Mr. Reagan Glazier reports

NEOTECH METALS COMMENCES METALLURGICAL PROCESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WITH DORFNER ANZAPLAN

Neotech Metals Corp. has commenced a comprehensive metallurgical process development program with Dorfner Anzaplan GmbH to advance the development of a preliminary processing flow sheet for its Hecla-Kilmer rare earth project in Ontario, Canada.

The program, partially funded by Ontario's Critical Mineral Innovation Fund (CMIF) will support studies required to develop a conceptual process flow sheet and processing facility to mine and process the intrusive apatite-hosted rare earth mineralization, niobium and gallium as well as scoping what grades of purified phosphoric acid (PPA can be achieved from its Hecla-Kilmer project.

Building on 2025 metallurgical success

The current program builds directly on the strength of last year's metallurgical results, which returned recovery rates of approximately 75 per cent for total rare earth oxides and 89 per cent for phosphate. That degree of dissolution, achieved without aggressive pretreatment, points to apatite at Hecla-Kilmer being readily amenable to leaching, a characteristic the company believes can potentially translate into a comparatively low-operating-cost flow sheet relative to more refractory REE (rare earth element) mineral systems that typically require higher reagent ratios, elevated temperatures or multistage roasting to achieve similar dissolution.

"Our previous metallurgical work demonstrated that the apatite-hosted mineralization at Hecla-Kilmer responds well to conventional leaching under relatively mild conditions," said Reagan Glazier, chief executive officer of Neotech. "Our objective with Anzaplan is to leverage those characteristics to develop a simple, conventional processing flow sheet capable of producing a high-purity rare earth product while evaluating additional value streams from niobium, gallium and purified phosphoric acid. If these processing efficiencies continue to be demonstrated as the program advances, they have the potential to translate into meaningful operating cost advantages over more complex rare earth processing routes."

Scope of the test work program

The bench-scale program being carried out by Anzaplan, a globally recognized metallurgical consulting company specializing in process development in industrial minerals, rare earths and critical raw materials (including phosphate chemistry) based in Hirschau, Germany, is structured in three main phases using reject materials from the Hecla-Kilmer 2025 drill program:

• Mineral processing optimization, including magnetic separation and flotation test work to produce a high-grade, REE-bearing apatite concentrate from run-of-mine material, along with gravity separation testing of pyrochlore to evaluate niobium recovery;
• Bulk concentrate production of approximately 60 kilograms of REE-bearing mineral concentrate to support full-scale hydrometallurgical test work, including scale-up flotation and locked-cycle testing, to validate the proposed flow sheet under steady-state conditions;
• Hydrometallurgical process development, including leach testing across different reagent systems, fluorine removal, impurity removal and REE precipitation, and an evaluation of whether high-purity PPAs (purified phosphoric acids) can be produced from the crude phosphoric acid generated during REE precipitation.

Throughout the program, niobium, tantalum and gallium will be tracked across all process streams by geochemical analysis to determine their deportment and evaluate the potential for these elements to become additional value drivers for the project.

A final report summarizing recoveries, concentrate grades, reagent consumption and recommendations for next steps, including a potential piloting phase, is expected upon completion of the program.

About Neotech Metals Corp.

Neotech Metals is a mineral exploration company dedicated to discovering and developing critical mineral resources, with a strong commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable practices. The company holds a diversified portfolio of rare earth element and critical minerals projects, including the Hecla-Kilmer rare earth, niobium and phosphate project, located 20 kilometres from the Otter Rapids 180-megawatt hydroelectric power generation station and active Ontario Northland Railway; the Torrance project, located 70 kilometres northeast of Hecla-Kilmer; and the TREO and Foothills projects in British Columbia, all of which are 100 per cent wholly owned.

Qualified person

Technical information for this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101. Jared Galenzoski, vice-president, exploration, PGeo, and qualified person, has reviewed and approved all of the data and statements made for this news release.

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