American Manganese Inc. to Receive Contribution Through NRC-IRAP
Added June 15th, 2010 – Vancouver, British Columbia
Larry W. Reaugh, President and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian mining developer, American Manganese Inc., (TSX.V: AMY; Pink Sheets: AMYZF) (“American Manganese” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce it has signed a third Contribution Agreement with the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) to continue the successful development of a hydrometallurgical process to extract and recover high purity manganese from lower grade domestic resources within North America. The success of that program has led to the development of a proprietary process that will be the subject of an application for patent protection. Extensive studies and tests were conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines (U.S.B.M.) over more than forty years. The recent developments have resulted in a treatment strategy that involves an innovative application of modern commercial process equipment. The result will be a more robust, complete flow sheet with reduced operating costs to recover manganese from lower grade resources.
Kemetco Research Inc’s (“Kemetco”) report for the work completed in the initial phase to May 15, 2010 is in progress.
In addition to financial support, NRC-IRAP will provide a range of both technical and business oriented advisory services.
The Company is working with Kemetco to continue the development of a novel hydrometallurgical process which will yield high purity manganese metal and/or manganese dioxide at low cost from North American known resources.
About Manganese
- China controls electrolytic manganese production (EMM) supplying and producing 97.44% of the worlds needs (2.6 billion pounds per year).
- There is no substitution for manganese in steel (total manganese market greater than 30 billion pounds per year, fourth largest traded metal).
- The most critical metal at risk to supply and restriction in North America. No Canadian and US production.
- EMM’s greatest uses are upgrading specialty steel 47%, manufacture of aluminum 32% and electronics 14%.
- China has a 20% export duty on EMM and the US has a 14% import duty, world price is $1.33/lb. and US price is $1.68/lb. Canada has no duty
- Manganese resources are declining in China.
- Overall manganese market grew at 8% per year to 30 billion pounds up to 2008. EMM market grew at 26% per year from 2003 – 2008 to 2.6 billion pounds per year.
About Kemetco Research Inc.:
Kemetco Research is privately owned contract Research and Development Company specializing in extractive metallurgy, chemical processing and specialty chemical analysis. Kemetco was formed after the acquisition of the Industrial Process Division of BC Research. BC Research had been in operation for over 60 years as an R&D contractor in British Columbia, Canada.
This release has been reviewed by John W. Fisher, P.Eng. a qualified person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101.
On behalf of Management
AMERICAN MANGANESE INC.
Larry W. Reaugh
President and Chief Executive Officer
