Process innovation and product innovation: the case study of Poltiglia Disperss

Abstract: Copper compounds are one of the older agrochemical products to control pest disease. In the years, different salts and industrial procedures to improve efficacy, efficiency and selectivity were set up. A better knowledge of Bordeaux mixture physical and chemical properties and particularly of cupric complexes, has led to significant improvements in term of both quality of technical product in UPL (ex Cerexagri SA) patent industrial processes of production. The concepts of soluble copper, aqueous copper and the methods to determine the release behavior of different copper salt are the key concepts to understand how to improve it. However, the improvement of the process was accompanied by the improvement of the product with the realization of an innovative spray dry formulation of water dispersible granule (WG) named Disperss® to guarantee high performance in term of micronized particles, water dispersion, suspension and absence of foam.