Introduction to Suspension Concentrate

Surfactant Agro Industri

June 2021
What are Pesticide Formulations?

• A pesticide formulation is a homogeneous and stable

mixture of chemicals which effectively controls a
pest.
• Purpose of doing pesticide formulations:
✓ to improve efficacy and effectiveness
✓ to improve storage stability
✓ for easier manufacturing process
✓ for better and easier handling
✓ to improve safety for human, animals,
environment

2
What things to be considered in doing
pesticide formulation
1. Safety (to human (farmers, workers), animals, air pollution/environment,
working environment)
2. Market trend
3. Crop seasons
4. Pest outbreaks
5. New active (patent)
6. Number of active (single, combo, or triple)
7. Pesticide formulation type (EC, SL, WP, etc)
8. Active solubility (in water, solvent, or other)
9. Processing equipment

3
Common Formulation Types

Dry -Sprayable
WP : Wettable powders
WG (or WDG) : Water dispersible granule

Liquid Sprayable
SL : Soluble Concentrate
SC: Suspension Concentrate
EC: Emulsifiable Concentrate
ME: Microemulsion
OD: Oil Dispersion
Dry –Spreadable
GR: Granule
DP : Dustable Powder

4
Formulation Type Based on Product Dilution
in Water (Application)
1. Soluble
Form a true, transparent solution
Example : Soluble Concentrate (SL), Soluble Powder (SP), Water Soluble Granule
(WSG)
2. Emulsion
Form a white milky emulsion or translucent, reversible emulsion
Example : Emulsifiable Concentrate (EC), Emulsion in Water (EW), Microemulsion
(ME)
3. Suspension
Form a milky suspension, but easy to form sediment after dilution
Example: Wettable Powder (WP), Suspension Concentrate (SC), Water Dispersible
Granule (WDG)

5
Formulation Technology Trend

More environmental/user
friendly formulation

EW
EC
Towards formulation with less
ME solvent

SC

WP
WP/soluble Towards formulation
pack generating no dust

WDG

6
CIPAC Standard Water

• Is a water with a certain hardness for testing stability

of emulsion, solution, dispersion.

Standard Hardness pH Ca2+ Solution Mg2+ Solution

Water ( ppm) ( ml ) (ml )
A 20 5.0 - 6.0 2.5 2.5
B 20 8.0 - 9.0 4.0 1.0
C 500 7.0 - 8.0 100.0 25.0
D 342 6.0 - 7.0 68.5 17.0

7
Definition

8
SC Composition

9
SC Stability

10
 SC Processing

Thickening
agent

Premixing Colloidal mill Coarse mill Intermediate tank Fine mill Final mixing
• Active + • To • To lower • To prepare • Target until • Adding
wetting, homogenize particle size for next 5 micron thickener
dispersing particle size to medium milling • Adding
agent • Jacketed size • Beads 50% biocide
• Jacketed vessel • Jacketed volume • Adding
vessel • T : 250C vessel • 0.8-1.2 mm antifreeze
• T : 250C • T : 250C • (preferable
zirconium)

Packing line Storage/holding tank

11
SC Analysis (FAO)

Parameter Method Remark

Appearance Visual Color
Sedimentation Visual Redispersibility
Spontaneity CIPAC MT 160 Visual evaluation
Active content *depend of active (mostly HPLC)
Density (20 °C) CIPAC MT 3.2
pH (1%) CIPAC MT 75.2 Using deionized water
Wet sieve residue CIPAC MT 185 Gravimetric
Persistent foam CIPAC MT 47.1
Gravimetric. Active
Suspensibility CIPAC MT 161 suspensibility is much
better
Viscosity CIPAC MT 22
Particle size distribution CIPAC MT 187 Laser diffraction
RT, cold storage (5-8 °C)
Storage stability test for 7 days, 54 °C for 14
days

12
Formulation Example

13
Product List – SOLVAY SOLUTION

14
Wetting Agent

15
Specific Wetting/dispersing Agent

16
Rheology Modifier - Rhodopol

✓ High grade xanthan gum for pesticide formulation

(SC, SL, gel)
✓ High pH stability
✓ Give stable viscosity
✓ Widely used in fipronil SC, ethepon PA, mesotrione
atrazine SC, etc
✓ Series (sold exclusively by Azelis global):
Rhodopol 23
Rhodopol G

17
Antifoam- Gensil 2030

• Blend of silicone base antifoam (25-30%)

• Industrial grade
• Commonly used for SC formulation

18
Other- Lab Equipment for SC analysis

1. Lab scale SC reactor (capacity 2L )

2. Lab scale milling
3. Active analysis (mostly HPLC)
4. Physical properties test:
- Viscometer
- Densitometer
- pH meter
- Wet sieve test (sieving 45 micron)
- Particle size analyzer
- Oven stability

19