AbstractBackgroundControlled‐release formulations of bioactive agents are of increasing interest for effective pest control. Volatile 2‐heptanone is a bioactive agent that has shown potential as a pesticide. The aim of this study was to investigate the kinetics of release of 2‐heptanone incorporated into lipid films or composite solid lipid particle (SLP) films.ResultsEffective 2‐heptanone diffusivity was estimated to be between 0.1 and 2.5 mm2 day−1 during the first week and between 0.05 and 0.1 mm2 day−1 during the next 5 weeks. The films that showed better retention of 2‐heptanone were the paraffin lipid films. Inclusion of SLPs into paraffin films increased the release rate of 2‐heptanone, mainly owing to a decrease in the film firmness as the composite SLP film became less crystalline and more brittle. In contrast, SLPs decreased the kinetics of 2‐heptanone release in Acetem films owing to an increase in the film firmness.ConclusionsThe results indicated that the use of SLPs as a method for controlled release can improve the delivery of the natural pesticide 2‐heptanone if the SLPs have good compatibility with the matrix, leading to an increase in firmness of the films without increasing their porosity. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.