The Future of Comminution Workshop

Emeritus Professor Malcolm Powell (FAusIMM, FSAIMM) – Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland 

Emeritus Professor Malcolm Powell has dedicated over 40 years to advancing comminution research and its application in mine design and process improvement. His work has influenced more than 70 mining operations worldwide, spanning roles at Mintek, the Centre for Minerals Research at the University of Cape Town, and as Professor of Comminution at the University of Queensland. 

Malcolm has supervised over 30 postgraduate students and led numerous collaborative research initiatives, including AMIRA P9, CSRP, and CRC ORE programs. He also founded the Anglo American Centre for Sustainable Comminution. A prolific contributor to the field, he has published over 240 papers and presented at conferences across the globe. 

In 2012, Malcolm established the Global Comminution Collaborative, bringing together leading researchers across five continents to drive innovation in comminution. His research focuses on integrated process simulation, linking geology, mining, energy, size reduction, gangue rejection, and recovery to develop flexible and optimized processing solutions. Through his research companies, he applies advanced modeling techniques and fracture mechanics to develop highly energy-efficient, low-impact comminution technologies for the future. 

Bern Klein has dedicated his career to advancing mineral processing technologies, with a focus on energy efficiency and sustainability in mining. From 1990 to 1998, he worked as a design engineer on approximately 300 metallurgical studies, developing processes for base metals, precious metals, and industrial minerals. His expertise spans comminution, gravity concentration, magnetic separation, flotation, leaching, solid-liquid separation, and effluent treatment. These studies supported a wide range of clients, from junior exploration companies to major international mining firms, on projects across the globe. 

In November 1997, Bern joined the Department of Mining and Mineral Process Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where he taught courses in Comminution and Size Classification, Processing of Precious Metal Ores, Mineral Process Design, and Rheology of Mineral Suspensions. In 1999, he led the establishment of the Centre for Industrial Minerals Innovations with support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation. He served as Graduate Advisor for the Mining Department from 1999 to 2008 and later as Department Head from 2008 to 2014. 

In 2013, Bern spearheaded a UBC proposal to create the Canadian International Resources and Development Institute (CIRDI) and served as Acting Executive Director to launch the institute from September 2013 to April 2014. His research focuses on technology and innovation to enhance energy efficiency and reduce the environmental footprint of mining operations. This work led to the creation of MineSense Technologies Ltd, a pioneering startup that has developed novel sensor-based sorting systems to optimize mineral processing in the mining industry.