High concentration encapsulation of water soluble-materials

Claim 2

A process of encapsulating a water-soluble material within a shell wall of polymeric materials which comprises: (a) providing an organic continuous phase liquid containing an oil soluble alkylated polyvinylpyrrolidone emulsifier; (b) dispersing in said continuous phase liquid an aqueous discontinuous phase liquid containing a first shell wall component and a water-soluble material dissolved therein to form a dispersion of discontinuous phase droplets throughout the continuous phase; (c) adding with agitation to said dispersion a second shell wall component, whereby said second shell wall component reacts with said first shell wall component to form a polymeric shell wall about said discontinuous phase droplet; wherein the concentration of said water-soluble material is from about 480 grams to about 700 grams per liter of composition; wherein the concentration of said emulsifier is from 0.5% to about 15.0% by weight of said water-soluble material; wherein the concentration of said first shell wall component is from about 1.5% to about 10.0% by weight of said water soluble material and wherein the concentration of said second shell wall component is from about 3.5% to about 20.0% by weight of said water-soluble material.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1 wherein said polymeric shell wall is selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polyurethane, polysulfonamide, polyurea, polyester and polycarbonate or mixtures thereof.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 1 wherein said polymeric shell wall is polyurea.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 1 wherein said first shell wall component is a difunctional or polyfunctional reactant which is soluble in said water-soluble material and which is capable of reacting with said second shell wall component to form a polymeric shell wall about said water-soluble material.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 1 wherein said second shell wall component is a water-insoluble material which is capable of reacting with said first shell wall component to form a polymeric shell wall about said water-soluble material.

Claim 7

A process according to claim 3 wherein said second shell wall component is a polyisocyanate and wherein said first shell wall component is a difunctional or polyfunctional amine.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 3 wherein said second shell wall component is a diisocyanate and said first shell wall component is a polyfunctional amine or a mixture of polyfunctional and difunctional amines.

Claim 9

A process according to claim 1 wherein the concentration of said water-soluble materal is from about 480 grams to about 600 grams per liter of composition and wherein the concentration of emulsifier is from about 2.0% to about 4.0% by weight of said water-soluble material.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 8 wherein said water-soluble material is isopropylamine salt of N-phosphonomethylglycine and said continuous phase liquid is 2-chloro-2',6'-diethyl-N-methoxymethyl acetanilide or 2'-methyl-6'-ethyl-N-(1-methoxy-prop-2-yl)-2-chloroacetanilide or 2-chloro-N-(ethoxymethyl)-6'-ethyl-o-acetatoluidide.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 1 wherein the average particle size of the microcapsules produced by said process is in the range of from about 1 micron to about 50 microns in diameter.

Claim 12

A composition consisting essentially of microcapsules suspended in an organic liquid comprising a water-soluble material contained within an encapsulating wall of polymeric material wherein: (a) the concentration of said water-soluble material is from about 480 grams to about 700 grams per liter of composition; (b) wherein said encapsulating wall of polymeric material is the reaction product of a first shell wall component which is a difunctional or polyfunctional reactant that is soluble in said water-soluble material and a second shell wall component which is water insoluble and which is a difunctional or polyfunctional reactant and wherein concentration of first shell wall component is from about 1.5% to about 10.0% relative to the weight of said water-soluble material and wherein the concentration of said second shell wall component is from about 3.5% to about 20.0% relative to the weight of said water-soluble material; and (c) wherein said organic liquid contains from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of said water-soluble material of an oil soluble alkylated polyvinylpyrrolidone emulsifier.

Claim 13

A composition consisting essentially of microcapsules suspended in an organic liquid comprising a water-soluble material contained within an encapsulating wall of polymeric material wherein: (a) the concentration of said water-soluble material is from about 480 grams to about 700 grams per liter of composition; (b) wherein said encapsulating wall of polymeric material is the reaction product of a first shell wall component which is a difunctional or polyfunctional reactant that is soluble in said water-soluble material and a second shell wall component which is water insoluble and which is a difunctional or polyfunctional reactant and wherein concentration of first shell wall component is from about 1.5% to about 10.0% relative to the weight of said water-soluble material and wherein the concentration of said second shell wall component is from about 3.5% to about 20.0% relative to the weight of said water-soluble material; and (c) wherein said organic liquid contains from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of said water-soluble material of an oil soluble alkylated polyvinylpyrrolidone emulsifier.

