Eudialyte, page-429

You have frequently told us that ETM appointed a new director to explore the possibility of mining eudialyte.

The new director is lead author in Saxon, M., Leijd, M., Forrester, K., and Berg, J., 2015. Geology, mineralogy, and metallurgical processing of the Norra Kärr heavy REE deposit, Sweden. In: Simandl, G.J. and Neetz, M., (Eds.), Symposium on Strategic and Critical Materials Proceedings, November 13-14, 2015, Victoria, British Columbia. British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia Geological Survey Paper 2015-3, pp. 97-107

Two paragraphs caught my attention, neither of which sees eudialyte in a particularly favourable light.

1.
"As established above, greater than 95% of REEs at Norra Kärr are hosted by the Na-Ca zirconosilicate mineral eudialyte. The name eudialyte is taken from the Greek to mean ‘easily dissolved’, due to the mineral’s high solubility in weak acid. However, despite this solubility and simplicity of the ‘cracking’ stage of processing, to date eudialyte has not been used commercially as a source for REE or Zr."

2.
"In contrast to the REE, which are only found in significant amount in eudialyte, Zr and Hf are distributed through two minerals. Approximately 60% of the Zr is hosted by eudialyte, with the balance contained in the hydrated zirconosilicate catapleiite (Ca/Na2 ZrSi3 O9 •2H2 O). Current metallurgical design does not envisage recovery of these elements."

Has the director published a paper in which he shows enthusiasm for eudialyte and describes economically viable extraction techniques?