ABSTRACT
Kinetics is the study of rates of reaction, whereas thermodynamics is the study of energy changes that accompany a reaction. The rate of a reaction cannot be inferred from its thermodynamic energy change. A catalyst is a compound that can accelerate the rate of a reaction and is not consumed or changed by the reaction. In 1902, the French biochemist Victor Henri observed that enzymes saturate with substrate at high substrate concentration. The subject of biodegradability is closely related to the subject of kinetics. If it is assumed most organics will eventually decompose, given enough time and the right circumstances, then the question is really their rate of decomposition. Biomass can be defined as organic matter of recent biological origin. In the strict sense, even ancient fossil matter, such as the fossil fuels, started as biomass.
