Applied Minerals Moves Closer to Commercialization of its DRAGONITE(R) Halloysite Clay for Use in Lithium-Ion Battery Technologies

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - January 17, 2018) - Applied Minerals, Inc. (the "Company" or "Applied Minerals") (OTCQB: AMNL), a leading global producer of halloysite clay and advanced natural iron oxides is pleased to update shareholders and the marketplace on halloysite-based lithium-ion ("Li-ion") battery technology.

The Company's primary objective has been to combine its breadth of knowledge of halloysite with publicly available applied research to pursue the commercialization of DRAGONITE halloysite clay within select applications that offer attractive economic opportunities. To capitalize on research that demonstrates the value of halloysite for use in Li-ion battery technologies, the Company is pursuing the commercialization of DRAGONITE as a value-added material to this market. The following is a summary of the Company's progress.

Conventional Li-ion Battery Electrolytes
A conventional electrolyte is a liquid or gel-based chemical solution that enables the flow of ions (electrical charge) between a battery's anode and cathode material.

Manufacturers of Li-ion batteries that utilize conventional electrolytes are continually focused on (i) increasing the specific capacity of the battery and (ii) reducing the flammability risk associated with the combustion of the electrolyte.

Research demonstrates that the incorporation of halloysite clay within a conventional electrolyte at 10 wt% both significantly increases the energy capacity of the battery and improves its thermal stability in large part due to halloysite clay's unique tubular morphology (research).

According to Andre Zeitoun, President and CEO of Applied Minerals, "The Company has received significant interest in DRAGONITE for use in conventional electrolytes. Three of the leading global suppliers of electrolytes are evaluating DRAGONITE to enhance the performance of their conventional electrolytes. We believe this interest clearly demonstrates the potential DRAGONITE has as an additive for conventional electrolytes."

The size of the global Li-ion electrolyte market was approximately 150,000 tons or USD 1.46 billion in 2016. Consumer electronics use the majority of electrolyte production, followed by electric vehicles and industrial energy storage applications.

Solid Polymer Electrolytes
The wide adoption of electric vehicles and other industrial applications in need of large-scale energy storage is dependent on the commercialization of an all solid-state Li-ion battery ("ASSLB"), which is theoretically capable of providing the size, energy storage and safety required by electric vehicle manufacturers.