An efficient palladium membrane was employed for hydrogen separation in lab-scale membrane reactor during the process of catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene. Compared with the conventional fixed bed reactor, the effects of reaction conditions including pressure, space velocity and temperatures on the ethylbenzene conversion and selectivity to styrene in the membrane reactor were investigated. It was found that the efficient removal of hydrogen in the membrane reactor could significantly increase the ethylbenzene conversion without at the expense of styrene selectivity. Under the optimal reaction conditions, 11.3% enhancement in yield to styrene was obtained in the membrane reactor. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.