I-Minerals Produces its Best Ever Metakaolin

VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - September 18, 2017) - I-Minerals lnc. (TSX VENTURE: IMA) (OTCQB: IMAHF) (FRANKFURT: 61M) (the "Company")announces that further to the Company's press release of August 29, 2017, it has received results of ASTM C618-15 testing from CTL Thomson in Denver, CO of the various metakaolin products produced using the flash calcination technologies of FLSmidth in Allentown, PA. The key test is the water requirement measured as a percentage of the control samples with 115% of control the acceptable maximum. Four samples representative of calcining temperatures of 700, 750, 800 and 850° C were sent for testing and all fell in the range of 108-110% of control and hence handily met the ASTM C618-15 water demand specifications.

"As part of the last several pilot plants, we have experimented with particle sizes and other inputs," stated Thomas Conway President and CEO of I-Minerals Inc. "However, this metakaolin, produced using the flash calcination technology, has created the best combination of strength, lowest water demand and color. As noted in our press release of August 29, initial testing of the use of hydrocyclones to make the clay/sand separation generated a cleaner cut resulting in higher clay recovery. Hence not only are we making the best metakaolin we ever have, but the hydrocyclone technology stands to increase metakaolin production with potential to modestly reduce both CAPEX and OPEX."

With respect to the 28-day Strength Activity Index (%) number, the minimum threshold to achieve to meet the ASTM C618-15 standard is 75. The four samples sent for testing resulted in values from 86.4-94.3 % and are expected to increase with additional time. For comparative purposes fly ash, the most common pozzolan, generally demonstrates strength numbers in the mid-80s, although there is variability across fly ash products.

"These results indicate we can make a pozzolan at least as good as high-quality fly ash," continued Conway. "With fly ash becoming scarcer as coal fired electric plants shift to gas or are shut down, a consistent supply of quality pozzolans is becoming increasingly challenging. Water demand is the test that inhibits the success of many natural pozzolans and meeting the specifications bodes very well for the market opportunities for our metakaolin in the Pacific Northwest. Having a high quality metakaolin alongside our best in class K-spar, our world class halloysite and the highest SiO₂, lowest iron quartz in the Pacific Northwest positions the Company very well as we push forward towards eventual production of these high-quality minerals."