Lithium brine feedstocks provides abundant opportunities to collaborate with innovative partners across the critical battery mineral supply chain

Powered by ReElement is a value-added offering for specific separation and purification of critical and rare earth elements optimizing existing processing techniques to now include direct lithium extraction for lithium brines

FISHERS, IN / ACCESSWIRE / May 14, 2024 / American Resources Corporation's (NASDAQ:AREC) ("American Resources" or the "Company") wholly owned subsidiary, ReElement Technologies Corporation, ("ReElement") a leading provider of high performance refining capacity of rare earth and critical battery elements, announced today that it has successfully separated and purified lithium from feedstocks derived from lithium brine sources. As such, the Company has expanded its Powered by ReElement service offering to include integration into direct lithium extraction ("DLE") flow sheets.

By utilizing ReElement's advanced and patented separation and purification refining platform, firms engaged in direct lithium extraction can streamline removal of divalent elements after brine concentration steps and significantly reduce the chemicals needed within legacy brine purification, offering a simplified flow sheet with reduced capital expenditure. ReElement Technologies has been collaboratively working with various direct lithium extraction technology providers to process lithium brine feedstocks that have gone through a DLE concentration processes in conjunction with its newly-launched Powered By ReElement service offering. The Company established the Powered By ReElement platform to focus on inline partnerships with other critical and rare earth mineral processors, recyclers or refiners that need to optimize certain components of their separation and purification process.

Mark Jensen, CEO of ReElement Technologies, states, "We again applaud our technical team for continuing to make groundbreaking progress with our unique and patented critical minerals separation and purification methods as well as driving optimization and efficiencies throughout our entire process. Over the past several months, we've been collaborating with a number of entities around the world that are at different phases of attempting to operate and scale traditional hydrometallurgical and/or solvent-based extraction processes, but are becoming frustrated and aware of their challenges including the lack of versatility, the costs and the lack of scalability of such facilities. Additionally, we have also had the opportunity to begin collaborating with innovative DLE companies to showcase the efficacy and our value added approach in separating and purifying lithium brine feedstocks that have gone through an extraction and/or concentration step. DLE has the potential to make a significant impact to the rapidly growing lithium market with the implementation of capturing lithium from brines. Our advanced separation and purification technology has the potential to significantly reduce the cost structure of the DLE process and to purify and refine into battery grade products. Our advanced refining process makes the separation and purification step the lowest cost component of the overall refining process and enables the platform to scale over time as production increases, which makes it highly efficient and globally competitive. We are excited to now share our complementary product offering to the lithium brine market and to broaden our critical mineral feedstocks which also include concentrated ores, end-of-life magnets and black mass (shredded lithium-ion battery cathode). All of these feedstocks allow us to produce battery cell-grade (99.9%), magnet grade (99.5%+) or ultra-pure niobium and other critical metals at ultra-high purity of 99.999% products. Our goal is to establish an efficient and effective worldwide supply chain which also includes closing the loop and being able to refine products outside of the current monopoly that exists in the world."

DLE is a groundbreaking approach to capturing lithium from lithium-rich solutions. Unlike conventional methods, which rely on evaporation and mineral concentration, DLE involves the selective extraction of lithium from sources such as brines. This method bypasses the need for evaporation ponds, allowing for faster extraction rates, reduced water consumption and a reduced environmental impact.

ReElement's versatile platform has now shown efficacy on purification and recovery of critical battery minerals across naturally occurring lithium including lepidolite, spodumene, and concentrated brine solutions as well as mid-stream and end-of-life battery waste. The Powered by ReElement service is a downstream process from DLE which can reduce and eliminate steps within the refining process to battery-grade products for both cost reduction and flow sheet simplification. Streamlined process flow is critical to establishing and safeguarding the DLE market against lithium market volatility.

Chris Moorman, Chief Commercial Officer of ReElement Technologies will be attending and presenting at the Direct Lithium Extraction Argentina 2024 Exhibition & Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina on May 13^th - 14^th, 2024. To set up a time to meet or discuss, please reach out via LinkedIn by clicking HERE.

Learn more about ReElement Technologies' process and technology here - Video.

About ReElement Technologies Corporation

ReElement Technologies Corporation is redefining how critical and rare earth elements are both sourced and processed while focusing on the recycling of end-of-life products such as rare earth permanent magnets and lithium-ion batteries, as well as coal-based waste streams and byproducts to create a low-cost and environmentally-safe, circular supply chain. ReElement has developed its innovative and scalable "Capture-Process-Purify" process chain in conjunction with its licensed intellectual property including 16 patents and technologies and sponsored research partnerships with three leading universities to support the domestic supply chain's growing demand for magnet and battery metals. For more information visit reelementtech.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About American Resources Corporation

American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ: AREC) is a next-generation, environmentally and socially responsible supplier of high-quality raw materials to the new infrastructure market. The Company is focused on the extraction and processing of metallurgical carbon, an essential ingredient used in steelmaking, critical and rare earth minerals for the electrification market, and reprocessed metal to be recycled. American Resources has a growing portfolio of operations located in the Central Appalachian basin of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia where premium quality metallurgical carbon and rare earth mineral deposits are concentrated.

American Resources has established a nimble, low-cost business model centered on growth, which provides a significant opportunity to scale its portfolio of assets to meet the growing global infrastructure and electrification markets while also continuing to acquire operations and significantly reduce their legacy industry risks. Its streamlined and efficient operations are able to maximize margins while reducing costs. For more information visit americanresourcescorp.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, or achievements or industry results to differ materially from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond American Resources Corporation's control. The words "believes", "may", "will", "should", "would", "could", "continue", "seeks", "anticipates", "plans", "expects", "intends", "estimates", or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Any forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. The Company cannot assure you that the projected results or events will be achieved.

Investor Contact:
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Jenene Thomas
833-475-8247
arec@jtcir.com

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Company Contact:
Mark LaVerghetta
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317-855-9926 ext. 0
investor@americanresourcescorp.com

SOURCE: American Resources Corporation