Molecular nucleation

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-007509",
  "term": "Molecular nucleation",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "The opening stage of polymer crystallization, in which a short segment of a single macromolecule crystallizes and crystallization of the rest of that molecule becomes thermodynamically favoured. The resulting nucleus can start a new crystal or enlarge one already present. It differs from the general sense of nucleation, the formation of a stable crystalline cluster from many separate molecules.",
  "subject": "Polymer",
  "see_also": [
    "crystallization"
  ],
  "references": [
    "Purple Book, 1st ed., p. 85 (http://old.iupac.org/publications/books/author/metanomski.html)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/molecular-nucleation/"
}