Asked Mark about MRT and SPE.....
The two technologies are akin to one another. Some would say that MRT is actually a specialized sub discipline of SPE. They both use a solid phase (filter) and a liquid phase (eluent), the latter of which is washed through the former. They are both nano scale technologies which essentially ``trap`` the rare earth metals at a molecular level. Our research into SPE actually led us to investigate MRT, and we found the latter to be substantially more effective at selectively binding to individual rare earths. So, MRT and SPE are essentially two branches of the same technological discipline. However, we found MRT to be a great deal more proven in bulk scale industrial and mining applications, and potentially more efficient and cost effective. This highly developed model was simply adapted to the REE industry. The vast majority of operational and scalability risks have been eliminated. Dr. Hammond is a corporate friend and mentor but is very busy growing Metals US with their SPE technology. This is also a powerful and effective technology with vast potential in many processing, recycling and remediation applications. As mentioned however, MRT captures all the attributes of speed, efficiency and accuracy with the added value of proven scalability in metal processing and a successful commercial track record.