the thickener composition which this invention relates comprises a mixture of esters of linear fatty acid esters with an alkoxylated polyol . suitable polyols for use in this invention contain at least three free hydroxyl groups , and among those that can be used are pentaerythritol , neopentyl glycol , trimethylolpropane , glycerol and its derivatives such as di - and triglycerol , as well as sugar derivatives such as mannitol , xylitol , sorbitol or mixtures thereof . for the suitable embodiment of the invention , the polyol must be alkoxylated with one or more of ethylene oxide ( eo ), propylene oxide ( po ) or butylene oxide ( bo ), which react with their hydroxyls leading to the formation of random block polymers or co - polymers , with at least 120 moles of oxide per mole of polyol . the alkoxylated polyol is esterified with one or more fatty acids containing from 8 to 22 carbon atoms , whose chains can be linear or branched , saturated or unsaturated . the esterification with the said fatty acids produces a mixture that might contain di -, tri -, tetra -, penta - and hexaesters of the alkoxylated polyol . esterified and alkoxylated polyols of similar structure may be obtained by well established procedures such as those described in u . s . patents nos . u . s . pat . no . 4 , 983 , 329 , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 464 , 874 and u . s . pat . no . 6 , 727 , 357 , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 454 , 874 and u . s . pat . no . 6 , 573 , 375 . in a preferred embodiment of this invention the polyol used is sorbitol , which is alkoxylated with eo until an ethoxylated polyol is obtained having , on average , more than 400 moles of eo for each mole of sorbitol . subsequently , the ethoxylated sorbitol is esterified with linear saturated fatty acids , alone or in the form of mixtures , with the most suitable being myristic acid , palmitic acid , oleic acid and preferably stearic acid . thus , one obtains a composition comprising a mixture of di -, tri -, tetra -, penta - and hexaesters of ethoxylated sorbitol , and pentaesters and tetraesters being in greater proportion to the total ester content based on the hydroxyl content and on the free acidity index of the composition , preferably amounting to more than 30 % by weight of total esters . such a composition is solid at room temperature and has a high thickening power in aqueous solutions and can be incorporated in various agrochemical formulations by simple dissolution in liquid formulations or , in the case of formulations of the type wg and wp , by simple mixing . both the handling and the incorporation of the thickener composition described herein in the various types of agrochemical formulations can be facilitated when the composition is in a liquid state . in this case , so that the composition still maintains a high thickening power and facility of incorporation in agrochemical formulations , it is recommended to add one or more surfactants , solvents and optionally , water , sine that with a dissolution only in glycols and water makes the incorporation difficult when made at ambient temperature , requiring heating . thus , in another preferred embodiment of this invention , the thickener composition is presented in liquid form and comprises from 35 to 60 % by weight of a mixture of esters of linear fatty acid esters with an alkoxylated polyol containing more than 120 moles eo in total for each mole of polyol , in addition to 25 to 40 % by weight of esters of polyethylene glycols , 1 to 5 % by weight of ethoxylated sorbitan esters , 0 . 5 to 2 . 0 % by weight of glycols and optionally up to 27 % water by weight . an example of the thickener composition in liquid form is shown in table 1 . such a composition can be conveniently used in the preparation of several agrochemical formulations , among which sl , ec , ew , sc , se , me , od , dc , cs , wg and wp . in a more preferred realization , the thickening composition comprises a mixture between : a . 35 to 60 % by weight of a mixture of di -, tri -, tetra -, penta - and hexaesters of the stearic acid with ethoxylated sorbitol evidencing more than 400 moles of eo for each mole of sorbitol and which minimum content of tetra - and pentaesters corresponds to 30 % of the total weight of esters ; b . 25 to 40 % by weight of surfactants selected from among the polyethylene glycol esters , ethoxylated sorbitan esters , or their mixtures ; c . 0 . 5 to 2 . 