The structure and performance of acrylonitrile-maleic anhydride copolymer membranes with different molecular weights were investigated. The results showed that the water flux of the membrane decreased gradually with increasing molecular weight of the copolymer; the rejection increased only when there was an obvious increase of molecular weight. The addition of an additive (polyvinylpyrrolidone) largely decreased the water flux and rejection of the membrane when the concentration of the copolymer remained unchanged. The higher the molecular weight, the thicker were the transition layer and the wall of the support pore and the better was the anticompactness of the membrane.