Supercooling

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-011592",
  "term": "Supercooling",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "The metastable condition of a liquid, in polymers a melt, cooled below its equilibrium melting temperature without having crystallized. It persists because no crystal nucleus has formed to start solidification, and the degree of supercooling is the gap between the equilibrium melting temperature and the actual temperature. A disturbance or a nucleating agent typically triggers rapid crystallization and releases latent heat.",
  "synonyms": [
    "undercooling"
  ],
  "subject": "Polymer",
  "references": [
    "PAC, 2011, 83, 1831. 'Definitions of terms relating to crystalline polymers (IUPAC Recommendations 2011)' on page 1866 (https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REC-10-11-13)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/supercooling/"
}