Preparation and characterizing of PVDF/TiO₂/GO membranes for oil–water separation

Oil–water separation has applications in industrial production, environmental protection, and energy production and plays a positive role in promoting economic development and protecting water resources. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofiber membranes are highly regarded in the field of oily wastewater purification due to their excellent mechanical strength and corrosion resistance. In this study, fiber membranes were prepared by electrostatic spinning method using poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), titanium dioxide (TiO₂), and graphene oxide (GO) as raw materials (voltage: 15.5 kV, distance: 11 cm, and spinning solution concentration of about 12.8%). It was proved that the PVDF/TiO₂/1% GO fiber membrane had good hydrophobicity and superoleophilicity. The prepared fiber membrane was recycled several times, and the separation efficiency and permeation flux were measured by gravity sedimentation and direct measurement, respectively, and the experimental results showed that the separation efficiency was more than 98%, and the permeation flux was up to 1700 L/m²/h. Therefore, the material has good oil–water separation effect.