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Ideal nucleating agents are expected to improve the cell morphology of plastics foams (i.e., increasing the cell density, reducing the cell size, and narrowing cell-size distribution) by providing heterogeneous nucleation sites. A nucleating agent's surface geometry is one factor that governs its nucleating power. This paper discusses the surface geometry of an ideal nucleating agent. On the basis of computer simulations of a batch foaming process using polystyrene and carbon dioxide, we found that nucleating agents having numerous crevices with small semiconical angles are the most desirable for polymeric foaming processes.

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