An attempt to separate acetic acid from xylose and sulfuric acid in a simulated hemicellulosic hydrolysate by emulsion liquid membranes (ELMs) was made in a batch reactor for the first time. This is the first step to realize the ultimate goal of xylose purification by removal of acetic acid from the hydrolysate and by subsequent removal of sulfuric acid. In order to develop the ELM system for selective removal of acetic acid, the effects of various experimental variables on extraction of acetic acid, xylose and sulfuric acid were investigated. Under a specific operating condition, the apparent degree of extraction of acetic acid was higher than 99% in the ELM system while those of xylose and sulfuric acid were below zero. Also, the enrichment ratio of acetic acid was 5.45 while those of xylose and sulfuric acid were below 0.15. These results demonstrated the superiority of the current ELM work. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.