Patent ID: 7125540

Claim:
A microcomponent apparatus for conducting unit operations comprising: a microcomponent device comprising a first inlet, first exit, a first array of microchannels, and a second array of microchannels; wherein, during operation, a stream enters the first inlet of the microcomponent device and is distributed among said first array of microchannels and a first unit operation is performed on said stream, said stream exiting through the first exit and exiting the microcomponent device; a processing device connected to the first exit of the microcomponent device; said processing device being capable of modifying said stream by a second unit operation; an outlet of the processing device connected to a second inlet of said microcomponent device through a second inlet; and the second array of microchannels connected to said second inlet and a second exit connected to said second array of microchannels; wherein, during operation, said stream re-enters said microcomponent device and is distributed among the second array of microchannels where said first unit operation can again be performed on the stream, and said stream exits through the second exit and exits the microcomponent device; and comprising plural pairs of microcomponent devices and processing devices, wherein each pair comprises a microcomponent device and a processing device connected in the manner described above.