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Jeff Chen is a pyrometallurgist with strong expertise in high-temperature phase equilibria and gas/solid reaction kinetics. He has over 15 years of research experience in extractive metallurgy, focusing on metals such as Cu, Pb, Ni, PGM, and Fe, through ongoing research collaborations with major mining and metal producers worldwide. Jeff has successfully secured over 10 million dollars in research funds from the Australian government and industry, primarily through funding schemes like ARC linkage and Trailblazer. His contributions to the field include the publication of over 60 papers in leading journals and major conferences in metallurgy, and he was awarded the Best Paper Award from TMS in 2021.

In addition, Jeff is a recognised expert in various quantitative microanalysis techniques, including electron microprobe (WDS) and laser ablation ICP-MS. His specialization lies in the application of quantitative microanalysis in the field of extractive metallurgy. He played a pioneering role in implementing LA-ICP-MS for trace element analysis in metallurgical materials and has consistently contributed to the development of new standard reference materials for sulfides and alloys. From 2018 to 2021, he served as the state representative for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in the Australian Microbeam Analysis Society.

Furthermore, Jeff has been actively involved in university teaching, covering subjects such as chemical thermodynamics, pyrometallurgy, and metal production and recycling

Gordon holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, which focused on the application of machine vision, image processing and machine learning algorithms for modelling grade in froth flotation systems.

Gordon spent ten years working for the Victorian Government developing technical computing and modelling solutions. These included the development of the Environmental Systems Modelling Platform, a tool that aims to bring multiple environmental models and datasets into a single easy to use software package, and the development of the Native Vegetation Regulations Tool, to calculate the interactions between proposed clearings and models of rare and threatened species, and thereby determine the required offset credits. More recently, Gordon worked as a data scientist at the Victorian Centre for Data Insights, where he worked with a team focused on delivering innovative data driven solutions across the government sector.

Gordon now applies his data analytics, modelling and technical computing skills at the JKMRC where he works with the Advanced Process Prediction and Control group developing tools for improved time series analysis and visualisation of industrial data and comminution process models.

Richard Lee is a postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Queensland (UQ), Australia.

He obtained his PhD from the UQ School of Chemical Engineering. His PhD study focussed on grinding and flotation chemistry of copper flotation. Richard’s PhD thesis:

• Identified the fundamental chemistry issue of copper flotation containing high-concentration pyrite, which is a big problem faced by global flotation concentrators
• Proposed a pyrite-selective oxidation method using inorganic radicals to improve the depression of high-concentration pyrite in copper flotation

Currently, Richard is working as a research associate in two Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Projects:

• The first project, sponsored by ARC, Newmont and BHP, is focussing on understanding and mitigating the negative effect of process water to improve gold processing during flotation and leaching
• The second project, sponsored by ARC and Vega Industries, is focussing on improving the processing of low-grade copper ores via grinding and flotation chemistry

Richard’s research specialises in base metal grinding and flotation chemistry, surface chemistry, electrochemistry, radical chemistry (Advanced oxidation processes, AOPs) and leaching. He is currently working to apply inorganic radicals in metallurgical processes to improve the extraction and separation of several base and precious metals.

My research focuses on mineral processing technologies, namely, grinding and flotation processes, with especial interest in understanding the complex interplay between ore mineralogy, mineral surface properties and process behaviour. I specialise in the application of advanced mineral surface characterisation techniques such as Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) in mineral processing studies (e.g., grinding, flotation) to identify the key chemistry drivers of process behaviour. This knowledge is vital to understand the underlying mechanisms and devise solutions to improve process efficiency. I look to further develop advanced tools by integrating critical techniques such as ToF-SIMS, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, X-ray Tomography, Mineral Liberation Analysis and X-ray Fluorescence towards more comprehensive and faster mineral characterisation.

I am also interested in developing novel, highly selective reagents for mineral flotation to enable the processing of ores more efficiently, safely and environmentally friendly compared to the traditional reagents. Of particular interest is the use of biochemistries to develop more sustainable reagent technologies.

My research covers both the fundamental aspects underlying mineral processes (e.g., particle-bubble interactions) as well as applications in the minerals industry through close collaborations with the industry. I am Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals (https://coeminerals.org.au/) aiming to achieve a step-change in mineral processing by increasing energy and water efficiency and reducing metal loss during processing. I am also part of the research team of the newly formed Collaborative in Coarse Particle Processing Research, a consortium of 9 industry partners, investigating the implementation of coarse particle technology in the industry.

