Bordeaux Mixture 20% WP 20% Cu as metal · WP · CAS 8011-63-0
The oldest fungicide in agriculture, finally in a bag you can just open — the chemistry unchanged since the 1880s, the dangerous part of using it removed.
Chelora Chemicals is a Bordeaux mixture 20% WP supplier and sourcing partner serving registrants, distributors and repackers across the United States, with the copper basis, lime ratio and suspensibility agreed before dispatch.
- CAS Number
- 8011-63-0
- Formulation type
- Wettable powder — WP
- Copper as Cu
- 20% w/w
- Composition
- Copper sulfate + hydrated lime
- Copper sulfate basis
- ≈ 79% pentahydrate equivalent
- FRAC group
- M1 — multi-site contact
- Appearance
- Blue to blue-green powder
- Transport
- UN 3077 · Class 9 · PG III
- HS Code
- 3808 92
Note: read the 20% as copper expressed as metal, the convention across the copper fungicide category and on FAO specifications and US labels. Check it yourself: copper sulfate pentahydrate is 25.45% copper, so 20% copper as metal needs roughly 79% copper sulfate pentahydrate plus about 18% lime. CAS 8011-63-0 is a mixture CAS, not a compound — it tells you nothing about strength, so the basis and ratio are agreed in writing.
From field mix to factory formulation
The chemistry is the same reaction growers have run in a tank for 140 years. The formulation moves it off the farm.
Why it matters: a 20% copper blend necessarily carries less lime than a traditional 1:1 field mix — closer to the roughly 0.225 kg of lime per kg of copper sulfate needed to precipitate all the copper
Why a formulated Bordeaux exists
Bordeaux mixture 20% WP is copper sulfate and hydrated lime, pre-reacted and milled into a wettable powder at 20% copper expressed as metal. The chemistry is the one discovered in the Bordeaux vineyards in the 1880s: the lime raises the pH and holds the copper in a sparingly soluble deposit that releases slowly, which is what makes Bordeaux more rainfast than any fixed copper.
What the formulation changes is the handling. Traditional Bordeaux means preparing concentrated copper sulfate stock solution and lime separately, in the right order, on the farm — and extension guidance warns that getting the order wrong leaves the water alkaline and the copper undissolved. A WP removes that step entirely. What it does not change is the tank rule: once mixed, Bordeaux starts losing effectiveness immediately and must be used the same day.
What the specification controls
- Copper as Cu, 20% w/w. The declared active content — roughly 79% copper sulfate pentahydrate equivalent.
- Copper sulfate to lime ratio. Not fixed by the CAS number; a 20% copper blend runs leaner on lime than a 1:1 field mix.
- Suspensibility and wettability. Bordeaux settles hard, so tank behavior matters more here than on most WPs.
- The granule form, if dust is your concern: Bordeaux 20% WDG.
Handling character
Bordeaux is a Class 9 dangerous good, corrosive to equipment and phytotoxic on new growth. Full detail is in the Safety section below.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Blue to blue-green powder |
| Copper as Cu | 20% w/w ± tolerance |
| Copper sulfate to lime ratio | Per agreed specification |
| Suspensibility | Per agreed specification |
| Wet sieve residue | Per agreed specification |
| Wettability & moisture | Per agreed specification |
Important: the figures above are indicative of commercial material and are offered for planning only. The batch certificate of analysis is the governing document.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Blue to blue-green powder |
| Nature | Mixture, not a single compound |
| Mode of action | Multi-site contact; FRAC M1 |
| Tank stability | Use the same day once mixed |
| Rainfastness | Longer lasting than fixed coppers |
| Phytotoxicity | Higher than fixed coppers |
| Equipment | Highly corrosive; rinse thoroughly |
Characteristics compiled from public agricultural extension guidance on Bordeaux mixture. Because the product is a mixture rather than a single compound, its behavior depends on the copper sulfate to lime ratio. Treat the table as orientation, not as a specification.
Where the 20% WP is specified
Dormant-season programs, wet-weather persistence and organic systems.
Dormant-season disease control
Peach leaf curl, shot hole on stone fruit, bacterial blast and Phytophthora brown rot on citrus, fire blight and walnut blight in spring.
- FRAC M1 multi-site
- Dormant timing is standard
- Label claims are registrant-specific
Wet-weather persistence
The lime-bound deposit releases copper slowly, which is why Bordeaux outlasts the fixed coppers in rain.
- Rainfastness is the main advantage
- Ratio agreed in writing
- Same-day use once mixed
Resistance management & organic programs
FRAC M1 multi-site activity, on a copper sulfate basis accepted in many organic programs.
- Organic status sits with the registrant
- Read the crop protection guide
- Certifier approval is yours to obtain
Distributor & retail packing
Packed into retail units to your approved label artwork where you hold the product registration.
- Artwork to your registrant label
- Cartoned retail packs
- UN 3077 marking throughout
Registrant & repacker supply
Bulk supply to registrants and repackers carrying a Bordeaux line alongside fixed coppers.
