PV · Technology
Pervaporation
Pervaporation separates miscible liquid mixtures by selective sorption and diffusion through a dense polymeric membrane. Unlike distillation, it ignores boiling points; the separation is driven by chemistry, not temperature. That makes it the only practical option for breaking azeotropes such as ethanol/water above 95.6%, or for recovering solvents from water at near-ambient temperature.
What it solves
Performance you can size against.
The outcomes below come from commissioned systems and verified pilots, not theoretical limits. Every number is independently testable on your own feed.
- Solvent recovery rate
- 98 to 99.8%
- Verified on ethanol, isopropanol, methanol, and acetonitrile.
- Energy vs distillation
- 1/4 to 1/2
- No phase change penalty; runs near ambient temperature.
- Azeotropes broken
- Including ethanol/water (95.6% azeotrope), IPA/water, and acetonitrile/water.
- Footprint vs entrainer distillation
- 1/2 to 1/3
- No third stream, no recycle column, no entrainer storage.
How it works
The working principle.
A liquid feed contacts a dense polymeric membrane. The target component (water, or a specific organic) sorbs into the membrane and diffuses through. A vacuum or sweep gas on the permeate side keeps the driving gradient steep. The permeate condenses as a separate phase. The retentate continues through the system at progressively higher purity.
Performance envelope
Specs and operating range.
For preliminary sizing only. Production sizing is always validated against your specific feed.
- Permeate purity (water from solvent)
- >99.5wt%
- Solvent purity at retentate
- Up to 99.95wt%
- Operating temperature
- 30 to 80°CStays liquid; no boiling required.
- Operating pressure (feed side)
- 1 to 4bar
- Specific energy
- 100 to 200kWh/m³ feed
- Membrane life (typical)
- 2 to 5years
- Footprint vs entrainer column
- 1/3 to 1/2
How we compare
PV vs the alternatives.
Where Pervaporation wins, where it does not, and where the alternatives are honestly the better fit.
| Trait | Pervaporation | Azeotropic Distillation | Molecular Sieves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breaks azeotropes | Yes, by chemistry not boiling point | Yes, requires entrainer (benzene, cyclohexane) | Yes, for low water content only |
| Final purity ceiling | >99.95 wt% solvent achievable | >99.5 wt% with entrainer recycle | Limited by adsorbent regeneration |
| Energy | 100 to 200 kWh/m³, no phase change | 300 to 600 kWh/m³, multi-column | 200 to 400 kWh/m³ including regeneration |
| Footprint | Compact skid | Large column train + entrainer system | Twin-bed system with regeneration loop |
| Best fit | Solvent dehydration, azeotrope breaking, GMP environments | Very high volume, established plants | Final polish from <1% water content |
Breaks azeotropes
Pervaporation
Yes, by chemistry not boiling point
Azeotropic Distillation
Yes, requires entrainer (benzene, cyclohexane)
Molecular Sieves
Yes, for low water content only
Final purity ceiling
Pervaporation
>99.95 wt% solvent achievable
Azeotropic Distillation
>99.5 wt% with entrainer recycle
Molecular Sieves
Limited by adsorbent regeneration
Energy
Pervaporation
100 to 200 kWh/m³, no phase change
Azeotropic Distillation
300 to 600 kWh/m³, multi-column
Molecular Sieves
200 to 400 kWh/m³ including regeneration
Footprint
Pervaporation
Compact skid
Azeotropic Distillation
Large column train + entrainer system
Molecular Sieves
Twin-bed system with regeneration loop
Best fit
Pervaporation
Solvent dehydration, azeotrope breaking, GMP environments
Azeotropic Distillation
Very high volume, established plants
Molecular Sieves
Final polish from <1% water content
Where it's deployed
Industries that use this process.
Pervaporation fits some sectors better than others. The industries below are where we have shipped multiple systems.
Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences
Sanitary fabrication and patented solvent recovery for GMP and life-sciences environments.
Learn more
Industrial Manufacturing & Environmental
Process equipment, packaged plants, and patented recovery for manufacturing, water reuse, and emissions control.
Learn more
Oil, Gas & Energy
Process equipment, packaged plants, and patented separation for upstream, midstream, downstream, and energy.
Learn more
Engineering FAQ
Questions engineers ask.
The questions we hear weekly. If you have a different one, send it with your consultation request and we will answer it directly.
What solvents can pervaporation handle?
Why pervaporation over distillation?
Can pervaporation make GMP-grade solvent?
What about water content above 50%?
Membrane life expectancy?
Have a feed that PV
might fit?
We will pilot before we promise. Send us a sample and a target outcome. If the technology fits, we will tell you what to expect; if it does not, we will tell you that too.