Virdis Mining & Minerals (ASX:VMM) has described a metallurgical breakthrough processing its ore with neodymium recovery of 76% clocked in the lab. The finding comes after the company sent off samples to ANSTO, Australia’s nuclear regulator. That entity has a testing lab which must process rare earths given the elements are often radioactive, in close proximity to monazite and thorium and other radioactive compounds. Virdis sent off 40kg of rock to ANSTO with a view towards testing recovery rates, and, “optimising … flowsheet design which produces a mixed rare earth carbonate.” The 40kg was ma…