- 25 kg bags and bulk bags
- Ratio held across the contract
- Second source held in reserve
Import & FIFRA coordination
A pesticide import needs a Notice of Arrival on EPA Form 3540-1, and US sale or use needs an EPA-registered product.
- NOA coordination with your broker
- UN 3077 documentation prepared
- Registration remains yours
Delivered to US plants and ports
We ship Bordeaux mixture 20% WP to nominated delivery points across the United States. The regions below are destinations we serve — Chelora Chemicals is a sourcing and supply partner, not a US manufacturer, and does not hold US stock.
Gulf Coast
The largest US chemical cluster, and the usual entry point for bulk consignments.
- Houston & Galveston, TX
- New Orleans & Baton Rouge, LA
- Mobile, AL
Northeast
Container and bulk delivery into the mid-Atlantic and New England manufacturing belt.
- Newark & Elizabeth, NJ
- Philadelphia, PA
- Boston, MA
Southeast
Port-side delivery for the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida processing plants.
- Savannah, GA
- Charleston, SC
- Jacksonville, FL & Norfolk, VA
Midwest & Great Lakes
Inland rail and truck forwarding from the nearest coastal port to the industrial Midwest.
- Chicago, IL
- Detroit, MI
- Cleveland & Columbus, OH
West Coast
Pacific routing for West Coast processors and formulators.
- Los Angeles & Long Beach, CA
- Oakland, CA
- Seattle & Tacoma, WA
Southwest & Mountain
Inland delivery to interior states, forwarded from the Gulf or Pacific gateway.
- Dallas–Fort Worth, TX
- Phoenix, AZ
- Denver, CO
Importing into the United States
Bordeaux mixture 20% WP is a TSCA-regulated chemical substance. Under TSCA section 13 the importer of record, or its authorized agent, must certify to US Customs and Border Protection that each shipment either complies with TSCA or is not subject to it. We confirm the substance's TSCA Inventory status and agree in writing who files that certification before the first consignment moves.
Which party carries that duty follows the Incoterm. On FOB, CFR or CIF terms it is usually the US buyer; on DDP terms it can be the seller or its agent. Safety data sheets and labels are supplied to OSHA's updated Hazard Communication Standard, and the UN 3077 Class 9 transport documentation is prepared before booking.
| Item | How it works |
|---|---|
| Delivery points | Any nominated US plant, terminal or port of discharge |
| Incoterms quoted | FOB · CFR · CIF · DDP |
| Importer of record | Agreed in writing before the first shipment |
| TSCA certification | Section 13 positive certification filed at entry |
| Documentation | Batch COA, SDS, packing list, certificate of origin |
| Pack formats | 25 kg bags or retail packs |
Note: regional coverage describes where we deliver, not where we hold inventory. Lead time depends on producer scheduling and ocean transit to your nominated US port — we confirm both in the quotation.
How we supply Bordeaux mixture 20% WP
Chelora Chemicals is a Bordeaux mixture supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. The thing to settle before quoting is the copper basis and the lime ratio, because CAS 8011-63-0 describes a mixture and says nothing about either.
We place your order with whichever qualified formulator best matches your specification, your price point and your delivery window, and settle the FIFRA and import position before booking.
We will also tell you when a fixed copper is the better product. If you are spraying into new growth, Bordeaux is the wrong tool — it is more phytotoxic than copper hydroxide or copper oxychloride, and that is a crop-damage risk rather than a preference.
- Copper basis stated as metal, with the compound arithmetic shown. 20% copper as Cu is roughly 79% copper sulfate pentahydrate — you should be able to check any quote yourself.
- Lime ratio agreed in writing. A 20% copper blend runs leaner on lime than a traditional 1:1 field mix, and lime is what buffers the phytotoxicity.
- Suspensibility specified. Bordeaux settles harder than most coppers, so tank behavior is a real specification rather than a formality.
- Equipment corrosion flagged up front. Extension guidance recommends rinsing spray equipment at least three times with a little vinegar in the rinse water.
- Same-day use made explicit. A formulated product fixes the preparation hazard, not the tank life.
- FIFRA position settled honestly. A pesticide product must itself be EPA-registered for US sale or use. We coordinate; we do not register.
Bagged or in retail packs
25 kg bags, bulk bags or retail packs — all to UN 3077 marking and labeling requirements.
25 kg poly-lined bags
Moisture-barrier bags on stretch-wrapped pallets, UN-marked, the standard commercial unit.
1 kg · 5 kg sealed packs
Small sealed packs in cartons to your approved label artwork where you hold the registration.
500–1,000 kg bulk bags
Liner-fitted bulk bags for repacking operations and large-scale distribution.
Fiber drums
Sealed fiber drums where extra moisture protection or extended storage is needed.
Incoterms to suit you
Quoted on the Incoterm your purchasing team works to, with dangerous goods documentation filed before booking.
