Patent ID: 7538237

Claim:
A process for performing a chemical reaction between a first reactant and a second reactant in the presence of a catalyst, the first reactant being in a liquid phase and the second reactant being in a gas phase, the process comprising: supplying the first reactant and the second reactant to a passage defined by a first surface and a second surface, the first reactant supplied to the passage by a first reactant flow and the second reactant supplied to the passage by a second reactant flow, wherein the first reactant mixes with the second reactant at least by interdiffusion, the first reactant, the second reactant and any mixture and reaction products thereof, forming respective boundary layers against the first and second surfaces, each boundary layer having a radial thickness; providing a radial spacing between the first surface and second surface that is one of (1) a radial spacing not greater than the back-to-back combined radial thicknesses of the boundary layers and (2) a radial spacing greater than the back-to-back combined radial thicknesses with a third layer between the two boundary layers, wherein the third layer is too thin to support at least one of (1) turbulent convection and (2) uneven channeling; and reacting the first reactant with the second reactant in the passage.