0 by weight of solvents of the class of the glycols ; the use of the thickening composition of this invention to increase the viscosity and provide greater stability and efficiency to agrochemical formulations has several advantages . for example , due to the chemical nature of the esterified alkoxylated polyols employed herein , the thickener composition of table 1 may be incorporated directly to agrochemical formulations , being easily mixed to homogeneity . the viscosity of the formulations increases sharply as the thickener composition is incorporated , allowing an easy achievement of the desired final value . on an industrial scale , this operation may be done in an open reactor fitted with a stirrer and operating at ambient temperature under gentle agitation . use of the thickener composition of this invention also eliminates the step of pre - dilution with water that is employed when utilizing xanthan gum , which is necessary for hydration of the gum and must be carried out in a second reactor , on average , 24 hours prior to incorporation thereof into a formulation . furthermore , the use of a thickener composition described herein to replace xanthan gum leads to the reduction or complete elimination of the need to add preservatives to agrochemical formulations , which reduces costs and improves toxicological classification of the formulations . this set of advantages creates savings in terms of time , of energy and of resources in the preparation of the formulations . another advantage of using the composition according to the invention in agrochemical formulations refers to the reduced evaporation of the droplets of the spray solution that contain ( s ) the ai ( s ) and to the increased retention time of those droplets onto the surface of the leaves , thereby minimizing product loss during application and increasing its efficiency . due to the chemical nature of the esterified alkoxylated polyols of linear fatty acids selected for use in this invention , the thickener composition in its solid or liquid form , is compatible with a wide variety of pesticides and may be incorporated in agrochemical formulations comprising one or more ai ( s ). based on the nomenclature commonly used ( the pesticide manual , tomlin , c . d . s . ( ed . ), 2006 , 14 th edition , british crop production council ), examples of pesticides with which the thickener composition of this invention shows compatibility include the following classes of herbicides : 4 -( aryloxyphenoxy ) alkanoic acid , 2 -( 4 - aryloxyphenoxy ) alkanoic acid , 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine , 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine - 2 , 4 - dione , 2 -( aryloxyphenoxy ) propionamide , 2 , 6 - dinitroaniline , 2 - chloroacetanilide , acetamide , anilide , aromatic acid , arylaminopropionic acid , ariylcarboxylic acid , arilyloxyphenoxy propionate , benzamide , benzenedicarboxylic acid , benzimidazole , benzofuran , benzoic acid , benzonitrile , benzothiadiazinone , bipiridilium , carbamate , chloroacetamide , cyclohexanedione , oxime , dinitroaniline , dinitrophenol , diphenyl ether derivative of glycine , halogenated alkanoic acid , hidroxybenzonitrile , imidazolinone , isaoxazole , isoxazolidinone , n - phenylphthalinide , organoarsenic , organochloride , organophosphorus , oxadiazole , oxyacetamide , phenoxycarboxylic acid , phenyl carbamate , phenylpyrazole , phenylpyridazine , phenylurea , phosphinic acid , phosphoramidate , phosphorodithioate , phthalamate , pyrazole , pyridazine , pyridazinone , pyridine , pyridinecarboxyamide , pyridine carboxylic acid , pyrimidindione , pyrimidine , pyrimidinyloxybenzoic acid , quinoline carboxylic acid , thiocarbamate , semicarbazone , sulfonylurea , thiadiazole , thiocarbamate , triazine , triazinone , triazole , triazolinone , triazolocarboxamide , triazolopyrimidine , triacetone , uracyl and urea . examples of classes of fungicides include : qil , strobilurine type , strobilurine analogue , triazole , phenylamide , benzimidazole , vanilamide carbamate , aromatic hydrocarbon , pyridynecarboxtamide , aminopyrimidinol , phthalimide oxatincarboxamide , cyclopropanocarboxamide , chlorophenylnitroaniline , chloronitrile , phenylacetamide , cyanoacetamide oxime anilinopyrimidine , alkylenebis ( dithiocarbamate ), sulfamide , carboxyamide , pyridazinone , n - phenyl carbamate , pyrimidinamine , cinnamic acid amide , quinone , morpholine , guanidine , phosphorothiolate , thiazolcarboxyamide , pyrimidine , furancarboxyamide hidroxyanilide , propionamide , piperidine , organotin , dimethyldithiocarbamate , 2 , 6 - dinitroaniline , phenylpirrole , benzamide , pyridinylethylbenzamide , benzenesulfonamide , phenylbenzamide , phosphonate , pyrazolecarboxyamide , guanidine , imidazole , dicarboxiamide , mandelamide , benzophenone , butyrolactone , phenylurea , isobenzofuranone , piperidine , polyoxine , carbamate , quinazolinone , pyrroloquinolinone , quinoline , thiophencarboxamide , spiroquetalamina , thiadiazolcarboxyamide , benzotriazine , triazolobenzothiazole , piperazine , glucopyranosyl , 3 ′, 4 ′- dicloroanilide , organomercury , triazine , urea , enupiranuronic acid , anilide , aminopyrimidinole , organophosphate , diazosulphonate , organoarsenic and pyridine . the thickener composition is also compatible with different classes of pesticides , including organophosphate , neonicotinoid , oxime carbamate , pyrethroids , carbamate , nereistoxin analog , cyclodiene organochloride , benzoilurea , avermectin , phenylpyrazole , juvenile hormone mimic , diacilhydrazine , oxadiazine , selective blocker of food , fumigant , dimethylcarbamate , phenoxydicarboxylic acid precursor , organophosphorus , carbamoyloxime and urea as well as various acaricides such as those belonging to the classes organotin , benzilate , termite growth inhibitors , meti , pyrethroid organochloride , benzimidazole and organophosphate . it is important to mention that the thickener composition of this invention , either in solid or liquid form , is also compatible with carriers , adjuvants and additives commonly used in agrochemical formulations . among the additives with which the composition of this invention is compatible are other thickeners that may be organic or inorganic , such as other polymers or minerals , among which natural clays or modified clays . this compatibility allows the thickener composition of this invention to be used without restrictions relatively to the type of agrochemical formulation and its components . in general , the thickener composition of this invention may be used in amounts ranging from 0 . 05 to 8 . 0 % by weight relative to the total for a given formulation , preferably between 0 . 5 and 4 . 0 %. the exact amount of the thickener composition to be incorporated in each formulation depends on its type , its components , its process of preparation and final viscosity that is desired to achieve . for example , an agrochemical formulation of the type of suspension concentrate in water is usually prepared by dispersing and grinding to reduce the particle size of the ai ( s ) used , which are generally solids insoluble in water at room temperature and may further comprise one or more : ( i ) humectants or surfactants , to allow the ai ( s ) to be wetted by water , ( ii ) dispersants for adsorbing the particles of the ai ( s ) to prevent their flocculation ; ( iii ) antifreeze components , to avoid freezing the agrochemical formulation when subjected to low temperatures , ( iv ) anti - foaming agents to prevent foam formation in the grinding process , and ( v ) rheological additives to increase the viscosity of formulation and to avoid sedimentation of the particles . the thickener composition of the present invention proved to be very suitable to act as a rheological additive , and is also compatible with the other ingredients of the formulation . an example of an agrochemical formulation comprising the thickener composition of this invention is shown in table 2 . the thickening composition used in this embodiment is detailed in table 3 . this formulation showed high stability and desirable rheological properties for a concentrated suspension in water , no sedimentation was observed or no change in particle size after a period of ai shelf life simulation tests . the thickening power of the thickener composition of this invention can be easily verified by measurements of viscosity and other rheological properties . for example , using as a basis the formulation in table 2 , samples were prepared with different amounts of the thickener composition of table 1 whose viscosities ( i ) were measured on a brookfield viscometer at 20 ° c . the results are shown in the graph of fig1 , which shows the variation of viscosity , expressed in cp , depending on the amount of thickener composition in samples of the formulation , expressed in percentage (%). there is noticed a rapid increase in viscosity after addition of 0 . 5 % of the thickener composition , and the sample containing 2 . 0 % of the composition had viscosity of 4800 cp . the increase of viscosity obtained meets performance requirements demanded by the market , and the thickener composition of this invention is well accepted .
the present invention describes a novel thickening composition that comprises a mixture of esters of an alkoxylated polyol and is used to enhance the viscosity of agrochemical formulations . the composition according to the present invention may present itself in solid for or in liquid form , in this latter case further comprising one or more surfactants , solvents , and optionally water . the thickening composition described in this invention is compatible with a large variety of pesticides and inert components used in agrochemical formulations , and it has evidence that it is capable of improving the stability and the effectiveness of the said formulations .