Energy Storage Industry Veteran Joins Applied Minerals to Drive the Commercialization of DRAGONITE(TM) for Use in Lithium-ion Battery Applications

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - February 08, 2018) - Applied Minerals, Inc. (the "Company" or "Applied Minerals") (OTCQB: AMNL), a leading global producer of halloysite clay under the trade name DRAGONITE and advanced natural iron oxides under the trade name AMIRON™, is pleased to announce that Greg Nielson, Ph.D., a leading executive within the field of energy storage and renewable energy, has joined the Company as an advisor to further the commercialization of its emerging business as a supplier of materials for use in lithium-ion battery applications.

Dr. Nielson will utilize his extensive experience within the field of energy storage to drive the commercialization of DRAGONITE halloysite clay for use in a number of battery technologies as detailed in a previous release. Dr. Nielson's focus will include, among other things, the pursuit of commercial partnerships with one or more leading battery technology companies as well as the expansion of the Company's portfolio of battery-related IP.

"I am very excited to be working with Applied Minerals," Dr. Nielson stated. "They are a powerful team with remarkable foresight. Their halloysite clay -- a unique, naturally occurring nanomaterial -- has already demonstrated significant improvements in lithium-ion battery performance in laboratory testing. They are poised to quickly become a strong player in the market for lithium-ion battery materials."

Andre Zeitoun, President and CEO of Applied Minerals, added, "We are very excited to have Greg join us as an advisor. He will provide the Company with invaluable guidance as we commercialize our rapidly emerging business as a supplier of materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. There is no question that Greg's vast expertise and strong relationships within the battery, energy storage and solar industries will provide us a competitive edge in accelerating the commercialization of this exciting opportunity."

Dr. Nielson was most recently the Chief Scientist of the Solar Technology Department of Vivint Solar, Inc. (NYSE: VSLR) ("Vivint Solar"), the second largest dedicated provider of distributed solar power to residential customers in the United States. While at Vivint Solar, Dr. Nielson took a leading role in the development and implementation of innovations of a number of products and services that accelerated the further adoption of clean, renewable energy technologies among Vivint Solar's customers.