Vancouver, BC (FSCwire) - Larry W. Reaugh, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Manganese Inc. (“American Manganese” or “AMI” or the “Company”), (TSX.V:  AMY; Pink Sheets:  AMYZF; Frankfurt:  2AM), is pleased to expand on the previously announced (December 16, 2016) work under the “Reagent Optimization and Locked Cycle Scoping Study” being performed by Kemetco Research Inc. (Kemetco). 

Work commenced on November 24, 2016 and continues as planned. The Company is reporting now solely on results completed to date and not the total optimization program, as these procedures must be added to our final patent application and therefore must remain confidential.  Results are on schedule and at this point in the program confirm our initial expectations.

Results are as follows:

•   Leaching tests to optimize reagent usage

This work is completed. The leach optimization determined the conditions that minimizes reagent consumption for extracting lithium and cobalt from lithium cobalt oxide cathode material. These results confirmed that lithium and cobalt recoveries of 100% and 99.8%, respectively, can be achieved.

•   Optimization of product recovery

This work is also complete, with the precipitation optimization determined the conditions that minimizes reagent consumption for recovering lithium and cobalt compounds from the leach solutions.

Single pass precipitation achieved recoveries of about 60% of the lithium as lithium carbonate and 100% of the cobalt as cobalt hydroxide as expected.  Kemetco expects that the lock-cycle testing, which is under way, will show a significant increase in lithium recovery.  

•   Solid-liquid separation and washing tests on recovered products

This work has been completed and will form the basis of operation for future pilot plant testing.

•   Integration of efficient water recovery technology

At this stage of reporting, water recovery technology testing is currently in progress.

•  Reformulation and characterization of products to reconstitute cathode materials, and produce working coin cell rechargeable batteries.

          This phase of the work will be done completion of the cycle research program.

•   Proof of concept of other Lithium Ion chemistries (Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt [NMC]); including leaching and precipitation tests to understand level of extractions that are achievable with more complex chemistries.

Not initiated yet.  Kemetco will do scoping tests on samples of NMC upon completion of the study with lithium cobalt oxide.

•   Locked cycle testing to quantify the increased recoveries of lithium associated with solution recycling.

          Tests are underway.

The current program is being 50% funded by the Canadian Government under a IRAP grant.

About Kemetco Research Inc.

Kemetco Research Inc. is a privately owned contract research and development company specializing in extractive metallurgy, chemical processing and specialty chemical analysis.  It was formed after the acquisition of the industrial process division of B.C. Research, which had been in operation for over 60 years as a research and development contractor in British Columbia.

About American Manganese Inc.

American Manganese Inc. is a diversified specialty and critical metal company focused on capitalizing on its patented intellectual property through low cost production or recovery of electrolytic manganese products throughout the world, and recycling of spent electric vehicle lithium ion rechargeable batteries.

Interest in the Company’s patented process has adjusted the focus of American Manganese Inc. toward the examination of applying its patented technology for other purposes and materials.  American Manganese Inc. aims to capitalize on its patented technology and proprietary know-how to become and industry leader in the recycling of spent electric vehicle lithium ion batteries having cathode chemistries such as:  Lithium-Cobalt, Lithium-Cobalt-Nickel-Manganese, and Lithium-Manganese (Please see the Company’s January 19, 2017 press release for further details).

On behalf of Management

AMERICAN MANGANESE INC.

Larry W. Reaugh
President and Chief Executive Officer

Information Contacts:

Larry W. Reaugh,

President and Chief Executive Officer
Telephone:  778 574 4444; Email: lreaugh@amymn.com

www.americanmanganeseinc.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.

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