Technical note: Co-localized (colloidal probe) atomic force microscopy / Raman spectroscopy measurements for floatability characterization

Atomic force microscopy measurements are chemically blind towards the underlying sample surface. On chemically heterogeneous samples e.g. ores the identification of regions of interest relies on the optical microscopic image and previous sample characterizations e.g. by a SEM + EDX combination. In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time the application of co-localized colloidal probe atomic force microscopy / Raman (CP-AFM-Raman) measurements, combining the wettability information of a cassiterite in a quartz matrix with the identification of the mineral phases by their Raman spectra at a high spatial resolution of only 1 µm. Additional topography measurements are performed highlighting the selective adsorption of sulfosuccinamate molecules, resulting in a nano-structuring of the cassiterite surface by collector molecules.