Yuki

**Ingredients of Agent orange**
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS 2-ethylhexyl ester of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid　　31.5 % 2-ethylhexyl ester of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid 　　　33.0 %

INERT INGREDIENTS　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　35.5 %


 * What is a 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid?**

it is a chemical that was being developed during late 1940th as a herbicide that defoliates plants. It has similar effect as plant hormone called auxin, which will lead to defoliate


 * What is a 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid?**

It is a herbicide that is still being used today. It triggers abnormal cell division with its auxin like effect that will lead to defoliate


 * Why will auxin like effect lead to defoliation?**

Auxins coordinate growth of plants in cellular to whole plant. When the concentration of Auxin is too high, it will restraint the growth of plants. So by using 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid that have similar effect as auxin, you can limit the growth of plant and trigger an abnormal growth to kill the plants.


 * What are Esters?**

Below is the extract from English Wikipedia,

**Esters** are [|chemical compounds] derived by reacting an [|oxoacid] (one containing an oxo group, X=O) with a [|hydroxyl] compound such as an [|alcohol] or [|phenol].[|[1]]Esters are usually derived from an [|inorganic acid] or [|organic acid] in which at least one -OH (hydroxyl) group is replaced by an -O-[|alkyl] ([|alkoxy]) group, and most commonly from [|carboxylic acids] and [|alcohols].

During the war time, **2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid** and **2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid,** which make the agent orange, had to be sprayed as a mist form from sky using air crafts and these chemicals that are used in agent orange must have been melted in some sort of solvent to be sprayed as mist. So USA chemical companies basically used the ester of 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and chemicals, which means they didn't spread **2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid** and **2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid** directly.

This is just one of the possible ingredient of Agent orange. The actual ingredient could be different because they never announce the actual composite of the Agent orange.