Super spreaders & wetters

Spreading and wetting agents help to maximize the performance of agricultural chemicals. They do this by reducing spray droplets’ tendency to bounce off of plant foliage, by increasing foaliar uptake of through natually occuring plant pathways and by spreading these products to greater leaf surfaces.

Trisiloxane surfactants are capable of reducing the surface tension of water to about 22 mN/m. Such a low surface tension allows the rapid coverage and penetration of cuticular waxes and generates a phenomenon known as stomatal flooding. This is the almost immediate entrance of the liquid into the naturally occurring openings in all plant surfaces. This rapid penetration translates into rainfastness since delivery of the pesticide into the plant has been insured and a
later rainfall cannot dislodge the residue.

When added to water at concentrations of about 0.1 %, only trisiloxane surfactants such as BREAK-THRU^® S 240 create a phenomenon known as “super spreading” i.e. the rapid coverage of hydrophobic surfaces e.g. leaves.

In contrast to water containing conventional surfactants, spray droplets of aqueous solutions of BREAK-THRU^® S 240 upon impact on the plant surface spread immediately; no droplets can be seen. Hence coverage of the target vector is rapid and complete. In addition, the low surface tension and rapid spreading allow the spray to reach locations that are usually not accessible to conventional surfactant applications.

For example, the addition of BREAK-THRU^® S 240 to the spray tank will insure the complete wetting of aphids. Spray coverage is so enhanced as compared to water alone that spray volumes can actually be reduced by up to 30 %. Significant economies can be achieved as less water is required per area thereby either reducing energy cost or extending the area treated by a single spray tank.

Our videos demonstrate the ability of trisiloxane superspreaders to wet plants and other hydrophobic surfaces.