Measurement of van der Waal’s forces between iron/iron surfaces in water by Atomic Force Microscopy

Agglomeration of fine iron ore particles in fluidised beds used for the reduction of iron ore prompted us to assess the nature and extent of contact forces between iron particles. We used a Nanoscope Dimension 3100 series atomic force microscope inside a fluid cell, taking due account of the magnetic effects in this ferromagnetic system to measure quantitatively the magnitude of the van der Waal’s force between an iron substrate and a small iron spherical tip.