With all due respect, in my opinion, the importance of whether the process is patentable or not, is a moot point. What is important is that it appears that the process could be a lower cost method of processing chromite ore from the ROF. The real challenge will be to find the right technical/engineering team to take the process from an experimental lab scale to a workable commercial stage.........that could take far longer than dealing with any patent application. At the very least, both efforts could run simultaneously.

Ciao

geoprof