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Atlas Critical Minerals Consolidates 11-Kilometer Graphite Corridor in Brazil; Reports Record 19.4% Graphitic Carbon Results

News provided by newsfile2026-03-10

Belo Horizonte, Brazil--(Newsfile Corp. - March 10, 2026) - Atlas Critical Minerals Corporation (NASDAQ: ATCX) ("Atlas Critical Minerals" or "Company"), a company focused on critical minerals for energy, technology, and defense applications, announces the acquisition of an additional mineral right that links its two existing graphite areas tenements in northeastern Minas Gerais, Brazil. The combined three mineral rights now comprise the Company's Graphite Project, totaling approximately 2,822 hectares - an increase of approximately 124% - and establish a continuous mineralized corridor exceeding 11 kilometers (~7 miles).

Key Highlights

Record High-Grade Results:Systematic chip sampling returned a peak result of 19.4% graphitic carbon (Cgraph), surpassing the Company's prior best of 15.4% Cgraph and ranking among the highest reported for natural flake graphite projects globally.
Consistent Mineralization:Multiple additional samples returned consistently high grades across all three tenements, including 15.49%, 15.41%, 13.82%, 13.22%, 12.23%, 11.68%, and 10.51% Cgraph, supporting strong deposit continuity and the potential for extensive mineralized bodies.
Acquisition More Than Doubles Project Area:The newly acquired mineral right connects the Company's two existing tenements, increasing total project area by approximately 124% to 2,822 hectares and creating a continuous 11-kilometer mineralized corridor.
Geophysics Confirm Scale at Depth:Preliminary resistivity surveys at Area 1 corroborate graphite mineralization at depth, with low-resistivity anomalies demonstrating lateral continuity of ~230 meters and extending to depths of up to ~215 meters.
Demonstrated Premium Specifications:Graphite concentrate from the Project was previously purified at an independent U.S. laboratory to 99.9995% carbon purity, qualifying the material for nuclear-reactor applications-the industry's most stringent standard, exceeding battery-grade requirements.
Rapidly Growing Market:According to MarketsandMarkets, the global graphite market is projected to reach USD 36.4 billion by 2030, growing at a 15.1% CAGR, driven by surging EV battery and energy storage demand. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence estimates that 97 new graphite mines will be needed by 2035 to meet projected demand.

Figure 1- Graphite Project map showing the three mineral rights (Areas 1-3), mineralized trends, and representative chip sample results up to 19.4% Cgraph.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6728/287765_d97900c1049abaad_002full.jpg

Graphite is a must-have anode material in the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles. In most EV battery chemistries-including LFP, NMC, and NCA-the anode is predominantly graphite, with a typical EV containing tens of kilograms of this critical mineral. High-grade natural graphite with suitable flake size and purity can be upgraded to active anode material, offering a strategic pathway to meet the rapidly growing global demand for graphite supply. Atlas believes the Project's high in-situ grades and demonstrated purification performance position its graphite as a strong contender for this market.

"The expansion of our 100%-owned Graphite Project, together with the exceptional exploration results reported to date, supports our view of the asset's quality and scale, especially in light of the fact that graphite is a key critical mineral," stated Marc Fogassa, Chairman and CEO of Atlas Critical Minerals. "A peak sample of 19.4% Cg, alongside the fact that the vast majority of prior samples exceed 11% Cg, indicates the presence of high-grade mineralization across multiple areas of the project's 11-kilometer graphite corridor. When considered with geophysical data that suggest mineralization may extend beyond 200 meters depth, and our previously reported ability to purify concentrate to nuclear-grade specifications - the pinnacle of global quality standard - we see a clear rationale to accelerate the development of our Graphite Project."

Next Steps

Consistent with the SGS-authored Technical Report Summary on the Graphite Project, Atlas Critical Minerals plans to advance a comprehensive exploration program across the expanded project area, including:

Ground magnetometry and aerophotogrammetry
LiDAR topographic surveying
High-resolution geological mapping with additional sampling
Follow-up diamond core drilling to advance toward initial resource definition

About Atlas Critical Minerals Corporation
Atlas Critical Minerals Corporation (NASDAQ: ATCX) is an exploration and development company focused on critical minerals, including rare earths, graphite, and uranium. The Company's focus is to build a diversified global supply chain for the strategic minerals essential for the artificial intelligence revolution, energy transformation, and defense uses. More information is available at www.atlascriticalminerals.com and in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are based upon the current plans, estimates and projections of Atlas Critical Minerals and its subsidiaries and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Risks related to the Company and its subsidiaries are discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 20, 2026. Please also refer to the Company's other filings with the SEC, all of which are available at www.sec.gov. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent the Company's views only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. The Company explicitly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

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