Bern Klein

From 1990 to 1998 I worked as a design engineering on about 300 metallurgical studies aimed at designing processes for base metal, precious metal and industrial mineral projects. The studies were directed at designing processes involving comminution, gravity concentration, magnetic separation, flotation, tank and heap leaching for base and precious metals, solid-liquid separation and effluent treatment. The studies were conducted for a range of companies from junior exploration to international mining companies for mineral prospects around the world.

In November 1997, I joined the Department of Mining and Mineral Process Engineering at the University of British Columbia. I taught courses to in Comminution and Size Classification, Processing of Precious Metal Ores, Mineral Process Design and Rheology of Mineral Suspensions. In 1999, I lead efforts to create the Centre for Industrial Minerals Innovations with support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation. From 1999 to 2008 I served as Graduate Advisor for the Mining Department and from 2008 to 2014, I served as Department Head. In 2013, I lead a UBC proposal to create the Canadian International Resources and Development Institute and served as Acting Executive Director to launch the institute from September 2013- April 2014.

My research is focused on technology and innovation for improved energy efficiency and reduced environmental footprint in mining. The research lead to the creation of a technology startup company called Mine Sense Technologies Ltd that has developed novel sensor based sorting systems for the mining industry.

• Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Transactions, Best Paper Award, 2008
• Canadian Institute of Mining Distinguished Lecturer Award, 2011
• CEEC Medal, Coalition for Energy Efficient Comminution, Best Paper, 2013
• CEEC Medal, Coalition for Energy Efficient Comminution, Best Paper, 2016

• University of British Columbia, 1992, PhD Mineral Process Engineering
• University of British Columbia, 1985, BASc Mining and Mineral Process Engineering

• MINE 292 Introduction to Mineral Processing
• MINE 331 Mineral Processing Unit Operations
• MINE 434 Processing of Precious Metal Ores
• MINE 579 Rheology of Mineral Suspensions
• MINE 557 Integrated Mining and Processing Systems

• Sakuhuni, G., Klein, B., & Altun, N. E. (2015), A hybrid evolutionary performance improvement procedure for optimisation of continuous variable discharge concentrators, Separation and Purification Technology, 145, 130-138.
• Davaanyam, Z., Klein, B. and Nadolski, S. (2015). Using Piston Press Tests for Determining Optimal Energy Input for an HPGR Operation. In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Semi-Autogenous and High Pressure Grinding Technology (SAG 2015), Vancouver, Canada.
• Nadolski, S., Klein, B., Elmo, D., & Scoble, M. (2015). Cave-to-Mill: a Mine-to-Mill approach for block cave mines. Mining Technology, 124(1), 47-55.
• Klein, B., Altun, N.E. and Scoble, M.J. (2015). Comminution: Technology, Energy Efficiency and Innovation. In Proceedings of 24th International Mining Congress and Exhibition of Turkey (IMCET2015), Antalya, Turkey.
• Klein, B., Altun, N.E., Bamber, A. (2014). Surface Mining: Methods, Technologies and Systems. Chapter 12: A New Era in Open Pit Mining: Mine-mill Integration and Enabling Technologies. Wide Publishing. ISBN : 978-81-909043-8-8, p. 373
• Nadolski, S., Klein, B., Kumar, A., & Davaanyam, Z. (2014). An energy benchmarking model for mineral comminution. Minerals Engineering, 65, 178-186.
• Wang, C., Nadolski, S., Mejia, O., Drozdiak, J.A. and Klein, B. (2
• 013). Energy and Cost Comparisons of HPGR Based Circuits with the SABC Circuit Installed at the Huckleberry Mine. In Proceedings of the 45th Annual Canadian Mineral Processors Operations Conference, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
• Aredes, S., Klein, B., & Pawlik, M. (2013). The removal of arsenic from water using natural iron oxide minerals. Journal of Cleaner Production, 60, 71-76.
• Tong, L., Klein, B., Zanin, M., Quast, K., Skinner, W., Addai-Mensah, J., & Robinson, D. (2013). Stirred milling kinetics of siliceous goethitic nickel laterite for selective comminution. Minerals Engineering, 49, 109-115.
• Klein, B., Altun, N. E., Colebrook, M., & Pawlik, M. (2012). Electroacoustic measurements of mixed quartz and iron oxide mineral systems. International Journal of Mineral Processing, 110, 12-17.
• Klein, B., Bamber, A.S., Altun, N.E. and Scoble, M.J. (2011). Towards Tomorrow’s ‘Smart Mine’ –Embedded Sensor Telemetry and Sensor-based Sorting. In Proceedings from the Second International Future Mining Conference. Victoria, Australia: The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
• Klein, B., Energy (2011) Efficiency in Mineral Processing, Canadian Institute of Mining, Distinguished Lecturer Award, 2011