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The disclosed invention relates to a process for conducting a multiphase reaction in a microchannel. The process comprises: forming a multiphase reaction mixture comprising a first reactant and a second reactant; the first reactant comprising at least one liquid; the second reactant comprising at le

The disclosed invention relates to a process for conducting a multiphase reaction in a microchannel. The process comprises: forming a multiphase reaction mixture comprising a first reactant and a second reactant; the first reactant comprising at least one liquid; the second reactant comprising at least one gas, at least one liquid, or a combination of at least one gas and at least one liquid; the first reactant forming a continuous phase in the multiphase reaction mixture; the second reactant forming gas bubbles and/or liquid droplets dispersed in the continuous phase; and reacting the first reactant with the second reactant in a process microchannel in the presence of at least one catalyst to form at least one product.

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1. A process for conducting a multiphase reaction in a process microchannel, comprising: forming a multiphase reaction mixture in the process microchannel, the multiphase reaction mixture comprising a first reactant and a second reactant; the first reactant comprising at least one liquid; the second

1. A process for conducting a multiphase reaction in a process microchannel, comprising: forming a multiphase reaction mixture in the process microchannel, the multiphase reaction mixture comprising a first reactant and a second reactant; the first reactant comprising at least one liquid; the second reactant comprising at least one gas, at least one liquid, or a combination of at least one gas and at least one liquid; the first reactant forming a continuous phase in the multiphase reaction mixture; the second reactant forming gas bubbles and/or liquid droplets dispersed in the continuous phase;reacting the first reactant with the second reactant in the process microchannel in the presence of at least one catalyst to form at least one product; andexchanging heat between the process microchannel and a heat exchange channel;wherein a second reactant stream channel is positioned adjacent to the process microchannel, the process microchannel having a first reactant entry point for the first reactant, the first reactant flowing through the first reactant entry point into the process microchannel and the second reactant flowing from the second reactant stream channel through the second reactant introduction points into the process microchannel, the first reactant contacting the second reactant in the process microchannel to form the multiphase reaction mixture. 2. The process of claim 1 wherein the gas bubbles and/or liquid droplets have a volume-based mean diameter in the range of about 0.1 to about 100 microns, and a span in the range from about 1 to about 10. 3. The process of claim 1 wherein the process microchannel comprises at least one side wall and at least one apertured section extending along at least part of the axial length of the side wall, the second reactant flowing through the apertured section into the process microchannel in contact with the first reactant to form the multiphase reaction mixture. 4. The process of claim 1 wherein the process is conducted in a microchannel reactor, the microchannel reactor comprising a plurality of the process microchannels, a plurality of the second reactant stream channels and at least one header for distributing the first reactants to the process microchannels and the second reactant to the second reactant stream channels. 5. The process of claim 1 wherein a reaction zone is in the process microchannel, the second reactant contacting the first reactant in the reaction zone to form the multiphase reaction mixture. 6. The process of claim 1 wherein a mixing zone and a reaction zone are in the process microchannel, the mixing zone being upstream of the reaction zone, the second reactant contacting the first reactant in the mixing zone to form the multiphase reaction mixture. 7. The process of claim 1 wherein a mixing zone and a reaction zone are in the process microchannel, the mixing zone being upstream of the reaction zone, the second reactant contacting the first reactant to form the multiphase reaction mixture, part of the second reactant contacting the first reactant in the mixing zone, and part of the second reactant contacting the first reactant in the reaction zone. 8. The process of claim 1 wherein the process microchannel contains two or more reaction zones. 9. The process of claim 1 wherein the process microchannel has an internal dimension of width or height of up to about 10 mm. 10. The process of claim 1 wherein the process microchannel has an internal dimension of width or height of up to about 2 mm. 11. The process of claim 1 wherein the process microchannel is made of a material comprising: aluminum; titanium; nickel; copper; an alloy of any of the foregoing metals; steel; monel; inconel; brass; a polymer; ceramics; glass; a composite comprising a polymer and fiberglass; quartz; silicon; or a combination of two or more thereof. 12. The process of claim 1 wherein the second reactant stream channel has an internal dimension of width or height of up to about 10 mm. 13. The process of claim 1 wherein the second reactant stream channel has an internal dimension of width or height of up to about 2 mm. 14. The process of claim 1 wherein the second reactant stream channel is made of a material comprising: aluminum; titanium; nickel; copper; an alloy of any of the foregoing metals; steel; monel; inconel; brass; a polymer; ceramics; glass; a composite comprising a polymer and fiberglass; quartz; silicon; or a combination of two or more thereof. 