Independent U.S. Laboratory Testing Achieves Exceptional 99.9995% Carbon Purity; Opens Path to Ultra-Premium Nuclear Graphite Market

Belo Horizonte, Brazil - Newsfile Corp. - November 12, 2025 - Atlas Critical Minerals Corporation (OTCQB: JUPGF) ("Atlas Critical Minerals" or the "Company"), an exploration company focused on critical minerals for defense applications and electrification, is pleased to announce that comprehensive characterization and thermal purification testwork performed on graphite concentrate from its Malacacheta Graphite Project in Minas Gerais, Brazil has achieved nuclear-grade purity specifications of 99.9995 wt.% carbon (99.9995% C). The testwork was conducted by American Energy Technologies Company ("AETC"), a highly specialized U.S.-based graphite testing and processing expert, and documented in AETC's technical report dated October 15, 2025. The results position Atlas Critical Minerals to potentially access the ultra-premium nuclear graphite market, where material meeting nuclear-grade specifications commands prices of $25,000 to $35,000 per tonne, representing a 10-15x premium over standard battery-grade graphite. Details on the studies performed and their results are available in the Technical Report Summary ("TRS") prepared in accordance with Item 1300 of Regulation S-K ("Regulation S-K 1300") and is annexed as an exhibit to the Form 6-K filed by the Company today with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The TRS was prepared by SGS Canada Inc. ("SGS"), a premier mineral evaluation company, with Marc-Antoine Laporte from SGS serving as the Qualified Person for Graphite. Key HighlightsNuclear-Grade Purity Achieved: Thermal purification at 2,800°C in an inert nitrogen atmosphere yielded loss on ignition (LOI) purity of 99.9995 wt.% carbon with ash content of only 0.0005 wt.%, meeting stringent nuclear-grade specifications. This exceptional purity level was achieved without the use of halogen gases, demonstrating an environmentally superior purification process. Diversified Premium Market Opportunities Beyond Nuclear: The successfully purified Malacacheta graphite qualifies for multiple ultra-high-value applications beyond nuclear energy, including lithium-ion battery anodes, among others. A key geological advantage — mineral impurities located on flake surfaces rather than intercalated within the structure — enabled the efficient achievement of 99.9995 wt.% purity without halogen gas usage, which has the potential to qualify the Company's material for superior purification economics and environmental benefits. Competitive with Global Leaders: Post-purification BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) test results showing a surface area of 0.89 m²/g places the Company's Malacacheta graphite on par with leading materials from established deposits, including premium Chinese flake graphite from Qingdao province. Robust Crystalline Flake Structure: Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirms the presence of naturally occurring thick, robust flake particles, including specimens measuring approximately 5 µm in thickness — comparable to classic natural flake graphite found in China's premier deposits (Figure 1). Figure 1: Scanning Electron Microscopy images at 100x and 800x magnification showing clean, pure crystalline flake structure To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6728/274075_dbe42fc9843f4839_002full.jpgNuclear-Grade Graphite Market Opportunity Nuclear-grade graphite serves as a critical material in nuclear reactors, valued for its exceptional thermal properties, neutron moderation capabilities, and structural stability at extreme temperatures. The nuclear energy sector is experiencing a renaissance, with over 70 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity currently under construction globally and more than 420 operational reactors worldwide, demand for high-purity nuclear graphite is accelerating rapidly. The International Energy Agency projects that annual investment in nuclear projects will need to double to $120 billion by 2030, with more than 40 countries expanding nuclear power capabilities to meet energy security and decarbonization goals. The expected proliferation of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology in the near term is expected to further accelerate demand for high-purity nuclear graphite. Nuclear graphite must meet exceptionally stringent purity requirements, typically 99.999% carbon or higher, with minimal impurities that could affect reactor performance or neutron efficiency. The successful achievement of 99.9995% carbon purity by the Company's Malacacheta graphite demonstrates the material's suitability for this demanding application, potentially opening access to a market segment commanding premium pricing 10-15 times higher than conventional battery-grade graphite. The global graphite market is experiencing robust growth driven primarily by the electric vehicle battery...