Share this site with del.icio.us Share this site with digg Share this site with reddit Share this site with technorati Share this site with furl Share this site with stumbleupon Share this site with google Add this site to Yahoo Bookmarks Click here to add us to your favorites Subscribe to our Feed





catalyst

Definition

Chemical or substance added or applied to another substance, to initiate or accelerate the rate of a chemical reaction. The catalyst is not consumed in this process and may be used many times before it loses its effectiveness. Nickel, for example, is used in solidification (hydrogenation) of vegetable oils; similarly presence of chlorophyll in plants makes photosynthesis possible that converts carbon dioxide and water into sugars. A catalyst is an opposite of inhibitor.

Browse by Letter: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z