15. The process of claim 3 wherein the apertured section comprises a relatively thin sheet overlying a relatively thick sheet or plate, the relatively thin sheet containing an array of relatively small apertures, and the relatively thick sheet or plate containing an array of relatively large apertures, at least some of the relatively small apertures being aligned with the relatively large apertures. 16. The process of claim 3 wherein the apertured section comprises apertures that are partially filled with a coating material. 17. The process of claim 3 wherein the apertured section is heat treated. 18. The process of claim 3 wherein the apertured section is made from a porous material. 19. The process of claim 18 wherein the porous material is metallic, nonmetallic and/or oxidized. 20. The process of claim 18 wherein the porous material is coated with alumina or nickel. 21. The process of claim 3 wherein the apertured section is made from a porous material, the surface of the porous material being treated by filling the pores on the surface with a liquid filler, solidifying the filler, grinding or polishing the surface, and removing the filler. 22. The process of claim 3 wherein the apertured section extends along about 5% to about 100% of the axial length of the process microchannel. 23. The process of claim 1 wherein the heat exchange channel is adjacent to the process microchannel. 24. The process of claim 1 wherein the heat exchange channel is remote from the process microchannel. 25. The process of claim 1 wherein the heat exchange channel comprises a microchannel. 26. The process of claim 1 wherein the heat exchange channel has an internal dimension of width or height of up to about 10 mm. 27. The process of claim 1 wherein the heat exchange channel has an internal dimension of width or height of up to about 2 mm. 28. The process of claim 1 wherein the heat exchange channel is made of a material comprising: aluminum; titanium; nickel; copper; an alloy of any of the foregoing metals; steel; monel; inconel; brass; a polymer; ceramics; glass; a composite comprising polymer and fiberglass; quartz; silicon; or a combination of two or more thereof. 29. The process of claim 1 wherein the process microchannel comprises surface features formed in and/or on one or more interior walls for modifying flow and/or mixing within the process microchannel. 30. The process of claim 1 wherein the second reactant stream channel comprises surface features formed in and/or on one or more interior walls for modifying flow and/or mixing within the channel. 31. The process of claim 1 wherein the heat exchange channel comprises surface features formed in and/or on one or more interior walls for modifying flow and/or mixing within the heat exchange channel. 32. The process of claim 29 wherein the surface features are in the form of depressions in and/or projections from one or more of the microchannel interior walls that are oriented at angles relative to the direction of flow of fluid through the process microchannel. 33. The process of claim 29 wherein the surface features comprise at least two surface feature regions where mixing of the first reactant and second reactant is conducted in a first surface feature region followed by flow in a second surface feature region where the flow pattern in the second surface feature region is different than the flow pattern in the first surface feature region. 34. The process of claim 33 wherein a reaction mixture comprising one or more unreacted reactants and the product is formed in the first surface feature region and flows in the second surface feature region where one or more of the unreacted reactants and/or the product is separated from the reaction mixture. 35. The process of claim 3 wherein the apertured section comprises an interior portion that forms part of one or more of the interior walls of the process microchannel and a surface feature sheet overlies the interior portion of the apertured section, and wherein surface features are in and/or on the surface feature sheet. 36. The process of claim 1 wherein particulate solids in the form of a fluidized bed are in the process microchannel, the process microchannel comprising surface features formed in and/or on one or more of its interior walls for modifying flow and/or mixing within the process microchannel. 37. The process of claim 29 wherein the surface features comprise two or more layers stacked on top of each other and/or intertwined in a three-dimensional pattern. 38. The process of claim 29 wherein the surface features are in the form of circles, oblongs, squares, rectangles, checks, chevrons, wavy shapes, or combinations thereof. 39. The process of claim 29 wherein the surface features comprise sub-features where the major walls of the surface features further contain smaller surface features in the form of notches, waves, indents, holes, burrs, checks, scallops, or combinations thereof. 40. The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the first reactant entering the process microchannel is within about 200° C. of the temperature of the product exiting the process microchannel. 41. The process of claim 1 wherein a heat exchange fluid is in the heat exchange channel. 42. The process of claim 41 wherein the heat exchange fluid undergoes a phase change in the heat exchange channel. 43. The process of claim 1 wherein the heat flux between the heat exchange channel and the process microchannel is in the range from about 0.01 to about 250 watts per square centimeter of surface area of the process microchannel. 44. The process of claim 1 wherein an endothermic process is conducted in the heat exchange channel. 45. The process of claim 1 wherein an exothermic process is conducted in the heat exchange channel. 46. The process of claim 1 wherein the multiphase reaction mixture flows in the process microchannel in a first direction, and a heat exchange fluid flows in the heat exchange channel in a second direction, the second direction being cross current relative to the first direction. 47. The process of claim 1 wherein the multiphase reaction mixture flows in the process microchannel in a first direction, and a heat exchange fluid flows in the heat exchange channel in a second direction, the second direction being cocurrent or counter current relative to the first direction. 