Patent ID: 7896935

Claim:
A process for conducting a catalytic reaction or a fluid separation in an apparatus comprising at least one process microchannel and at least one heat exchanger adjacent to the process microchannel, the process microchannel having a height, width and length, the process microchannel having a base wall extending in one direction along the width of the process microchannel and in another direction along the length of the process microchannel, at least one fin projecting into the process microchannel from the base wall and extending along at least part of the length of the process microchannel, the thermal conductivity of the fin being about 10 W/m/K or greater, and a catalyst or a sorption medium supported by the fin, the process comprising: flowing one or more reactants in the process microchannel in contact with the catalyst, and reacting the one or more reactants to form a product; or flowing a fluid in the process microchannel in contact with the sorption medium, and sorbing one or more components of the fluid on the sorption medium; and exchanging heat between the process microchannel and the heat exchanger, at least part of the heat being transferred through the fin.