TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CHEMICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred Components: The process microchannel and heat exchange channel are made of a material comprising: aluminum, titanium, nickel, copper, or their alloy, or steel, monel, inconel, brass, quartz, and/or silicon. The catalyst is supported on a support having a flow-by configuration, a flow-through configuration, or a serpentine configuration, or is supported on a support having the configuration of a foam, felt, wad, and/or fin. The catalyst is supported on a support in the form of a fin assembly comprising several parallel spaced fins. The length of the process microchannel and the length of the heat exchange channel is about the same. The heat exchanger comprises a heat exchange zone (preferably two heat exchange zones) in thermal contact with the at least one process microchannel, the heat exchange zone comprises at least one heat exchange channel, the heat exchange channels extend lengthwise at right angles relative to the lengthwise direction of the process microchannel, lengthwise in the same direction as the process microchannel, or the length of the heat exchange zone being shorter than the length of the process microchannel, the process microchannel has an entrance and an exit, the heat exchange zone is positioned at or near the process microchannel entrance. The microchannel reactor comprises at least one process microchannel and at least one heat exchanger, a tailored heat exchange profile is provided along the length of the process microchannel, the local release of heat given off by the reaction conducted in the process microchannel being matched with cooling provided by the heat exchanger. The Quality Index Factor for the microchannel reactor is less than 50%. The superficial velocity for fluid flowing in the process microchannel is at least 0.01 m/second. The space velocity for fluid flowing in the process microchannel is at least 1000 (hour)-1; the pressure drop for fluid flowing in the process microchannel is up to 10 atmospheres per meter. The Reynolds number for the flow of fluid in the process microchannel is 10-4000. The microchannel reactor is constructed of stainless steel with at least one copper or aluminum waveform used for forming microchannels within the microchannel reactor.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The Fischer-Tropsch catalyst comprises at least one element selected from Co, Fe, Ni, Ru, Re, Os, their oxide, and/or mixture. The catalyst further comprises at least one metal from Group IA, IIA, IIIB or IIB of the Periodic Table and/or their oxide, a lanthanide metal or its oxide, an actinide metal or its oxide, and/or their mixture. The catalyst further comprises at least one of Li, B, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, La, Ac, Ti, Zr, Ce or Th, their oxide and/or their mixture. The catalyst further comprises a support comprising at least one of alumina, zirconia, silica, aluminum fluoride, fluorided alumina, bentonite, ceria, zinc oxide, silica-alumina, silicon carbide, molecular sieve, and/or their mixture. The Fischer-Tropsch catalyst comprises a composition represented by the formula Co(M1)a(M2)b(O)x (I). The catalyst comprises Co supported on alumina, the Co loading being at least 5 wt.%. The Fischer-Tropsch catalyst further comprises Re, and/or Ru. The alcohol-forming catalyst comprises a metal selected from Nb, Ta, Mo, W, Tc, and/or Re in free form or combined form. The catalyst further comprises a cocatalyst metal of yttrium, a lanthanide series metal, and/or an actinide series metal, in free form or combined form. The catalyst is in the form of particulate solids. The catalyst is coated or grown on interior walls of the process microchannels. The catalyst comprises a graded catalyst. The catalyst is prepared by activating a catalyst precursor comprising a cobalt compound and a support with a gas comprising at least 5 mol % of hydrocarbon. The Fischer-Tropsch catalyst is prepared by (a) preparing a liquid mixture of (i) at least one catalyst support or catalyst support precursor, (ii) at least one metal-containing compound, where the metal comprises V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo and/or W, and (iii) at least one polar organic compound which acts as a solvent for the metal-containing compound, the liquid mixture comprising 0-20 wt.% of water based on the total weight of the mixture; (b) converting the mixture to a paste or solid residue; and (c) combusting the residue in an oxygen-containing atmosphere to at least partially convert the organic compound to carbon and to form the supported catalyst or catalyst precursor. The metal comprises Co.M1=Fe, Ni, Ru, Re, and/or Os;M2=Li, B, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, La, Ac, Ti, Zr, Ce, and/or Th;a and b=0-0.5;x=number of oxygen atoms needed to fulfill the valency requirements of the elements present.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The carbonaceous material is gasified in a counter-current fixed bed gasifier, co-current fixed bed gasifier, fluidized bed gasifier, entrained flow gasifier, a molten metal reactor, or a plasma based gasification system. The carbonaceous material is gasified in the presence of a gasification agent. The gasification agent comprises steam, oxygen, and/or air. The carbonaceous material contacts steam and molten metal in a molten metal reactor and reacts to form the synthesis gas. The synthesis gas comprises H2 and CO. The ratio of H2 to CO is 0.5-4. The synthesis gas produced in step (A) comprises H2 and CO, and prior to step (B), an additional amount of H2 is added to the synthesis gas. The synthesis gas produced in step (A) further comprises solid particulates, which are removed from the synthesis gas prior to step (B). The synthesis gas produced in step (A) further comprises water, at least part of the water is removed from the synthesis gas prior to step (B). The microchannel reactor comprises at least one process microchannel in thermal contact with a heat exchanger, the catalyst is in the process microchannel. The microchannel reactor comprises several process microchannels and heat exchange channels, the catalyst is in the process microchannels. Each heat exchange channel is in thermal contact with at least one process microchannel, at least one manifold for flowing synthesis gas into the process microchannels, at least one manifold for flowing