What Is A Catalyst?

A catalyst is a chemical substance that decreases the activation energy of chemical reaction without being changed in character or composition at the end of the reaction. Catalysts increase chemical reaction rate by providing an alternate pathway for the reaction. The process of assisting a chemical reaction with the addition of a catalyst is known as catalysis. The unit for measuring the chemical activity of a catalyst is katal (moles per second).

Catalysts are often classified as heterogeneous catalysts, homogeneous catalysts and biocatalysts. Catalysts generally react with one or more reactants to form a chemical intermediate that subsequently reacts to form the final reaction product, in the process regenerating the catalyst. They never alter the chemical equilibrium of a reaction. Certain chemical known as promoters are often added to accelerate catalysis and certain others known as inhibitors inhibit the working of a catalyst.

More than 50% of all commercially produced chemicals use catalysts at some stages of their production to bring down their production cost.

Scientist has discovered the composition of enzymes and how they function. However an immeasurable number of the other mysteries must still be unrevealed before we actually hold the magic wand in our hands.

You know about the catalyzer in the catalyst convert which we hope is attached to your new car. It purpose to exploit the heat of the exhaust gases and to convert the more toxic carbon monoxide to the less dangerous carbon dioxide. The catalyst does this merely by being present and is not altered in any manner in the process. The catalyst it self is not affected, it does not require any energy its own.

If you wanted to convert the carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide without a catalyst you need to build an apparatus into the car which was as big as the car's motor and which would require more energy than the car engine itself.

Nature never waste expense and energy, it always chooses the most economical rout and is better than all the engineers in the world at this game. The trick with the catalyst is one of nature's favorites. Small causes, big effect!