Nanocomposite membranes were prepared for vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) by casting the dope suspension on top of a nonwoven polyester backing material. The dope consisted of 7.0 wt % hydrophilic SiO 2 nanoparticles and a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) blend of high molecular weight (H) and low molecular weight (L). The effects of the blend ratio (H:L) and the penetration time (τ), defined as the period between the completion of membrane casting and the immersion in the coagulation bath, on the membrane properties and performance were studied. It was found that the VMD flux is governed by the pore size and thickness of the top layer (defined as the layer formed above the backing material), both of which are affected by the H:L ratio and the penetration time. Results indicate that the VMD flux increased as the portion of L in the casting dope increased at constant τ, while a maximum flux was observed at τ = 2 min when the penetration time was changed at constant H:L ratio. It was also observed that the liquid entry pressure of water (LEP w ) of membranes changed with the PVDF blend ratio and penetration time due to alteration of the maximum pore size. Considering all the data collected, the combination of H:L = 2:8 and penetration time of 3 min was identified as the best condition for the preparation of nanocomposite membranes, achieving one of the highest VMD fluxes, 12.1 kg/m 2 h at 27.5 °C and 1.2 kPa, an improved LEP w of 27.0 psig, and a near complete NaCl rejection.