The disclosed invention relates to a process for distilling a fluid
mixture in a microchannel distillation unit, the microchannel
distillation unit comprising a plurality of microchannel distillation
sections, the fluid mixture comprising a more volatile component and a
less volatile component, the process comprising: flowing a vapor phase of
the fluid mixture in a first microchannel distillation section in contact
with a liquid phase of the fluid mixture, part of the more volatile
component transferring from the liquid phase to the vapor phase to form a
more volatile component rich vapor phase, part of the less volatile
component transferring from the vapor phase to the liquid phase to form a
less volatile component rich liquid phase; separating the more volatile
component rich vapor phase from the less volatile component rich liquid
phase; flowing the less volatile component rich liquid phase to another
microchannel distillation section upstream from the first microchannel
distillation section; and flowing the more volatile rich vapor phase to
another microchannel distillation section downstream from the first
microchannel distillation section.