The application of atomic force microscopy in mineral flotation - A critical review

During the past years, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has matured to be an indispensable surface analytical tool in modern nanomaterials, colloid and interface science, and biological research. A sharp probe mounted near to the end of a cantilever scans along the sample surface providing a high resolution three-dimensional topographic image. On the other hand, the application of AFM used as a force sensor also becomes more and more popular after the invention of the colloidal probe AFM technique. In this review, we highlight the advances in the application of AFM in the field of mineral flotation, such as mineral morphology imaging, mineral-water interface characterization, mineral-reagent interactions, inter-particle interactions, inter-bubble interactions and bubble-particle interactions. Over the coming years, the simultaneous characterization of topography and chemical composition as an imaging tool for AFM and the synchronous measurement of the force and distance involving deformable bubble as a force sensor will become an active area.