ReElement Technologies Announces Strategic Collaboration with Mitsubishi Materials Corporation to Advance U.S. and Allied Critical Mineral Supply Chains

Partnership and strategic investment support development of circular rare earth and critical mineral supply chains across the United States and Japan

Collaboration combines advanced feedstock sourcing, preprocessing, and refining capabilities

FISHERS, IN / ACCESS Newswire / March 31, 2026 / American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ:AREC) ("American Resources"), through its affiliated minority holding in ReElement Technologies Corporation ("ReElement"), a U.S. innovator in rare earth element (REE) and critical mineral refining for commercial and defense industries, today announced a strategic collaboration with Mitsubishi Materials Corporation ("MMC"), a global leader in advanced materials and resource circulation, which includes a strategic investment in ReElement.

The strategic investment underscores MMC's confidence in ReElement's refining-first platform and further aligns both companies in advancing scalable, economically viable solutions for critical mineral supply chains across the United States and allied nations.

Through this collaboration, ReElement and MMC aim to develop integrated, scalable solutions that enhance supply chain resilience while supporting domestic and allied manufacturing capabilities.

Leveraging Complementary Strengths

In the United States, the collaboration will focus on supporting ReElement's refining operations through feedstock sourcing, tolling, and offtake opportunities, enabling the continued expansion of domestic refining capacity.

In Japan, the parties will jointly evaluate opportunities to commercialize rare earth and critical mineral recycling solutions, leveraging MMC's established recycling infrastructure and ReElement's proprietary chromatographic refining platform.

A Refining-First Approach to Supply Chain Security

ReElement's patented chromatography-based separation and purification technology enables the efficient processing of a wide range of feedstocks - including recycled materials, mine waste, and primary ores - into high-purity critical mineral products.

Unlike conventional solvent-based refining methods, ReElement's platform is designed to be modular, scalable, and environmentally responsible, with reduced capital intensity, lower operating costs, and minimized environmental impact.

This refining-first approach addresses one of the most significant bottlenecks in the global critical mineral supply chain - the ability to economically separate and purify materials at scale.

Mark Jensen, Chief Executive Officer of ReElement Technologies, stated: "We are honored to partner with Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, a global leader in materials innovation and resource circulation. Their commitment and long-term vision reinforce the importance of building secure and resilient critical mineral supply chains across the United States and allied nations."

"By combining MMC's expertise in feedstock sourcing and recycling with ReElement's refining-first platform, we are advancing a scalable and economically viable solution to the midstream bottleneck - one that supports both national security and long-term industrial competitiveness."

Tetsuya Tanaka, Executive Officer and President, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, commented: "This Investment represents an important initiative to concretely advance the enhancement and global expansion of our circular resource business, as outlined in our Medium-term Management Strategy, in both the United States and Japan. By leveraging ReElement's proprietary separation and refining technology, we will work to build a circular resource supply chain in North America, while also conducting a feasibility study toward joint business development in Japan, thereby accelerating the realization of these initiatives."

A New Model for Domestic and Allied Refining

ReElement's refining-first platform is designed to compete globally while enabling domestic and allied supply chains. Its ability to process both recycled and primary materials into high-purity outputs positions the Company as a scalable solution to the midstream refining gap.

Unlike traditional solvent-based refining methods - often difficult to deploy outside of China due to environmental, capital, and operational constraints and risks - ReElement's approach offers a more efficient, modular, and environmentally responsible alternative.

Platform Advantages

ReElement's refining technology enables:

• Modular and scalable capacity expansion

• Localization of processing near feedstock or end markets

• Reduced chemical, energy, and labor intensity

• Multi-mineral, multi-feedstock flexibility across recycled and primary inputs

About ReElement Technologies Corporation

ReElement Technologies Corporation, a minority holding of American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ: AREC), is a leading provider of high-performance refining capacity for rare earth elements and critical minerals. Its refining-first, multi-mineral, multi-feedstock platform is designed to process a wide range of inputs - including recycled materials from permanent magnets, lithium-ion batteries, and industrial, defense, and technology waste streams, as well as mined ores, brines, and coal-based byproducts - into high-purity products that support a cost-effective, environmentally responsible, and circular supply chain.

ReElement's innovative and scalable "Powered by ReElement" process leverages its exclusively licensed and internally developed intellectual property, integrating directly into partners' material processing flowsheets to enhance efficiency and adaptability across the global critical mineral supply chain. For more information visit reelementtech.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About Mitsubishi Materials Corporation

Mitsubishi Materials Corporation is a leading Japanese materials manufacturer with a diverse portfolio spanning metals, advanced materials, and resource recycling. The Company operates globally across copper smelting and refining, electronic materials, and recycling businesses, and is focused on advancing a circular economy through the efficient use and reuse of resources.

Through its recycling and resource circulation initiatives, Mitsubishi Materials is committed to supporting the stable supply of critical materials essential to electrification, advanced technologies, and sustainable infrastructure. For more information, visit www.mmc.co.jp.

About American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ: AREC)

American Resources Corporation is a leader in the critical mineral supply chain, developing innovative solutions both upstream and downstream of the refining process. The company and its affiliates focus on the extraction and processing of metallurgical carbon and iron ore, essential ingredients in steelmaking, as well as critical and rare earth minerals for the electrification market and recycled metals.

Leveraging its affiliation and former parent status of ReElement Technologies Corporation, a leading provider of high-performance refining capacity for rare earth and critical battery elements, American Resources is investing in and developing efficient upstream and downstream critical mineral operations. These operations include mining interests in conventional and unconventional sources, recycling, and manufacturing.

American Resources has established a nimble, low-cost business model centered on growth, which provides a significant opportunity to scale its portfolio of assets to meet the growing global infrastructure and electrification markets while also continuing to acquire operations and significantly reduce their legacy industry risks. Its streamlined and efficient operations are able to maximize margins while reducing costs. For more information visit americanresourcescorp.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, or achievements or industry results to differ materially from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond American Resources Corporation's control. The words "believes", "may", "will", "should", "would", "could", "continue", "seeks", "anticipates", "plans", "expects", "intends", "estimates", or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Any forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. The Company cannot assure you that the projected results or events will be achieved.

Investor Contact:

JTC Team, LLC
Jenene Thomas
(908) 824 - 0775
[email protected]

Media Inquiries:

Marjorie Weisskohl
703-587-1532
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Company Contact:

Mark LaVerghetta
317-855-9926 ext. 0
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SOURCE: American Resources Corporation