The concept of a "chemical substance" became firmly established in the late eighteenth century after work by the chemist Joseph Proust on the composition of some pure chemical compounds such as basic copper carbonate.
Konsep "zat kimia" menjadi mapan pada akhir abad kedelapan belas setelah ahli kimia Joseph Proust berkarya pada komposisi beberapa senyawa kimia murni seperti tembaga karbonat basa.