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CROP PROTECTION CO-FORMULANTS
Formulating Multi-Active Water-Dispersible Granules (WGs)
Multi-active water-dispersible granules (WGs) are widely used in crop protection. Resistance management and the need to combine active ingredients with different modes of action have driven their adoption. Alongside wettable powders (WPs), WGs remain an important platform for solid crop protection formulations. Achieving high-performing multi-active formulations requires careful process optimisation and precise co-formulant selection.
Key challenges
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Combining active ingredients with substantially different physical and chemical properties
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Maintaining granule integrity across complex active ingredient combinations
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Maintaining granule strength during storage and handling
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Ensuring rapid and complete dispersion in the spray tank
Meeting the challenges of multi-active WG formulations
A successful WG formulation must balance granule integrity during processing and storage with rapid disintegration and dispersion in the spray tank. Developing advanced multi-active WG formulations therefore requires careful selection of dispersants and co-formulants tailored to both the active ingredients and the manufacturing process.
Recognised as an industry-standard dispersant for WG formulations, Ufoxane® 3A supports the development of stable, high-performing granules with reliable processability, strong suspensibility and consistent dispersion across challenging active ingredient combinations.
Processing & granulation
Improve extrusion performance, granule formation and manufacturing robustness across demanding multi-active WG formulations.
Final product performance
Support stable, high-performing WG formulations with reliable storage stability, dispersibility and spray-tank behaviour.
Complex Formulation Compatibility
Enable stable performance across challenging active ingredient combinations and complex multi-active WG systems.
Proven performance in WG formulations
Ufoxane 3A is one of the most versatile, high-quality dispersants used in the production of spray-dried and extruded agrochemical formulations. It has become an industry standard because of its robustness in handling challenging active ingredients, both as a standalone dispersant and in synergistic co-formulant blends. Ufoxane 3A provides formulation tolerance to chemical and physical stress.
Improving Robustness and extrusion capacity
Multi-active WG formulations can create challenges during extrusion and granulation due to differences in active ingredient properties. Ufoxane 3A improves process robustness and formulation tolerance, supporting stable manufacturing performance across demanding WG systems. It provides excellent granule integrity (attrition resistance).
Performance highlights
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Higher extrusion rates than Naphthalene Sulphonate Formaldehyde Condensate (NSC)
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Broader paste-water tolerance
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Excellent extrudability
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Suitable for spray-dried and extruded WG formulations
Figure 1: Processability / Extrusion rate
Figure 2: Stored granules (54°C, 14 days)
From nature to know-how
Trends towards more sustainable crop protection
Traditional chemical methods for protecting crops have a significant environmental impact. sustainable solutions are becoming more popular.
The anatomy of a successful granule
A successful granule should be strong enough to allow handling and transportation but weak enough to disperse easily when preparing the spray-solution.
Sustainable agriculture
Borregaard is a leading supplier of sustainable solutions to the agricultural industry. our products are based on microfibrillar cellulose, vanillin and lignin.
Frequently asked questions
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Why is dispersant selection so critical when formulating multi-active WG granules?
Multi-active WG formulations combine active ingredients with very different physicalchemical characteristics. A successful granule must bind those particles in a stable matrix, survive storage and handling, yet disperse rapidly in the tank-mix. A poorly chosen dispersant can result in granules that are too brittle, too hard to break down, or unstable in diverse water conditions, any of which can cause spray failure and reduced efficacy in the field.
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What makes Ufoxane 3A an industry standard?
Its robustness. Borregaard’s dispersant handles challenging active materials, alone or in synergistic blends, and maintains performance under both chemical and physical stress. This tolerance to difficult-to-formulate molecules, combined with its versatility across spray-dried and extruded formats, is what has established it as a benchmark dispersant in agrochemical formulation.
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Can Borregaard’s dispersants be combined to handle particularly difficult active combinations?
Yes. Borregaard's dispersants are designed to work in synergistic blends, giving formulators the flexibility to fine-tune performance for specific active combinations or process conditions. The technical team can support formulators in identifying the optimal combination, whether the challenge involves difficult wetting, electrolyte sensitivity or demanding milling requirements.
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How can I request a product sample?
You can contact us here.