Controlled release of the herbicide norflurazon into water from ethylcellulose formulations

The herbicide norflurazon was encapsulated in ethylcellulose (EC(40)) microspheres by the solvent evaporation technique to obtain controlled release formulations. The kinetics of release of the active ingredient into the aqueous solution from different preparations was determined. It was found that the percentage release of the incorporated herbicide was a function of the composition and formation conditions of the formulations (amount of emulsifying agent, EC(40)/herbicide ratio, stirring speed, and percentage of pore-forming agent). The percentage of the herbicide release was related to the properties of the different microspheres obtained, such as particle size distribution, herbicide loading, or surface morphology. The release percentage depended inversely on the particle size of the microspheres and directly on the content of active ingredient and emulsifying and pore-forming agents. An empirical equation was used to fit the herbicide release data, indicating that the release of norflurazon from the various formulations is controlled by a diffusion mechanism. The time taken for 50% of the active ingredient to be released into water (T(50)) was calculated, showing a wide variation among the different preparations (0.95-16.4 days).