Trial / sample quantities
Small packs dispatched for suspension and crop safety trials before a commercial order.
Class 9, corrosive and phytotoxic — all three matter
Bordeaux carries three separate cautions that the fixed coppers do not all share: it is very toxic to aquatic life, which drives the Class 9 transport classification; it is highly corrosive to spray equipment; and it is more phytotoxic than the fixed coppers. The summary below is orientation only — the safety data sheet supplied with your specific batch is the authoritative document.
Classified hazards
H302Harmful if swallowed.H315Causes skin irritation.H318Causes serious eye damage.H410Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Three practical cautions from agricultural extension guidance. Phytotoxicity: applying Bordeaux to newly growing leaves can injure new growth, which is why it is principally a dormant-season material. Equipment corrosion: it is highly corrosive, and guidance is to rinse spray equipment at least three times with a little vinegar added to neutralize the high-pH residue. Same-day use: once mixed it begins losing effectiveness immediately, and no product form changes that. Dry ingredients also need a tank with mechanical agitation. On US registration the ordinary FIFRA rule applies — the product must itself be EPA-registered for sale or use here, that registration sits with the registrant and never with a supplier, and imports require a Notice of Arrival, EPA Form 3540-1, filed with Customs.
Storage
Store in sealed, moisture-barrier packaging in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from food, seed and feedstuffs. Keep dry: the blend cakes if it takes up moisture, and the lime fraction carbonates on exposure to air, which changes the material over time. Bunded or contained storage is advised because of the aquatic hazard.
Handling
Handle with dust control, impervious gloves and tight-fitting eye protection; the material causes serious eye damage and is harmful if swallowed. Prevent any release to drains or watercourses. Follow the exposure controls set out in the batch SDS.
Transport
Bordeaux mixture is classified as dangerous goods for transport on the basis of aquatic toxicity, normally shipped as UN 3077, Environmentally hazardous substance, solid, n.o.s., Class 9, Packing Group III. Marked and labeled packaging, a dangerous goods declaration and compliant documentation are required. We confirm and document the classification for your specific grade, packaging and destination before booking.
Every batch, documented
We verify documentation before dispatch so there are no surprises at your incoming-goods bench.
Specification agreed
Copper basis, copper sulfate to lime ratio, shade where specified, and formulation parameters confirmed before order placement.
Producer batch testing
The producing plant tests each batch against the agreed specification before release.
Documentation review
COA, SDS, FIFRA position and UN 3077 dangerous goods paperwork checked by our desk before the shipment is booked.
Traceable dispatch
Each shipment is traceable to its producing batch, with full chain-of-custody records on request.
How a Bordeaux WP is built
A Bordeaux wettable powder pre-runs the reaction that growers traditionally ran in a tank. Copper sulfate and hydrated lime are combined under control, milled to a specified particle size and blended with a wetting agent and dispersant so the product disperses on tank fill rather than needing two stock solutions.
The lime ratio is where a formulated Bordeaux differs from the field recipe, and the arithmetic forces it. Copper sulfate pentahydrate is 25.45% copper, so 20% copper as metal needs roughly 79% copper sulfate — leaving about 18% for lime and a few percent for carrier. A traditional 1:1 field mix carries far more lime than that. Published guidance notes only about 0.225 kg of lime per kg of copper sulfate is needed to precipitate all the copper, so a leaner blend is chemically sound — but lime also buffers phytotoxicity, which is why the ratio is worth confirming rather than assuming.
What formulation cannot fix is the tank life. Once Bordeaux is mixed with water it begins losing effectiveness, and the standing guidance is to use it the same day. That is a property of the chemistry, not of the product form.
We do not publish operating process parameters here; this is background only. Full technical documentation accompanies every shipment, and any process-specific detail you need is best confirmed directly with our technical desk.
| Formulation type | Wettable powder — WP |
|---|---|
| Declared basis | Copper expressed as metal |
| Compound equivalent | ≈ 79% copper sulfate pentahydrate |
| What the WP fixes | The on-farm preparation hazard |
| What it does not fix | Same-day tank life |
| Mode of action | Multi-site contact — FRAC M1 |
The Bordeaux range and the fixed coppers
The other Bordeaux grades and the copper chemistries supplied from the same desk.
Bordeaux mixture 20% WP, answered
What does the 20% in Bordeaux mixture 20% WP mean?
Why buy a formulated WP instead of mixing Bordeaux on the farm?
Does a 20% WP carry less lime than traditional Bordeaux?
How long does mixed Bordeaux keep in the tank?
How does Bordeaux compare with fixed coppers?
When should Bordeaux not be used?
Is it corrosive to spray equipment?
Is it dangerous goods to ship?
Can I sell or apply this in the United States?
Do you supply Bordeaux mixture 20% WP in the United States?
Get a quote on Bordeaux mixture 20% WP
Send us your required copper basis, copper sulfate to lime ratio, suspensibility specification, pack format and US delivery point. If you are spraying into new growth we will say so and quote a fixed copper instead.