product out of the process microchannels, at least one manifold for flowing a heat exchange fluid into the heat exchange channels, and at least one manifold for flowing the heat exchange fluid out of the heat exchange channels. The microchannel reactors are positioned in a vessel. Each microchannel reactor comprises about 100-50000 process microchannels, and the vessel comprises 1-1000 microchannel reactors. The microchannel reactor comprises at least one process microchannel, the process microchannel has an internal dimension of width or height of up to 10 mm, and a length of up to 10 m. The fluid flowing in the process microchannel contacting surface features in the process microchannel, the contacting of the surface features imparting a disruptive flow to the fluid. The heat exchange channel comprises a microchannel. The catalyst used in step (B) is a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst, the reaction that is conducted in the microchannel reactor during step (B) is a Fischer-Tropsch reaction, and the desired product comprises at least one hydrocarbon. Or the catalyst used in step (B) is an alcohol-forming catalyst, the reaction that is conducted in the microchannel reactor during step (B) is an alcohol-forming reaction, and the desired product comprises at least one alcohol. The process microchannel has at least one heat transfer wall and the heat flux for heat exchange within the microchannel reactor is 0.01-500 watts/cm2 of surface area of the heat transfer wall. The temperature at the entrance to the process microchannel is within about 80 degrees C of the temperature at the outlet of the process microchannel. The pressure in the microchannel reactor is up to 50 atmospheres. The temperature in the microchannel reactor is 150-300 degrees C. The contact time within the microchannel reactor is up to 2000 milliseconds. The conversion of CO in the microchannel reactor is 10-99%, and the selectivity to methane in the desired product is up to 25%. The desired product comprises at least one hydrocarbon boiling at least at 30 degrees C and at least one hydrocarbon boiling above 175 degrees C, at atmospheric pressure. The desired product comprises at least one paraffin and/or olefin of about 5-100 carbon atoms, or comprises at least one olefin, normal paraffin, and/or isoparaffin. The product is further processed using separation, fractionation, hydrocracking, hydroisomerizing, and/or dewaxing. The desired product is further processed to form an oil of lubricating viscosity or a middle distillate fuel, or a fuel. The pressure in the microchannel reactor is 100 atmospheres, and the temperature is 200-500 degrees C. The desired product comprises at least one alcohol having 1-10 carbon atoms (preferably methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol, 2-methyl-2-propanol, 1-pentanol, and/or 2-pentanol). The process microchannel has fluid flowing in it in one direction, and the heat exchange channel has fluid flow in a direction that is co-current or counter-current to the flow of fluid in the process microchannel, or the process microchannel has fluid flowing in it in one direction, and the heat exchange channel has fluid flowing in it in a direction that is cross-current to the flow of fluid in the process microchannel. The steam is used as a heat exchange fluid in the microchannel reactor during step (B) and the carbonaceous material is gasified in the presence of a gasification agent during step (A), the steam from step (B) is used as the gasification agent during step (A). Nitrogen is separated from air in a nitrogen separator prior to step (A) to provide an oxygen enriched air or purified oxygen and the carbonaceous material is gasified during step (A) in the presence of the oxygen enriched air or purified oxygen; or the nitrogen is separated from the air in a microchannel separator using an ionic liquid as an absorbent liquid. The carbonaceous material is pyrolyzed prior to step (A) resulting in the formation of a pyrolytic oil, and the pyrolytic oil is gasified during step (A). During step (A) synthesis gas is formed in a gasifier and a Fischer-Tropsch tail gas is produced during step (B), the Fischer-Tropsch tail gas is converted to synthesis gas in a steam methane reforming microchannel reactor, the synthesis gas from the steam reforming microchannel reactor is combined with the synthesis gas from the gasifier. The synthesis gas formed during step (A) contains carbon dioxide, the carbon dioxide is separated from the synthesis gas prior to step (B). The carbon dioxide is separated from the synthesis gas and combined with the Fischer-Tropsch tail gas in the steam methane reforming microchannel reactor. The carbonaceous material comprises polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride, and the synthesis gas formed during step (A) comprises an ethylene-rich synthesis gas. The synthesis gas that is formed during step (A) is cooled in the heat exchangers prior to step (B). The heat exchangers are microchannel heat exchangers. The synthesis gas contains contaminants and prior to step (B) the contaminants are separated from the synthesis gas using a microchannel separator containing an ionic liquid. The contaminants are separated from the synthesis gas using a temperature swing adsorption or a pressure swing adsorption microchannel separator. Prior to step (B) the contaminants are separated from the synthesis gas using a microchannel separator containing nanofibers or a nanocomposite film. The contaminants are separated from the synthesis gas using a ZnO guardbed. The carbonaceous material comprises a non-food carbonaceous material or a food resource. The process microchannels are formed by positioning a waveform between planar sheets. The heat exchange channels are formed by positioning a waveform between planar sheets. The catalyst comprises cobalt and a support, the cobalt concentration is 35-60 wt.% of the catalyst. The desired product produced in step (B) is a Fischer-Tropsch product, the process further comprises hydrocracking at least part of the Fischer-Tropsch product in a microchannel reactor. The microchannel reactor used to conduct the hydrocracking is the same microchannel reactor used for forming the Fischer-Tropsch product. The catalyst used in step (B) comprises an alcohol forming catalyst and a dehydration catalyst, the desired product comprising at least one unsaturated hydrocarbon. EXAMPLE - No suitable example is given.