Dry, water-soluble, substituted phenoxy and/or benzoic acid herbicides and method of preparing same

Claim 1

A dry, water-soluble substituted phenoxy and/or benzoic acid herbicide powder composition consisting essentially of: a dry blended admixture of a first quantity of dry, powder particles of a substantially solid herbicidal agent selected from the group consisting of substituted herbicidally active phenoxy acids and substituted herbicidally active benzoic acids selected from the group consisting of (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (2,4-D), 4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)butanoic acid (2,4-DB), (+)-2-(4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy) propanoic acid (MCPP), (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy) acetic acid (MCPA), (+)-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)propanoic acid (dichlorprop), 3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (dicamba), and 3-amino-2,5-dichlorobenzoic acid (chloramben), which alone are not readily soluble in water, and a second quantity of dry, solid, powder particles selected from the group consisting of trisodium phosphate and tripotassium phosphate as a solubilization medium for the herbicidal agent, said first and second quantities of the herbicidal agent and the solubilization medium being the predominate constituents of the composition, there being from about 0.6 mole to about 16.9 moles of solubilization medium for each mole of herbicidal agent, said herbicidal agent and the solubilization medium having been dry blended in powdered form without changing the physical state of the particles to retain the discrete particulate character of each of said first and second quantities of said particles, and in the absence of chemical reaction between said herbicidal agent and said solubilization medium to form a relatively uniform dry mixture thereof, there being a sufficient quantity of the phosphate medium in the dry blended mixture in relationship to the quantity of herbicidal agent combined therewith such that the dry blended powder mixture will dissolve in water during preparation of a herbicidal solution therefrom that contains an adequate proportion of the herbicidal agent to provide from about 0.1 to about 21/2% by weight of the active herbicidal agent in the herbicidal solution.

Claim 15

A method of preparing a dry, water-soluble, substituted phenoxy and/or benzoic acid herbicide powder composition consisting essentially of the steps of: providing a first quantity of dry, powder particles of a substantially solid herbicidal agent selected from the group consisting of herbicidally active phenoxy acids and substituted herbicidally active benzoic acids selected from the group consisting of (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (2,4-D), 4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)butanoic acid (2,4-DB), (+)-2-(4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)propanoic acid (MCPP), (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)acetic acid (MCPA), (+)-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)propanoic acid (dichlorprop), 3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (dicamba), and 3-amino-2,5-dichlorobenzoic acid (chloramben), which are not readily soluble in water; providing a second quantity of dry, solid powder particles selected from the group consisting of trisodium phosphate and tripotassium phosphate as a solubilization medium for the herbicidal agent, said first and second quantities of the herbicidal agent and the solubilization medium being the predominate constituents of the composition, there being at from 0.6 mole to 16.9 moles of solubilization medium for each mole of herbicidal agent; and dry blending the herbicidal agent and the solubilization medium in powdered form without changing the physical state of the particles to retain the discrete particulate character of each of said first and second quantities of said particles, and in the absence of chemical reaction between said herbicidal agent and said solubilization medium to produce a relatively uniform dry mixture thereof, a sufficient quantity of the phosphate solubilization medium being provided in the dry blended mixture in relationship to the quantity of herbicidal agent combined therewith to cause the powdered dry blended mixture to substantially dissolve in water during preparation by the applicator of a herbicidal solution which contains an adequate proportion of the herbicidal agent to provide from about 0.1% to about 21/2% by weight of the active herbicidal agent in the herbicidal solution.

Claim 16

A method of preparing a dry, water-soluble, substituted phenoxy and/or benzoic acid herbicide powder composition consisting essentially of the steps of: providing a first quantity of dry, powder particles of a substantially solid herbicidal agent selected from the group consisting of herbicidally active phenoxy acids and substituted herbicidally active benzoic acids selected from the group consisting of (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (2,4-D), 4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)butanoic acid (2,4-DB), (+)-2-(4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)propanoic acid (MCPP), (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)acetic acid (MCPA), (+)-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)propanoic acid (dichlorprop), 3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (dicamba), and 3-amino-2,5-dichlorobenzoic acid (chloramben), which are not readily soluble in water; providing a second quantity of dry, solid powder particles selected from the group consisting of trisodium phosphate and tripotassium phosphate as a solubilization medium for the herbicidal agent, said first and second quantities of the herbicidal agent and the solubilization medium being the predominate constituents of the composition, there being at from 0.6 mole to 16.9 moles of solubilization medium for each mole of herbicidal agent; and dry blending the herbicidal agent and the solubilization medium in powdered form without changing the physical state of the particles to retain the discrete particulate character of each of said first and second quantities of said particles, and in the absence of chemical reaction between said herbicidal agent and said solubilization medium to produce a relatively uniform dry mixture thereof, a sufficient quantity of the phosphate solubilization medium being provided in the dry blended mixture in relationship to the quantity of herbicidal agent combined therewith to cause the powdered dry blended mixture to substantially dissolve in water during preparation by the applicator of a herbicidal solution which contains an adequate proportion of the herbicidal agent to provide from about 0.1% to about 21/2% by weight of the active herbicidal agent in the herbicidal solution.