Pervaporation is a process in which a specific component in a feed mixture passes through a dense, non-porous membrane by solution – diffusion transport mechanism. Then, the permeate is collected as a vapour at the other side of the membrane while being kept under vacuum conditions.

Some of the Applications include Dehydration of Organic Solvents. The PV process can easily dehydrate solvent mixtures. The binary or ternary azeotropes can be dehydrated without the use of entrainers. In some cases, where distillation is not possible, pervaporation is the only alternative to costly incineration of waste solvent streams.

In addition to above a wide range of organic solvents can be extracted from waste water such as hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, esters, ketones, ethers, alcohols. The PV systems can also reduce COD requirement of waste water streams going to biological treatment units, or pre-concentrate organic wastes to incinerators.