Pervaporation performance of poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid) membranes was examineed at several feed ethanol concentrations and temperatures. The incorporation of carboxylic acid groups into the glassy polyacrylonitrile membrane made it possible to selectively separate water from aqueous ethanol solution by pervaporation. Carboxylic groups play a role as carriers for water. Concentration dependent diffusion of water through the membranes was assumed and a new permeation equation is proposed and discussed.