Adjuvants

The importance of adjuvants in agriculture

Adjuvants are substances added to plant protection products or agrochemicals to increase the effectiveness of active substances, deliver them more efficiently to plants, improve the overall performance of the product, and extend its spectrum of effectiveness.

These additives modify the properties of the spray solution, which improves the active substance’s ability to act, penetrate or protect the target organism. Adjuvants can be incorporated into the formulation (built-in adjuvant) or added separately to the spray tank along with other agrochemical products (tank mix adjuvant).

The use of adjuvants has many benefits, including:

• increased efficiency of plant protection products,
• reducing the environmental impact of chemicals,
• cost reduction,
• improved safety, e.g. of food, thanks to lower residue levels.

What role do raw materials play in the production of adjuvants?

Adjuvant formulations are specialised preparations composed of precisely selected ingredients. The raw materials used in the production process play a key role in modifying the physicochemical properties of the working fluid, which directly translates into increased biological effectiveness of agrochemical products.

The most important functions performed by these substances include:

• emulsification – particularly in the agrochemical industry, the raw materials or active ingredients used differ in their affinity for the aqueous or oil phase. Their permanent combination is possible thanks to the use of an emulsifier in the formulation. Thanks to this, not only is a stable, homogeneous working liquid obtained, but its properties are also modified for optimal use,
• wetting – the wetting properties of adjuvants are influenced by the wetting agents present. Their task is to improve the coverage of the plant surface during spraying, commonly referred to as “wetting”. Wetting agents are added to agrochemicals to reduce the surface tension that occurs, for example, on the surface of leaves during spraying. This prevents the accumulation of plant protection products.
• dispersion – many active substances in agrochemicals often occur in the form of oily liquids or solid particles that are difficult to disperse evenly when added directly to water to form a stable suspension. This function is performed by dispersants. Thanks to their special molecular structure, they form a homogeneous emulsion, which translates into more effective coverage of crop surfaces.

Chemical raw materials for the production of adjuvants offered by the PCC Group

Surfactants play a fundamental role in the production of adjuvants. Thanks to their amphiphilic structure, they perform a number of key functions – they are responsible for emulsifying individual components, dispersing them evenly and modifying the rheology of finished preparations.

The PCC Group has a wide range of raw materials dedicated to the agrochemical industry in its portfolio.

Among the most important products in the range are non-ionic surfactants (ROKAnol, ROKAcet and ROKAmer series).  This is the largest group of raw materials, valued primarily for their stability and compatibility with other ingredients. They effectively reduce the surface tension of working liquids. They are ideal as emulsifiers, solubilisers and wetting agents.

Anionic surfactants, thanks to the negative charge present in the molecule, are effective, for example, in stabilising plant protection product suspensions. Representatives of this category are the SULFOROKAnol series and sulfosuccinates. The latter in particular are valuable ingredients in the agrochemical industry as wetting agents. In addition, their penetrating properties increase the rate of pesticide absorption by plants.

Products from the ROKAmina series, which are representatives of amphoteric surfactants, are also used as raw materials for the production of adjuvants. A major advantage of these compounds is their high compatibility with other ingredients in the formulation.

It is also worth noting the specialised additives for the production of adjuvants in the portfolio (mainly the EXO brand and selected products from the ROKAnol series). These are surfactants, which offer solutions that go beyond the standard functions of surface-active compounds.

PCC Group – a supplier of high-quality raw materials

The PCC Group’s portfolio includes a wide selection of chemical raw materials for the production of adjuvants dedicated to the agrochemical industry. The extensive product catalogue includes surfactants and specialised additives.

In the production of adjuvants for agrochemicals, great emphasis is placed on the use of raw materials that are safe for the environment. The PCC Group is committed to environmentally friendly solutions and has created the Greenline product line with environmental protection in mind.

In addition, selected raw materials in the range have the prestigious international ECOCERT label, which is the most important and recognised certificate of quality and environmental safety in Europe.