A substance in appreciable amount which, when associated with a trace of a specified substance, will carry the trace with it through a chemical or physical process.
See also: support (of a catalyst)
Source:
PAC, 1982, 54, 1533. 'Glossary of terms used in nuclear analytical chemistry (Provisional)' on page 1537 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198254081533)
See also:
PAC, 1976, 46, 71. 'Manual of Symbols and Terminology for Physicochemical Quantities and Units - Appendix II. Definitions, Terminology and Symbols in Colloid and Surface Chemistry. Part II: Heterogeneous Catalysis' on page 79 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197646010071)