This monolithic reactor is an adaptable and scalable, flow-through reaction containment apparatus embodied as a one-piece monolithic block of material that retains re-configurability to improve reaction processing. This apparatus increases operational flexibility, adaptable design, and vastly simplifies construction of tubular reaction-containment configurations. Internally, the monolithic block comprises one or more closely spaced, functional voids which operate as fluid channels that can be configured in various geometric arrangements. The apparatus is widely scalable, provides high thermodynamic efficiency, manufacturing simplicity, and affordability for varied operations through additive manufacturing, and has a compact physical footprint.

A trough reactor, including an elongated trough shaped enclosure, a stock feed inlet, a reactant feed-in and distribution system, at least one separation plate extending downwardly underneath the elongated trough shaped enclosure and at least one separation column forming a continuous gravitational decanter with at least one outlet and a posterior outlet, as well as a method of catalyzing a reaction in a trough reactor, including horizontally inclining an elongated trough shaped enclosure, supplying a feed of substrate into the elongated trough shaped enclosure, supplying and distributing a feed-in of a reactant into the elongated trough shaped enclosure; disposing a separation plate essentially vertically in the elongated trough shaped enclosure, substantially obstructing a spontaneous gravitational flow along the elongated trough shaped enclosure by the separation plate, providing a separation column of an essentially hollow vertical structure, separating the substrate or reactant or a product by a means of continuous gravitational decantation process, draining from an outlet at a bottom portion of the separation column an excessive portion of the substrate or reactant or a product and draining a portion of the substrate or reactant or a product from a posterior outlet, are described.