Collaboration unlocks domestic value chain for end-of-life lithium-ion iron phosphate (LFP) batteries
Blackion is a highly connected global battery procurement company
Electrified Materials will process waste battery material into a concentrated feedstock to be refined by ReElement
ReElement is producing and validating battery-grade lithium carbonate from LFP black mass
FISHERS, IN / ACCESS Newswire / July 23, 2025 / American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ:AREC) ("American Resources" or the "Company"), along with its holding in ReElement Technologies Corporation ("ReElement"), a leading U.S. innovator in critical mineral and high value rare earth element (REE) refining, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Electrified Materials Corporation ("Electrified Materials" or "EMCO"), is pleased to announce a strategic, multi-party collaboration with Blackion LLC ("Blackion"), a global circular economy company specializing in end-of-life lithium battery solutions. The collaboration includes a Recycling Services Agreement between Electrified Materials and Blackion, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between ReElement and Blackion.
This partnership aims to build a vertically integrated, sustainable supply chain for lithium-ion battery recycling and mineral recovery within the United States. It combines:
Blackion's global sourcing network of end-of-life battery materials,
Electrified Materials' capabilities in storage, disassembly, and pre-processing of lithium-ion batteries, and
ReElement's advanced refining platform to recover and refine battery-grade lithium carbonate from a wide range of battery chemistries - with a focus on LFP (lithium iron phosphate) inputs.
Key Highlights of the Collaboration:
Battery-grade lithium carbonate production: ReElement will refine LFP black mass into high-purity lithium carbonate using its proprietary, low-cost, and environmentally sustainable technology.
Sustainable domestic supply chain: The parties share a commitment to reducing reliance on foreign refining by establishing a closed-loop, U.S.-based battery recycling and mineral recovery ecosystem.
Shared economics model: ReElement and Blackion will share net revenues from the sale of refined battery materials sourced through Blackion's network.
Integrated logistics and recycling services: Electrified Materials will manage secure storage, transportation, battery disassembly, and recycling logistics, all within full regulatory compliance.
Global impact through local execution: The agreement ensures the value-added steps of the battery supply chain remain within the U.S., reinforcing economic and national security goals.
Mark Jensen, CEO and Chairman of ReElement, commented, "This partnership with Blackion is a huge step to bringing real battery recycling solutions in the U.S. to a reality. Historically, the majority of recycled battery material has been shipped back overseas - which ultimately is not supporting American interests in supply chain resilience and independence. Our innovative refining technology allows for battery-grade material to stay here in the U.S. to serve both defense and commercial sectors - as we are able to economically extract and refine lithium back to battery-grade products. We have been working with Douglas for several months and are excited grow our partnership and drive supply chain efficiencies."
Douglas Luciano, Executive Director of Blackion, added, "Combining our team's global reach - including relationships with world-leading battery producers - with ReElement's ability to innovatively drive down cost in delivering battery-grade lithium into the supply chain - is exactly the partnership we have been looking for. Partnering with ReElement and Electrified Materials gives us the technological and operational backbone to recycle at scale and deliver battery-grade lithium to the market cost-effectively and sustainably."
The MOU follows President Trump's March 2025 Executive Order, Immediate Measures to Increase American Production, which emphasizes the urgency of domestic collaboration across the collection, pre-processing, recycling and refining of battery materials which are already in domestic possession.
Blackion has a global network of 150+ partners all focused on accelerating lithium battery recycling. Electrified Material has established the foundational platform to accept, store and preprocess materials containing critical minerals, rare earth elements and ferrous metals. Technically, ReElement's extensive and validated work on LFP recycled battery materials allows for the rapid and efficient ramp up of high value outcomes.
Agreement Terms in Brief:
Under the Recycling Services Agreement between Blackion and Electrified Materials:
EMCO will be responsible for the collection, disassembly, and safe processing of lithium-ion batteries sourced by Blackion.
EMCO will provide certificates of disposal, ensure full compliance with environmental regulations, and coordinate logistics from Blackion's designated storage sites to processing facilities.
EMCO will support ongoing recycling operations, including reporting, invoicing, documentation, and certification within the agreed timelines.
Under the MOU between Blackion and ReElement:
Blackion will source and deliver LFP black mass to ReElement for refinement.
ReElement will refine the black mass into battery-grade lithium carbonate, provide technical output data, and ensure adherence to all regulatory and quality standards.
The parties will establish a mutual revenue-sharing framework from lithium sales, with further terms to be defined in a binding agreement.
Together, the parties are establishing a scalable platform that aligns economic opportunity with national interest and environmental stewardship, further positioning the U.S. as a leader in next-generation energy infrastructure.
About Blackion
Blackion LLC is a privately held company based in South Carolina, specializing in global end-of-life lithium battery management. Focused on Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Energy Storage Systems (ESS), particularly LFP and NMC chemistries. Blackion delivers safe, compliant, and cost-effective battery disposition solutions tailored to the energy transition.
Leveraging a global network of certified partners, Blackion ensures responsible collection, decommissioning, and pre-processing of lithium-ion batteries. Its integrated approach helps reduce disposal costs while maintaining full compliance with environmental and safety standards.
At the core of Blackion's mission is enabling closed-loop solutions that promote circularity across the battery value chain. By connecting companies to trusted recycling and refining partners, Blackion facilitates the recovery of Black Mass and its conversion into high-purity, battery-grade lithium carbonate, returning critical materials back to production and reducing the need for virgin resource extraction.
Through its ecosystem, Blackion is building a transparent, sustainable, and globally scalable infrastructure for lithium battery recycling, empowering OEMs, recyclers, and energy companies to meet growing ESG expectations while securing long-term material supply.
For more information visit blackion.co or connect with the company on LinkedIn
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.
About ReElement Technologies Corporation
ReElement Technologies Corporation, a portfolio company of American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ:AREC), is a leading provider of high-performance refining capacity for rare earth and critical battery elements. Its multi-mineral, multi-feedstock platform technology focuses on the refining of recycled material from rare earth permanent magnets and lithium-ion batteries, concentrated ores and brines, as well as coal-based waste streams and byproducts to create a cost effective and environmentally-safe, circular supply chain. ReElement has developed its innovative and scalable "Powered by ReElement" process which collaboratively utilizes its exclusively licensed intellectual property within its partners' material processing flow sheets to more efficiently support the global supply chain's growing demand for magnet and battery-grade products. For more information visit reelementtech.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Learn more about ReElement Technologies' process and technology here - Video.
About Electrified Materials Corporation
Electrified Materials Corporation ("EMCO") was formed by, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of, American Resources Corp (Nasdaq: AREC). EMCO is a cutting-edge recycler of metals for the electrified economy. It controls the preprocessing of both end-of-life magnets, batteries and ferrous metals that enables EMCO to ensure a domestic supply chain for copper, aluminum, steel, plastic as well as rare earth and battery elements through its refining partnership with ReElement Technologies Corp.
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
arec@jtcir.com
Media Inquiries:
Marjorie Weisskohl
703-587-1532
mweisskohl@allseasonspr.com
Blackion Contact:
Douglas Luciano
+55 (19) 99260-5559
douglas@blackion.co
Company Contact:
Mark LaVerghetta
317-855-9926 ext. 0
investor@americanresourcescorp.com
SOURCE: American Resources Corporation
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