Aqueous composition for rendering a substrate hydrophobic

Abstract

A substrate treatment method for imparting hydrophobicity to a substrate or for rendering the substrate hydrophobic. This method includes the step of treating an agricultural soil substrate by applying an aqueous solution that preferably includes a mixture of sodium and/or potassium methylsiliconate and sodium and/or potassium silicate. The method imparts hydrophobicity to the substrate and renders it hydrophobic.

1 . A method of treating an agricultural soil substrate which comprises applying a solution comprising an aqueous mixture of a C1 to C4 alkyl siliconate compound and a silicate compound, with the compounds being present at a molar ratio of silicate compound to siliconate compound of 0.5/1 to 10/1 and in amount effective to increase hydrophobicity of the soil after the aqueous mixture is applied thereto due to the formation of silicic acid or silica gel therein in order to reduce water evaporation from the treated soil.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the agricultural soil includes one or more of sand, gravel, tree bark, sawdust, compost, or earth.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the solution is applied directly upon the substrate by spraying or sprinkling of the solution thereon.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the solution is mixed with substrate forming components to form a pretreated mixture and the pretreated mixture is deposited to form the hydrophobic portion of the substrate.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the siliconate compound is present in the treated substrate in an amount of between about 2 and 60 Kg per hectare, and the silicate compound is present in the treated substrate in an amount of between about 2 and 150 Kg per hectare.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the siliconate compound is an alkali metal alkyl siliconate and the silicate compound is an alkali metal silicate.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the siliconate compound is a alkali metal methyl siliconate and the silicate compound is an sodium or potassium hydrosoluble silicate, with the silicate and siliconate compounds being present in a molar ratio of about 1:1 to 5:1.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the siliconate compound is a sodium or potassium methyl siliconate and the silicate compound is an sodium or potassium ortho or meta-silicate, with the silicate and siliconate compounds being present in a molar ratio of about 2:1 to 3:1.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the siliconate compound is present in an amount of about 0.1 and 1% by weight and the silicate compound is present in an amount of about 0.01 and 5% by weight.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the solution further comprises a coloring agent, an agrochemical principle or both.