This review aims at summarizing the main research carried out up to 2007 in hydrophilic pervaporation. Both polymeric and inorganic membranes are examined and the dehydration of alcohols such as ethanol and isopropyl alcohol covered in depth. When considering polymeric membranes, the research has been categorised into sections based upon the main polymer type used to achieve the separation. In the case of polymer blends, judgement has been used to group this accordingly. Inorganic membranes have been classified into two categories: inorganic, covering a broad range of inorganic materials and zeolitic, covering any inorganic membranes containing zeolitic material. The amalgamation of organic and inorganic material in the production of hybrid membranes is also reported. Research performed in developing pervaporation membranes for the dehydration of other commonly used organics; acetic acid, tetrahydrofuran and acetone is then detailed and a summary of the current state of hydrophilic pervaporation is finally made. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.