Definition

1. Verb:
   • To cause a liquid to evaporate through a semipermeable membrane: This refers to the process of separating components of a liquid mixture by forcing it through a membrane where one component vaporizes more readily.
   • To evaporate through a semipermeable membrane: This describes the action of a liquid component passing through a membrane in vapor form.

Usage

The verb "pervaporate" is a technical term used primarily in chemistry and chemical engineering. It describes a specific separation process. It is typically used in the active voice (to pervaporate something) or in the passive voice (a substance is pervaporated).

Examples

• The laboratory set up a system to pervaporate the water from the ethanol solution, effectively dehydrating it.
• In this membrane module, the organic solvent will pervaporate, leaving behind the heavier contaminants.
• The separated component was successfully pervaporated through the polymer membrane.

Advanced Usage

• Pervaporation Process: The industrial-scale application of pervaporating mixtures, often used for dehydrating solvents or removing volatile organic compounds from water.
  • The plant uses pervaporation to produce high-purity biofuels.

Variants and Related Words

• Pervaporation (n): The technical name for the process or technique of pervaporating.
  • Pervaporation is an energy-efficient separation method.
• Pervaporative (adj): Relating to or involving pervaporation.
  • The pervaporative properties of the new membrane were tested.

Synonyms

• Membrane-evaporate (technical synonym, less common)
• Selectively evaporate (descriptive synonym)

Notes on Meaning

This word has a very specific, technical meaning related to a physical separation process. It is not used in general language. Both of its core definitions describe aspects of the same scientific phenomenon.

Verb

1. cause (a liquid) to evaporate through a semipermeable membrane
2. evaporate through a semipermeable membrane