Specified non-ionic surface active agents containing alkylene oxides for use in dispersing insoluble powders in water (see Group III) are (1) an ester produced by reacting 5 mols. of tall oil with the condensation product of 1 mol. of sorbitol and 40 mols. of ethylene oxide; (2) a tall-oil mono-ester of the reaction product of 1 mol. of sorbitol and 16 mols. of ethylene oxide; (3) a product obtained by reacting 1 mol. of sorbitol mono-oleate with 20 mols. of ethylene oxide; (4) an adduct produced by melting together 1 part of polyethylene sorbitol monooleate and 3 parts of urea and cooling with stirring; (5) an ester prepared by condensing 30 mols. of ethylene oxide with 1 mol. of sorbitol and esterifying with 4 mols. of an equimolar mixture of oleic and lauric acids. It is stated that products in the form of liquids or pastes may be brought into a pulverizable state by forming urea adducts by simple mixture or by heating a mixture of the components in alcohol for several hours and distilling off the alcohol, as well as by the method of (4) above.ALSO:Finely divided water-insoluble materials may be rendered more dispersible in water by mixing therewith (a) alkylene oxide-containing non-ionic surface active compounds and (b) water-insoluble carboxylic acids or water-insoluble salts of said acids. Compounds of type (a) should be water-soluble or dispersible in water, and may be used in admixture with sulphonates. The compounds of type (b) to be used are substituted and unsubstituted mono- or poly-carboxylic aliphatic acids (palmitic, stearic, arachidic, behenic, cerotic and synthetically prepared acids), cycloaliphatic acids (abietic, resinic acids), aliphatic-aromatic acids, aromatic acids (phthalic acid) and salts of said acids (calcium palmitate). Either or both types of compound may be used, if liquids or pastes at room temperature, in the form of pulverizable urea adducts formed e.g. by mixing or fusing with urea or heating with urea in alcohol. They may be accompanied by inert fillers such as kaolin (e.g. in the proportion of 1:1 to 1:5). The melting point of a mixture of (a) and (b) may be raised by the addition of high molecular weight waxes, esters and hydrocarbons. The compounds (a) and (b) e.g. in the form of a solution or emulsion may be mixed, together or successively with the powder. Preferably 0.5 to 15 per cent by weight of (a) and 0.1 to 15 per cent by weight of (b) are used with respect to the dispersed powder. Examples refer to mixing a gamma hexachlorocyclohexane and kaolin mixture with (1) an ester produced by reacting tall oil with the condensation product of sorbitol and ethylene oxide (hereinafter referred to as ethylene oxide sorbitol tall oil ester), and arachidic acid containing 10 per cent of behenic acid (2) an emulsified mixture of ethylene oxide sorbitol tall oil ester and the isopropylamine salt of dodecylbenzene sulphonic acid, and calcium palmitate (3) ethylene oxide sorbitol tall oil ester and abietic acid (4) ethylene oxide sorbitol tall oil ester and a carboxylic acid containing 22 carbon atoms per molecule (5) ethylene oxide sorbitol monooleate fused with stearic acid (6) a mixture of ethylene oxide sorbitol tall oil ester and the isopropylamine salt of dodecyl benzene sulphonic acid, and an adduct of stearic acid and urea (7) ethylene oxide sorbitol tall oil ester and stearic acid (8) a urea adduct of polyethylene oxide sorbitol monooleate, and stearic acid, and (9) an ethylene oxide-lauryl alcohol condensation product, and stearic acid. The examples also refer to mixing (10) a mixture of DDT and kaolin with ethylene oxide sorbitol monooleate and stearic acid; (11) a mixture of chlorinated comphene and kaolin, with ethylene oxide sorbitol monooleate and lauric acid; (12) g -hexachlorocyclohexane, DDT and kaolin with ethylene oxide sorbitol monooleate and stearic acid; (13) chalk powder with ethylene oxide sorbitol oleic/lauric esters, and stearic acid (14) a mixture of copper oxychloride and chalk with an emulsified mixture of ethylene oxide sorbitol tall oil ester and the isopropylamine salt of doecyl benzene sulphonic acid, and stearic acid.ALSO:A pesticidal or herbicidal composition comprises a finely divided active component rendered more dispersable in water by mixing therewith (a) alkylene oxide-containing non-ionic surface active compounds and (b) water-insoluble carboxylic acids or water-insoluble salts of said acids. Examples refer to mixing a g - hexachlorocyclohexane and kaolin mixture with (1) an ester produced by reacting tall oil with the condensation product of sorbitol and ethylene oxide (hereinafter referred to as ethylene oxide sorbitol tall oil ester), and arachidic acid containing 10 per cent. of behenic acid (2) an emulsified mixture of ethylene oxide sorbitol tall oil ester and the isopropylamine salt of dedocyl-benzene sulphonic acid, and calcium palmitate (3) ethylene oxide sorbitol tall oil ester and abietic acid (4) ethylene oxide sorbitol tall oil ester and a carboxylic acid containing 22 carbon atoms per molecule (5) ethylene oxide sorbitol monooleate fused with stearic acid (6) mixture of ethylene oxide sorbitol tall oil ester and the isopropylamine salt of dodecyl benzene sulphonic acid, and an adduct of stearic acid and urea (7) ethylene oxide sorbitol tall oil ester and stearic acid (8) a urea adduct of polyethylene oxide sorbitol monoleate, and stearic acid, and (9) an ethylene oxide-lauryl alcohol condensation product, and stearic acid. The Examples also refer to mixing (10) a mixture of DDT and kaolin with ethylene oxide sorbitol monoleate and stearic acid; (11) a mixture of chlorinated comphene and kaolin, with ethylene oxide sorbitol monooleate and lauric acid; (12) g -hexachlorocyclohexane, DDT and kaolin with ethylene oxide sorbitol monooleate and stearic acid and (13) a mixture of copper oxychloride and chalk with an emulsified mixture of ethylene oxide sorbitol tall oil ester and the isopropylamine salt of dodecyl benzene sulphonic acid, and stearic acid. Compounds of type (a) (see above) should be water-soluble or dispersible in water, and may be used in admixture with sulphonates. The compounds of type (b) to be used are substituted and unsubstituted mono- or poly-carboxylic aliphatic acids (palmitic, stearic, arachidic, behenic, cerotic and synthetically prepared acids), cycloaliphatic acids (abietic, resinic acids), aliphatic-aromatic acids, aromatic acids (phthalic acid) and salts of said acids (calcium palmitate). Either or both types of compound may be used, if liquids or pastes at room temperature, in the form of pulverisable urea adducts formed e.g. by mixing or fusing with urea or heating with urea in alcohol. They may be accompanied by inert fillers such as kaolin (e.g. in the proportion of 1 : 1 to 1 : 5). The melting point of the mixture of (a) and (b) may be raised by the addition of high molecular weight waxes, esters and hydrocarbons. The compounds (a) and (b) e.g. in the form of a solution or emulsion may be mixed, together or successively, with the powder.