RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:SX, Hybird and HRT...CC - Would not the following indicate that Ucore has proven that the pilot plant can separate all the REEs using the bench scale process that identified it had separated all 17 REEs in the March 2, 2015 press release.
March 2, 2015 - Ucore proves MRT process for separation of entire suite of individual REEs at high purity -
https://ucore.com/ucore-successfully-separates-entire-suite-of-individual-rare-earth-elements-at-high-purity It is my understanding that the above MRT process was then replicated in the Pilot Plant.
April 5, 2016 - Pilot Plant Commissioned
June 7, 2016 - Pilot Plant separates HREE and LREE -
https://ucore.com/ucore-separates-hree-and-lree-classes-at-99-purity-via-superlig-one-pilot-plant July 5, 2016 - Pilot Plant separates Dy and Ho Sub-groups from HREE -
https://ucore.com/ucore-separates-dy-and-ho-sub-groups-at-99-purity-via-superlig-one-pilot-plant August 5, 2016 - Pilot Plan produces Dysprosium at 99.99% -
https://ucore.com/ucore-produces-99-99-dysprosium-via-superlig-one-pilot-plant If you can do one REE using a Pilot Plant version of the bench scale process then why would you not then be able to do all REEs using the Pilot Plant version of the bench scale process that had separated all 17 REEs?
This appears to me to be the reason there is no press release indicating that they had separated all REEs via the Pilot Plant. Ucore felt comfortable that they had proven the technology at Pilot Plant scale. Their subsequent action would seem to indicate this as well.
September 2016 - Ucore/IBC decide to focus on PGM.
Q1 2017 - Ucore/IBC start having issues.