(Marketwired - Aug. 5, 2014) -Critical Elements Corporation (or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:CRE) (OTCQX:CRECF) (FRANKFURT:F12) announces that laboratory scale hydrometallurgical testing is in progress at the SGS Minerals Services laboratory in Lakefield, Ontario as part of the feasibility study of the "Rose Lithium -Tantalum" project. The testing is a continuation of those made previously at the ACMEMET laboratory in Vancouver, as part of the projects Preliminary Economic Assessment Study (PEA). The objective of the present testing is highlighted below:

Validating the Company's lithium carbonate manufacturing process.

Determining the optimal parameters for each process stage.

Evaluating and optimizing recovery rates for each process stage.

Purity of produced lithium carbonate.

Ensuring that the lithium carbonate produced meets the quality requirement of Battery Grade Lithium Carbonate.

Investigating the possibility to produce lithium hydroxide from lithium carbonate.

Assessing the possible recovery of valuable by-products.

The results obtained from the tests to date have shown that the developed process can safely produce lithium carbonate with an overall recovery rate up to 96%. The overall purity (calculated by difference, by subtracting the main impurities) gave values up to 99.98%, and thus, surpassing the requirements of battery grade lithium carbonate. The success in producing this high purity product is directly related to the selected processing method (sodium carbonate alkaline process), which when compared to the sulfuric acid process, presents less risk to the environment and dissolve less impurities at the leaching stage, which minimizes difficulties relating to the final product purification.

Currently efforts are focused on the reduction of specific impurities (Mn, Al and Cu). Within this framework, a sensitivity study on the possible contamination from the laboratory equipment for two types of autoclaves (in Monel and Stainless Steel) was performed.

An evaluation of the performance of a two step decomposition process is also planned. The filtrate obtained after the first decomposition will be subjected to an ion exchange purification through a selective resin before being sent to the second decomposition. By doing so, we expect to substantially reduce all major impurities while at the same time, eliminating the risk of building those impurities through decomposition filtrates recycling in the process.

Tests to generate lithium hydroxide (LiOH) from lithium carbonate (Li?CO?) are also scheduled, expecting to prove an integrated production system for the two lithium products, and thus, flexibility in terms of market opportunities.

A final component of the planned testing is the investigation for possible recovery of certain by-products such as alumina (as alumina tri-hydrate -ATH), which is in great demand currently in the market primarily as fire retardant, and silica (as pure silicates). It is worthy to note that the recovery of these by-products, in addition to the advantage of generating more value for the project, will also significantly reduce the solid residues from the process, i.e. the environmental impact of the project. These tests will be performed at the pyrometallurgical laboratory of XSTRATA (XPS Consulting & Services Testwork) located in Falconbridge, Ontario.

• [Editor:Mango]