Catalytic dehydration of methanol was studied in a reactor with inert, selectively permeable walls made of NaA zeolite membranes. Zeolite layer was synthesized on the flat metal-ceramic support by the in situ crystallization method resulting in selective and thermally resistant membrane. The separation factor of the model water/methanol mixture in the temperature range of 150-250 degrees C varied from 22 to 5 and the permeate flux of 0.6 kg h(-1) m(-2) was reached. Dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether was carried out in flow mode in the membrane reactor, using gamma-alumina catalyst. The effect of temperature, WHSV, feed pressure and flow rate of a sweep gas on methanol conversion was analyzed. The maximal conversion reached in the zeolite membrane reactor (ZMR) at 250 degrees C was 88% which is higher than in a conventional reactor by 8%. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.