Ib qho catalyst feem ntau yog hais txog ib yam khoom uas nce tus nqi ntawm cov tshuaj tiv thaiv yam tsis hloov Gibbs dawb lub zog hloov nyob rau hauv tag nrho cov qauv ntawm cov tshuaj tiv thaiv. Nws kuj tseem tuaj yeem qhia tau tias yog ib yam khoom uas tuaj yeem nce tus nqi ntawm cov tshuaj tiv thaiv hauv cov tshuaj tiv thaiv tshuaj tsis tau hloov cov tshuaj sib npaug, thiab nws cov khoom loj thiab tshuaj tsis tau hloov ua ntej thiab tom qab cov tshuaj tiv thaiv. Raws li kev txheeb cais, ntau dua 90% ntawm cov txheej txheem kev lag luam siv cov catalysts, xws li tshuaj lom neeg, petrochemical, biochemical, kev tiv thaiv ib puag ncig, thiab lwm yam. Muaj ntau hom catalysts, uas tuaj yeem muab faib ua kua catalysts thiab cov khoom catalysts raws li lawv lub xeev; Raws li lub xeev theem ntawm cov tshuaj tiv thaiv kab mob, nws tuaj yeem muab faib ua homogeneous catalysts thiab heterogeneous catalysts, thiab homogeneous catalysts muaj xws li acids, alkalis, soluble hloov pauv hlau tebchaw thiab peroxide catalysts. Catalysts ua lub luag haujlwm tseem ceeb hauv kev lag luam tshuaj niaj hnub no, piv txwv li, hlau catalysts yog siv rau hauv kev tsim cov ammonia, vanadium catalysts yog siv nyob rau hauv kev tsim cov sulfuric acid, thiab cov catalysts sib txawv yog siv nyob rau hauv lub polymerization ntawm ethylene thiab zus tau tej cov. roj hmab los ntawm butadiene.