Adsorption of Methylene Blue on PVDF Membrane and PVDF/TiO2 Hybrid Membrane: Batch and Cross-Flow Filtration Studies

The adsorption of methylene blue (MB) on poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and PVDF/titanium dioxide(TiO2) membranes with 1.5 wt% dosage was examined through batch adsorption and dynamic cross-flow filtration experiments. The effects of pH, temperature, and initial MB concentration on adsorption performance were evaluated via batch experiments. The Thomas model was applied to analyze the membrane filtration process, while kinetic, isothermal, and thermodynamic models were integrated to elucidate the adsorption mechanisms. Results demonstrated that low temperature and high initial MB concentration significantly improved MB adsorption on both membranes. Under neutral pH conditions (pH = 7), the maximum adsorption capacities of PVDF and PVDF/TiO2 membranes reached 1.518 ± 0.025 mg/g and 0.189 ± 0.008 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption processes on both membranes conformed to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, with optimal fitting to the Langmuir isotherm model. Thermodynamic analysis revealed physical adsorption mechanisms, as evidenced by adsorption free energy (E) calculated via the Dubinin–Radushrevich model Notably, PVDF membrane exhibited a more pronounced mass transfer zone height (hZ = 2.3 ± 0.1 cm) and achieved higher adsorption capacity (2.1 ± 0.09 mg/g) than PVDF/TiO2 membranes (0.25 ± 0.01 mg/g). The TiO2 incorporation reduced hybrid membrane adsorption capacity and significantly mitigated membrane fouling caused by adsorption, with PVDF/TiO2 membranes showing a 32 ± 2.5% lower flux decline rate than PVDF membranes with less MB into the pores. This study provides fundamental data supporting the combined application of “adsorption–subsequent oxidation” using PVDF-based membranes in dye wastewater treatment.