pretreatment

of a catalyst
Following the preparation of a catalyst or following its insertion into a catalytic reactor, it is often subjected to various treatments before the start of a catalytic run. The term pretreatment may, in general, be applied to this set of treatments. In some cases the word activation is used. It implies that the material is converted into a catalyst or into a very much more effective one by the pretreatment.
Source:
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 80