Advanced wetting technology

Advanced Wetting Technologies Pty Ltd was established in March 2018 to further develop and patent multi-phase wetting formulations, the technology of which was initially developed and patented worldwide by RJRoberts Consulting Pty Ltd.

The technology of the multi-phase wetting formulations is based on entirely new and innovative wetting physics, thus they do not behave like any amphiphilic surfactant. 

This is further detailed in the section MULTI-PHASE WETTING TECHNOLOGY.

The existing surfactant industry is worth over US$60 billion per annum. AWT technology has the potential to disrupt most if not all of this market.

AWT formulations are completely free of any fluoro chemical including those that produce PFAS. The attached peer reviewed paper shows how widespread the use of PFAS is and where the major uses are [reference - "Uses of PFAS "].

It has been successfully used to replace fluoro surfactants in firefighting foams for Class B liquid fuels. The firefighting foams produced with AWT formulations meet the UK DEF STAN 42-40/2 without the use of any fluoro surfactant and hence there are no PFAS and PFOA breakdown products. This is further detailed in the section FIREFIGHTING.

It has been trialed successfully in broad area agriculture and is currently the subject of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) approval process which is expected in the first quarter of 2025. It has been proven to be far more effective than existing agricultural adjuvants specifically in terms of lower adjuvant and active usage. 

Because of the physics of the formulations, very little untargeted droplet spray drift occurs resulting from a much tighter droplet size distribution without the need for any drift reduction agents or any droplet coating formulations. 

It has also been proven to be more effective on glyphosate resistant weeds. This is further detailed in the section AGRICULTURE.

Full details including current applications, laboratory and third party testing reports, and the physics behind the technology will be added shortly. 

 However briefly: 

• It is not limited by micelle formation as are all existing amphiphilic surfactants; as a result, it can be used at varying dose rates from 0.025% up to 2% resulting in different rates of wetting. This dose effect is unique.
• There is no change in surface tension from the bulk of the liquid to the liquid/air interphase thus no Marangoni effect is created. This means that micro-particles do not shear from the edge of the droplet causing spray drift. 
• Unlike any existing surfactant the surface tension of the wetting liquid stays  constant throughout the wetting process. 
• Suppresses foams in all adjuvant applications
• Can be used in both aqueous and non-aqueous solvents
• Covered by granted and pending patents worldwide [reference "Patent Schedule - Ray Roberts - November 2024"