Pia is Geologist (Hons) from the University of Chile. She worked as a Geomet consultant in Chile before joining SMI as a PhD student. She holds an MSc degree where she studied the physicochemical impacts of gangue minerals in comminution chemical environment and during her PhD’s project she investigated the influence of different textural arrangements over the minimum breakage energy of altered granite rocks. She has experience in data processing, image analysis, geometallurgical modelling, geochemical modelling, samples-test selection for circuit optimisation. Currently, she is Research Office at SMI-JKMRC for the Advance Process Prediction and Control (APPCO) Program

Dr Ngoc N. Nguyen is an associate lecturer and an ARC DECRA Fellow at School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. He was awarded an Australia Award Scholarship by the Australian Government for studying at UQ and attained a PhD in Chemical Engineering at UQ in 2018. After completing his PhD, he was awarded a renowned Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) Fellowship by the AvH Foundation (the German Government) and worked as an AvH fellow at the Department of Physics at Interfaces, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Germany) for three years (2019-2021). Dr Nguyen used to work as a visiting scholar to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in USA and a lecturer at Hanoi University of Science and Technology in Vietnam. He recently secured a prestigious ARC DECRA (Discovery Early-Career Researcher Award) granted by the Australian Research Council (ARC). He is also an associate investigator within the ARC Centre of Excellence for Eco-enabling Beneficiation of Minerals.

His research strives for creating cutting-edge knowledge and innovations in three inter-related pillars of the low-carbon economy:

(1) sustainable energy,

(2) natural resources including critical metals,

(3) innovative approaches for tackling environmental issues such as CO2 emissions and mine waste.

He is working concurrently in these pillars. In particular, he is leading an ARC DECRA project about unconventional energy storage by locking fuel gases (e.g., hydrogen, methane) in the solid lattice of water, taking the intrinsic advantages of water as the cheapest, safest and most sustainable feedstock on Earth. Besides, he his working actively in eco-efficient extraction and separation of valuable resources from the Earth's crust toward a sustainable mineral processing industry for supplying sufficient commodities (e.g., metals) for the energy transition. In addition, Dr Nguyen has enduring interest in creating innovations for tackling the pressing environment problems such as CO2 emissions, with special interest in carbon capture and storage and utilisation, as well as addressing the mine waste in the mineral processing industry and the recylcing of critical metal-containing waste.

Lizette specialises in applying technical knowledge and research outcomes in industrial applications to improve process performance.

Lizette holds a Bachelor of Engineering Honours degree in Control Engineering from the University of Pretoria, South Africa and is a minerals processing engineer with more than 15 years industrial experience that joined the JKMRC in 2019. She has extensive experience in processing of precious group metals (PGM’s), copper and iron ore.

She has been involved in a number of commissiong projects, including ultra-fine grinding circuits with optimisation of the downstream flotation circuits and the commissioning and operation of gravity separation plants for the treatment of low grade iron ore. She has also implemented metallurgical ore characterisation test programs in PGM and iron ore processing.

Mohsen Yahyaei is an expert in modelling, optimising, and controlling mineral processing circuits using novel approaches and tools. He is currently the Director of the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) and Program Leader for Future Autonomous Systems and Technologies (FAST) at the University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute.

Mohsen completed his undergraduate studies in Mine Exploration and earned a Master’s degree in Mineral Processing in 2002. His master’s thesis focused on applying column flotation in the Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex, the largest copper mine in the Middle East. After his Master’s, he worked at the R&D centre of the Zarand coal washing plant in Iran for two years before becoming the plant manager. In 2007, he returned to the University of Kerman to pursue a PhD, investigating the effect of liner wear on charge motion and power draw of SAG mills, which he completed in 2010.

Since joining JKMRC in 2011, Mohsen has conducted extensive applied research and successfully delivered numerous industry-funded projects. As a comminution specialist, he is dedicated to implementing fundamental understandings in his research to offer practical solutions to the minerals industry and educate engineers and researchers with problem-solving skills for future resource industry challenges. His research focuses on optimising mineral processing techniques to enhance efficiency and sustainability, with a strong emphasis on practical application. Mohsen's research extends to advanced process control, including the development of soft sensors and model-predictive control solutions. His work aims to improve the precision and reliability of industrial processes, contributing significantly to the field of mineral processing.