The solubility of catalytic membrane of PVA-Zr(Ⅳ) was investigated and that the catalytic layer was found to swell in nearly two hours. The composition of the bulk liquid mixture was varied during the swelling and was different from that of the catalytic layer when the swelling equilibrium state was reached.Furthermore

the reaction rate constants of reaction kinetics equations were obtained for the esterification of acetic acid with n-butanol catalyzed by PVA-Zr（Ⅳ）catalytic membrane. The esterification was taken as a model reaction to study the permeation properties of the catalytic membrane with comparison of the membrane without a catalytic layer. The permeation flux for the catalytic membrane was less than that for the non-catalytic layer membrane in the first reaction stage during swelling

and such comparision was reversed around four hours later when swelling equilibrium was reached.