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Wettable powder (WP)

A  wettable powder (WP) is a powder formulation that forms a suspension when mixed with water prior to spraying. WP formulations consist of one or more active ingredients which are blended and mixed with inerts, diluents and surfactants. Wetting agents are used to facilitate the suspension of the particles in water.  A dispersing agent is added to prevent any flocculation of the suspension before it is applied.

 

WP formulation diagramBenefits
  • Uniform distribution of active ingredients
  • Exceptional residual control
  • High loading of active ingredient is possible
  • No storage sedimentation issues (due to being a powder)
  • Reduced dermal hazards
Limitations
  • High levels of dust can cause operator safety concerns during manufacture and application
  • Difficult to mix in the spray tank
 
Microbial WP formulations

WP formulations are a suitable delivery system for microbial biopesticides. A water-free system ensures the storage environment for microbial actives remains inert, while the combination of dispersant and wetting agents ensures effective dilution before application.

Croda has developed Atlox™ BS-50, a ready-to-use wettable powder delivery system for formulating microbes as WP formulations. A powdered standalone product containing and optimised combination of dispersants, wetting agents and filler, Atlox BS-50 is designed to improve a microbial biopesticides wettability and dispersability without compromise in viability. Using Atlox BS-50 to formulate a microbial WP simply requires the user to mix Atlox BS-50 with a powdered microbe, and this ease of use offers a reduction in microbial WP formulation development time.

Features and benefits of Atlox BS-50
  • A complete delivery system for microbial WP formulations
  • Shorter formulation development time - easy to formulate
  • Optimised composition to deliver best performance
  • Fast wetting upon dilution in water for better application, even with microorganisms with high hydrophobicity
  • Good suspensibility upon dilution
  • Maintains viability of spores with common microorganisms 
  • Suitable for seed application

The Formulator's Toolbox (Full Version)

The Formulator's Toolbox
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Products recommended for WP

Once the powder has been diluted in water and is ready for spraying (with the aid of the wetting agent), a dispersant is required to maintain the particles in suspension and prevent them from agglomerating.

Atlox Metasperse 550S

Atlox Metasperse™ 550S

A modified styrene acrylic polymeric aqueous dispersant in powder form. Particularly suited for highly loaded solid formulations such as WP or WDG, ideally combined with Multiwet MO-85P.
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Atlox Metasperse 650S

Atlox Metasperse™ 650S

A highly effective solid aqueous dispersant that performs consistently across many active ingredients. Primarily designed for use in water dispersible granules (WDG).
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Other application areas

Example formulations

Formulation finder

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