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Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy that can analyze topographic details of various specimens like ceramics, glass, polymers, and biological samples. AFM offers over 1000 times more resolution than the optical imaging system. Images generated from AFM are three-dimensional surface profiles, offering an advantage over the flat, two-dimensional images from other imaging techniques.
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 14, 2026

Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of Particle-particle Interactions Using Colloidal Probe Nanoscopy

Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of Particle-particle Interactions Using Colloidal Probe Nanoscopy

Published on: July 18, 2014

Compositional mapping of bitumen using local electrostatic force interactions in atomic force microscopy.

Sergei Magonov¹, John Alexander¹, Marko Surtchev¹

¹NT-MDT Development Inc, Tempe, Arizona, U.S.A.

Journal of Microscopy

|October 8, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Bee-like structures in bitumen are primarily composed of wax, not a wax-asphaltene mix. This experimental study used Atomic Force Microscopy to map bitumen surfaces, revealing wax as the main component of these features.

Keywords:

AFM bee-like structure bitumen electric/dielectric mapping surface morphology

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Last Updated: Mar 14, 2026

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Chemical Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering

Background:

Bitumen surface morphology, particularly bee-like structures, is investigated to link chemical composition to performance.
Existing research links surface morphology to stiffness and stress but lacks clarity on the origin of features due to bitumen's complex nature.
A key question is whether these features form from wax or wax-asphaltene coprecipitation.

Purpose of the Study:

To experimentally investigate the origin of bee-like surface morphological features in bitumen.
To differentiate domains based on polarity and enhance compositional mapping techniques.
To test the hypothesis of wax-asphaltene coprecipitation versus wax-dominated structures.

Main Methods:

Utilized Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for surface morphology analysis.
Employed single-pass detection and mapping of local electric properties via AFM.
Conducted experimental compositional mapping to analyze bitumen surface features.

Main Results:

Atomic Force Microscopy effectively differentiated surface domains based on polarity.
Experimental evidence supports the hypothesis that bee-like features are predominantly composed of wax.
Identified a variety of alkanes as constituents of the bee-like structures.

Conclusions:

The study provides experimental validation for the composition of bitumen's bee-like surface features.
Findings suggest that these structures are primarily formed from wax, challenging the coprecipitation theory.
This research enhances understanding of bitumen micromechanics and performance properties by clarifying surface morphology origins.