ABSTRACT:A new type of interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) pervaporation membranes based on cellulose and synthetic polymers was developed. They were prepared by free-radical polymerization of acrylamide or acrylic acid in the presence (or absence) of the crosslinking agent (allyldextran or N,N-methylenebisacrylamide) within cellophane films swollen in the reaction mixture. The swelling behavior of these membranes in water-ethanol solutions and their separation characteristics were investigated depending on the polyacrylamide (PAAm) or poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) content in the IPN (C p ) and for ionic cellulose-PAA membranes depending on the degree of neutralization of carboxylic groups and on the type of counterions. IPN membranes were selective over a wide range of ethanol concentration in the feed. The separation factor ( a) and the permeation rate ( P) significantly improved with increasing C p in IPN membranes, especially for the cellulose-PAA(K / form) membranes (for 86% EtOH feed at 50ЊC, and a and P values reached 1500 and 1.6 kg/m 2 h, respectively). The results for ionic and nonionic IPN membranes were compared. The separation characteristics of membranes were in good correlation with their swelling behavior. The a values of the membranes depended on the affinity of the IPN polymer chains functional groups for water.