American Manganese Produces Cathode Precursor Material Directly from Recycled Lithium-Ion Battery NMC Cathode Waste

SURREY, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / American Manganese Inc.(TSXV:AMY)(OTCQB:AMYZF)(FSE:2AM) ("AMY" or the "Company"), a pioneer in advanced lithium-ion battery cathode recycling, and its independent R&D contractor Kemetco Research Inc. ("Kemetco") are pleased to report the production of NMC (lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide) cathode precursor material directly from recycled NMC cathode waste, using the RecycLiCo™ patented process. The RecycLiCo™ product shares the same high-quality technical specifications - such as particle morphology, size, and distribution - found in conventional lithium-ion battery cathode precursor materials.

Figure 1 - Scanning Electron Microscopy Scan of Cathode Precursor from Recycled NMC Cathode Waste

Moreover, American Manganese intends to enhance the processing flexibility of the RecycLiCo™ process by adjusting the ratio of leached metals before the end cathode precursor product is made. By adjusting the ratio of the leached metals, it would give RecycLiCo™ the ability to recycle older cathode chemistries, such as NMC-111, and transform the end-product into modern cathode chemistries, such as NMC-622 or NMC-811, in one closed-loop process. The Company will test this concept in its next production batch.

"We are very excited about the quality of the cathode precursor material that we can produce directly from recycled cathode waste, and we aim to further adapt the RecycLiCo™ process to the rapidly changing lithium-ion battery industry," said Larry Reaugh, President and CEO of American Manganese. "The feedstock material used in these recycling tests comes from lithium-ion battery production waste, which accounts for at least 10% of a Gigafactory's production capacity. Therefore, by integrating the RecycLiCo™ process alongside Gigafactories, we envision the recycling of battery production waste directly into cathode precursor material for use in battery re-manufacturing."

About Kemetco Research Inc.

Kemetco Research is a private sector integrated science, technology, and innovation company. Their Contract Sciences operation provides laboratory analysis and testing, field work, bench scale studies, pilot plant investigations, consulting services, applied research and development for both industry and government. Their clients range from start-up companies developing new technologies through to large multinational corporations with proven processes.

Kemetco provides scientific expertise in the fields of Specialty Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Process and Extractive Metallurgy. Because Kemetco carries out research in many different fields, it can offer a broader range of backgrounds and expertise than most laboratories.

About American Manganese Inc.

American Manganese Inc. is a critical metals company focused on the recycling of lithium-ion batteries with the RecycLiCo™ patented process. The RecycLiCo™ patented process was developed to offer a closed-loop and environmentally friendly solution for the recycling of cathode materials used in lithium-ion batteries. The recycling process provides high extraction and purity of cathode metals, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and aluminum. The RecycLiCo™ process was designed with the goal to produce recycled battery products that could be seamlessly and directly integrated into the re-manufacturing of battery cathodes using minimal processing steps.

On behalf of Management

AMERICAN MANGANESE INC.
Larry W. Reaugh
President and Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: 778 574 4444
Email: lreaugh@amymn.com

www.americanmanganeseinc.com
www.recyclico.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain "forward-looking statements", which are statements about the future based on current expectations or beliefs. For this purpose, statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate or true. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by law.

SOURCE: American Manganese Inc.