Claim 14

A composition as described in claim 11 wherein said polymeric shell wall is polyurea.

Claim 15

A composition as described in claim 11 wherein the concentration of said water-soluble material is from about 480 grams to about 600 grams per liter of composition, wherein the concentration of said first shell wall component is from about 2.0% to about 5.0% relative to the weight of said water-soluble material, wherein the concentration of said second shell wall component is from about 5.0% to about 10.0% relative to the weight of said water-soluble material, and wherein the concentration of said emulsifier is from about 2.0% to about 6.0% relative to the weight of said water-soluble material.

Claim 16

A composition as described in claim 13 wherein the concentration of said first shell wall component is about 4.0% relative to the weight of said water-soluble material, wherein the concentration of said second shell wall component is about 6.5% relative to the weight of said water-soluble material and wherein the concentration of said emulsifier is about 2% relative to the weight of said water-soluble material.

Claim 17

A composition as described in claim 11 wherein said water-soluble material is an herbicide, insecticide, plant growth regulant or an herbicidal antidote.

Claim 18

A composition as described in claim 15 wherein said organic liquid is alachlor, butachlor, metolachlor, triallate or diallate herbicides.

Claim 19

A composition according to claim 11 wherein the organic liquid additionally contains from 1% to 10% of formulation ingredients based on the weight of the total composition.

Claim 20

A composition consisting essentially of a mixture of organic liquid and microcapsules containing a water-soluble material, said mixture being produced by a process which comprises the steps of: (a) providing an organic (continuous) phase liquid containing an oil soluble alkylated polyvinylpyrrolidone emulsifier; (b) dispersing in said continuous phase, an aqueous (discontinuous) phase consisting essentially of a first shell wall component dissolved in said water-soluble material, to form a dispersion of discontinuous droplets throughout the continuous phase; (c) adding, with agitation, to said dispersion a second shell wall component whereby said second shell wall component reacts with said first shell wall component to form a polymeric shell wall about said water-soluble material; (d) wherein the concentration of said water-soluble material is from about 480 grams to about 700 grams per liter of said composition, wherein the concentration of first shell wall component is from about 1.5% to about 10.0% by weight of said water-soluble material, wherein the concentration of said second shell wall component is from about 3.5% to about 20.0% by weight of said water-soluble material, and wherein the concentration of said emulsifier is from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of said water-soluble material.

Claim 21

A composition consisting essentially of a mixture of organic liquid and microcapsules containing a water-soluble material, said mixture being produced by a process which comprises the steps of: (a) providing an organic (continuous) phase liquid containing an oil soluble alkylated polyvinylpyrrolidone emulsifier; (b) dispersing in said continuous phase, an aqueous (discontinuous) phase consisting essentially of a first shell wall component dissolved in said water-soluble material, to form a dispersion of discontinuous droplets throughout the continuous phase; (c) adding, with agitation, to said dispersion a second shell wall component whereby said second shell wall component reacts with said first shell wall component to form a polymeric shell wall about said water-soluble material; (d) wherein the concentration of said water-soluble material is from about 480 grams to about 700 grams per liter of said composition, wherein the concentration of first shell wall component is from about 1.5% to about 10.0% by weight of said water-soluble material, wherein the concentration of said second shell wall component is from about 3.5% to about 20.0% by weight of said water-soluble material, and wherein the concentration of said emulsifier is from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of said water-soluble material.

Claim 22

A composition as described in claim 18 wherein said water-soluble material is the isopropylamine salt of N-phosphonomethylglycine, wherein said continuous phase liquid is 2-chloro-2',6'-diethyl-N-methoxymethyl acetanilide and wherein said polymeric shell wall is polyurea.