Modern microscopic methods such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) have significantly increased our understanding of bitumen microstructure. This article will discuss this topic further, looking at applications and the industry’s future.
The high-resolution property of atomic force microscopes enables this powerful tool to be ideal for the characterization of nanoparticles and nanomaterials due to providing qualitative and quantitative data on a range of physical properties.
Atomic force microscopy can address many food quality analysis challenges owing to the excellent spatial resolution meaning species such as bacteria can be detected and local inhomogeneities in the food texture can be visualized.