East & Africa cropcare@croda.com Latin America cropcare.latam@croda.com Smart Science to Improve Lives
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The Adjuvancy Process North America marketing-usa@croda.com Asia Pacific cropcare.apac@croda.com 10/20 CCMB010v4 EN