Other nucleating agents

The term nucleating agent is used in a different sense in the context of foam manufacture, where talc and other nucleating agents are used to promote bubble formation and control cell structure. 

Interleukin-1 OC and (3. IL-1 has radioprotective activity toward BM and other tissues (151,164). IL-1 is produced in response to endotoxin, other cytokines, and microbial and viral agents, primarily by monocytes and macrophages. Other nucleated cells can also produce it. IL-1 appears to play an important role in the regulation of normal hemopoiesis directly by stimulating the most primitive stem cells and indirectly by stimulating other hemopoietic factors, including G-CSF, GM-CSF, M-CSF, and IL-6. 

In addition to the nucleating agents discussed in Section 18.4, many other materials have been found to be effective. Whilst the nylons may be self-nucleating, partieularly if there is some unmelted crystal structure, seeding with higher melting point polymers can be effective. Thus nylon 66 and poly(ethylene terephthalate) are reported to be especially attractive for nylon 6. 

Carbon black is also used as a pigment for paints and printing inks, as a nucleation agent in weather modifications, and as a solar energy absorber. About 70% of the worlds consumption of carbon black is used in the production of tires and tire products. Approximately 20% goes into other products such as footwear, belts, hoses, etc. and the rest is used in such items as paints, printing ink, etc. The world capacity of carbon black was approximately 17 billion pounds in 1998. U.S. projected consumption for the year 2003 is approximately 3.9 billion pounds. 

---