48. The process of claim 1 wherein a heat exchange fluid is in the heat exchange channel, the heat exchange fluid comprising the first reactant, the second reactant, the multiphase reaction mixture, the product, or a mixture of two or more thereof. 49. The process of claim 1 wherein a heat exchange fluid is in the heat exchange channel, the heat exchange fluid comprising one or more of air, steam, liquid water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, gaseous nitrogen, liquid nitrogen, inert gas, gaseous hydrocarbon, oil, and liquid hydrocarbon. 50. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises at least one oxidation catalyst, hydrocracking catalyst, hydrogenation catalyst, hydration catalyst, carbonylation catalyst, sulfation catalyst, sulfonation catalyst, oligomerization catalyst, polymerization catalyst, or a combination of two or more thereof. 51. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises particulate solids. 52. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst is on at least one interior wall of the process microchannel. 53. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst is supported by a support. 54. The process of claim 53 wherein the support is made of a material comprising one or more of silica gel, foamed copper, sintered stainless steel fiber, steel wool, alumina, poly(methyl methacrylate), polysulfonate, poly(tetrafluoroethylene), iron, nickel sponge, nylon, polyvinylidene difluoride, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene ethylketone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyacrylate, polymethylmethacrylate, polystyrene, polyphenylene sulfide, polysulfone, polybutylene, or a combination of two or more thereof. 55. The process of claim 53 wherein the support comprises a heat conducting material. 56. The process of claim 53 wherein the support comprises an alloy comprising Ni, Cr and Fe, or an alloy comprising Fe, Cr, Al and Y. 57. The process of claim 53 wherein the support has a flow-by configuration, a flow-through configuration, a honeycomb structure or a serpentine configuration. 58. The process of claim 53 wherein the support has the configuration of a foam, felt, wad, fin, or a combination of two or more thereof. 59. The process of claim 53 wherein the support has a flow-by configuration with an adjacent gap, a foam configuration with an adjacent gap, a fin structure with gaps or a gauze configuration with a gap for flow. 60. The process of claim 53 wherein the catalyst is washcoated on at least one interior wall of the process microchannel and/or the support. 61. The process of claim 53 wherein the support comprises a fin assembly comprising at least one fin. 62. The process of claim 61 wherein the fin assembly comprises a plurality of parallel spaced fins. 63. The process of claim 61 wherein the fin has an exterior surface and a porous material overlies at least part of the exterior surface of the fin, the catalyst being supported by the porous material. 64. The process of claim 61 wherein the porous material comprises one or more of a coating, fibers, foam or felt. 65. The process of claim 61 wherein the fin has an exterior surface and a plurality fibers or protrusions extend from at least part of the exterior surface of the fin, the catalyst being supported by the protrusions. 66. The process of claim 61 wherein the fin has an exterior surface and the catalyst is: washcoated on at least part of the exterior surface of the fin; grown on at least part of the exterior surface of the fin from solution; or deposited on at least part of the exterior surface of the fin using vapor deposition. 67. The process of claim 61 wherein the fin assembly comprises a plurality of parallel spaced fins, at least one of the fins having a length that is different than the length of the other fins. 68. The process of claim 61 wherein the fin assembly comprises a plurality of parallel spaced fins, at least one of the fins having a height that is different than the height of the other fins. 69. The process of claim 61 wherein the fin has a cross section having the shape of a square, a rectangle, or a trapezoid. 70. The process of claim 61 wherein the fin is made of a material comprising: steel; aluminum; titanium; iron; nickel; platinum; rhodium; copper; chromium; brass; an alloy of any of the foregoing metals; a polymer; ceramics; glass; a composite comprising polymer and fiberglass; quartz; silicon; or a combination of two or more thereof. 71. The process of claim 61 wherein the fin is made of a material comprising Ni, Cr and Fe, or a material comprising Fe, Cr, Al and Y. 72. The process of claim 61 wherein the fin is made of an Al2O3 forming material or a Cr2O3 forming material. 73. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst is in a reaction zone in the process microchannel, the reaction zone comprising a bulk flow path comprising about 5% to about 95% of the cross section of the process microchannel. 74. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises a liquid. 75. The process of claim 74 wherein the catalyst is mixed with the first reactant. 76. The process of claim 74 wherein the catalyst is mixed with the second reactant. 77. The process of claim 1 wherein first reactant comprises a vegetable oil, the second reactant comprises hydrogen, and the reaction is a hydrogenation reaction. 78. The process of claim 1 wherein the reaction between the first reactant and the second reactant comprises a hydrogenation reaction. 79. The process of claim 1 wherein the reaction between the first reactant and the second reactant is a hydrogenation reaction wherein the formation of trans isomers is less than about 15% by weight. 80. The process of claim 1 wherein the contact time for the reactants, and product with the catalyst is in the range up to about 100 seconds. 