Applications of Atomic Force Microscopy in Mineral Flotation

Dear Colleagues,

Mineral flotation, belonging to the family of hetero-coagulation separation techniques, is based on the differences in surface hydrophobicity of dispersed mineral particles. It plays an important role in providing raw materials for various industries. Currently, more than two billion tons of minerals and fine coals are processed annually by using froth flotation worldwide. Up to now, the flotation mechanisms at the nanoscale are still not well understood due to the difficulty in experimental verification. In the past years, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has matured to be an indispensable tool to characterize nanomaterials in colloid and interface science. For imaging, a sharp probe mounted near to the end of a cantilever scans over the sample surface providing a high resolution three-dimensional topographic image. In addition, the AFM tip can be used as a force sensor to detect local properties like adhesion, stiffness, charge, etc. After the invention of the colloidal probe technique it has also become a major method to measure surface forces. In the last two decades, AFM has also been widely used by flotation scientists, greatly assisting the fundamental understanding of flotation. This Special Issue aims to publish papers focusing on recent advances in applications of AFM in mineral flotation field. Contributions reporting on surface imaging, water at mineral surface (water structure, surface nanobubbles, etc.), reagent adsorption, inter-particle force, and bubble–particle interaction (including film drainage) are especially welcome.

Dr.-Ing. Martin Rudolph
Mr. Yaowen Xing
Guest Editors

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