Study on the dispersibility of manganese dioxide in the polyvinyl alcohol system and evaluation of the material’s phosphate adsorption capacity

Abstract

This study focuses on investigating the stabilisation and functional enhancement of MnO₂ nanoparticles in an ethanol/water mixture through the incorporation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). While MnO₂ has a tendency to particle aggregation and sedimentation after 30 days in ethanol/water-based solutions, the addition of PVA created a thermodynamically stable system, as well as improved adhesion to substrate surfaces. By using chemical analysis methods such as measurements of electrical conductivity and viscosity, combined with optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, the interaction mechanisms between MnO₂ and the PVA - water - ethanol system were clarified. This contributes to highlighting the role of PVA in maintaining colloidal stability and promoting uniform particle distribution. The results show that the MnO₂-PVA material achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of 50 mg/g, representing a significant improvement of 2.4 mg/g compared to the
unmodified sample. The findings suggest that PVA is an effective additive for enhancing both the stability and functional performance of MnO₂-PVA materials for polluted water treatment.