81. The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature within the process microchannel is in the range from about −40° C. to about 400° C. 82. The process of claim 1 wherein the pressure within the process microchannel is in the range up to about 50 atmospheres absolute pressure. 83. The process of claim 1 wherein the weight hourly space velocity for the flow of reactants and product through the process microchannel is at least about 0.1 (ml feed)/(g catalyst)(hr). 84. The process of claim 1 wherein the pressure drop for the flow of reactants and product through the process microchannel is up to about 1 atmosphere per meter of length of the process microchannel. 85. The process of claim 1 wherein a heat exchange fluid flows in the heat exchange channel, the pressure drop for the heat exchange fluid flowing in the heat exchange channel being up to about 1 atmosphere per meter of length of the heat exchange channel. 86. The process of claim 1 wherein the conversion of the first reactant is about 5% or higher per cycle. 87. The process of claim 1 wherein the conversion of the second reactant is about 25% or higher per cycle. 88. The process of claim 1 wherein the yield of product is about 20% or higher per cycle. 89. The process of claim 1 wherein the product is removed from the process microchannel, the process further comprises flowing a regenerating fluid through the process microchannel in contact with the catalyst. 90. The process of claim 1 wherein the reactants and product comprise fluids and the superficial velocity of the fluids flowing in the process microchannel is at least about 0.01 meter per second. 91. The process of claim 5 wherein surface features are positioned in the reaction zone for modifying the flow of the reactants and/or enhancing the mixing of the reactants. 92. The process of claim 6 wherein surface features are positioned in the mixing zone and/or reaction zone for modifying the flow of the reactants and/or enhancing the mixing of the reactants. 93. The process of claim 1 wherein two or more process microchannels exchange heat with the heat exchange channel. 94. The process of claim 3 wherein the apertured section comprises two or more discrete feed introduction points along the axial length of the apertured section. 95. The process of claim 1 wherein the multiphase reaction mixture further comprises particulate solids. 96. The process of claim 1 wherein the multiphase reaction mixture comprises a foam. 97. The process of claim 1 wherein the multiphase reaction mixture further comprise one or more solvents. 98. The process of claim 34 wherein the second surface feature region is positioned within the interior of the process microchannel and another second reactant is combined with the multiphase reaction mixture downstream of the second surface feature region, and another reaction is conducted within the process microchannel downstream of the second surface feature region. 99. The process of claim 1 wherein the design of the process microchannel varies along the axial length of the process microchannel. 100. The process of claim 5 wherein a capillary structure or pore throat is in the process microchannel downstream of the reaction zone and is used to separate gas from liquid. 101. A process for conducting a multiphase reaction comprising: flowing at least one first reactant in a process microchannel, the first reactant comprising at least one liquid, a second reactant stream channel being positioned adjacent to the process microchannel, the process microchannel and the second reactant stream channel having a common wall, a plurality of second reactant introduction points being positioned in the common wall;flowing at least one second reactant from the second reactant stream channel through the second reactant introduction points into the process microchannel in contact with the first reactant to form a multiphase reaction mixture in the process microchannel; the second reactant comprising at least one gas, at least one liquid, or a combination of at least one gas and at least one liquid; the first reactant forming a continuous phase in the multiphase reaction mixture; the second reactant forming gas bubbles and/or liquid droplets dispersed in the continuous phase;reacting the first reactant with the second reactant in the process microchannel in the presence of at least one catalyst to form at least one product; andexchanging heat between the process microchannel and a heat exchange channel. 102. A process for conducting a multiphase reaction in a microchannel reactor, the microchannel reactor comprising a microchannel reactor core containing a plurality of repeating units, each repeating unit comprising one or more process microchannels and one or more second reactant stream channels, wherein at least one second reactant stream channel is positioned adjacent to each process microchannel, a common wall being positioned between each process microchannel and adjacent second reactant stream channel, and a plurality of second reactant introduction points being positioned in the common wall, the process comprising: forming a multiphase reaction mixture in the process microchannels, the multiphase reaction mixture comprising a first reactant and a second reactant, the first reactant flowing in the one or more process microchannels, the second reactant flowing from the one or more second reactant stream channels through the second reactant introduction points into the one or more process microchannels in contact the first reactant to form the multiphase reaction mixture; the first reactant comprising at least one liquid; the second reactant comprising at least one gas, at least one liquid, or a combination of at least one gas and at least one liquid; the first reactant forming a continuous phase in the multiphase reaction mixture; the second reactant forming gas bubbles and/or liquid droplets dispersed in the continuous phase; andreacting the first reactant with the second reactant in the process microchannels in the presence of at least one catalyst to form at least one product; andexchanging heat between the process microchannels and at least one heat exchange channel.