United States Antimony Corporation Announces New Hydromet Processing Advancement for Critical Minerals

Rhea-AI Summary

United States Antimony (NYSE:UAMY) announced it funded and aided a commercial-scale hydromet processing facility in Bolivia, expanding the plant 15x and securing an exclusive contract to receive processed antimony flake at USAC North American smelters. First receipts of about 150 tons are anticipated Feb–Mar 2026 at the expanded Thompson Falls smelter.

The company filed a $44 million DOE funding request (Jan 15, 2026) to duplicate the hydromet process in the USA and is pursuing additional DoW support for a Montana-area facility.

Positive

• Exclusive contract to receive Bolivian antimony flake at USAC smelters
• Bolivian hydromet facility expanded 15x in size and output
• First product receipt of approximately 150 tons expected Feb–Mar 2026

Negative

• USAC funded the majority of the Bolivian facility development, implying significant capital deployment
• DOE $44 million funding request filed is not guaranteed and may delay US expansion plans

News Market Reaction

-2.12%

55 alerts

-2.12% News Effect

-18.8% Trough in 9 hr 27 min

-$29M Valuation Impact

$1.36B Market Cap

1.0x Rel. Volume

On the day this news was published, UAMY declined 2.12%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction. Argus tracked a trough of -18.8% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 55 alerts that day, indicating high trading interest and price volatility. This price movement removed approximately $29M from the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $1.36B at that time.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Bolivia facility expansion: 15 times original size and output First product receipt: Approximately 150 tons DOE funding request: $44 million

3 metrics

Bolivia facility expansion 15 times original size and output Hydromet processing facility expansion funded since mid-2025

First product receipt Approximately 150 tons Initial antimony flake shipment expected Feb/March 2026

DOE funding request $44 million Program total requested on January 15, 2026 for U.S. hydromet facility

Market Reality Check

Price: $7.33 Vol: Volume 15,316,904 is at 0...

normal vol

$7.33 Last Close

Volume Volume 15,316,904 is at 0.91x the 20-day average of 16,841,177, indicating typical trading activity into this news. normal

Technical Shares trade above the 200-day MA, at $9.91 versus a $5.37 200-day moving average, reflecting a pre-existing uptrend before this announcement.

Peers on Argus

While UAMY is up 4.32%, key peers like CRML (+3.45%), LAR (+4.32%), SGML (+1.19%...

While UAMY is up 4.32%, key peers like CRML (+3.45%), LAR (+4.32%), SGML (+1.19%), and SLI (+2.22%) also show gains, but the momentum scanner did not flag a coordinated sector move, and NEXA is down 1.54%, suggesting a largely stock-specific response.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jan 20 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Jan 20	Asset acquisition	Positive	+11.8%	Acquisition of Montana flotation facility to expand critical minerals processing.
Jan 05	Management change	Positive	+15.8%	Promotion to lead BRZ after major government and supply contracts.
Nov 25	Board appointment	Positive	-1.5%	New independent director with extensive capital markets experience.
Nov 24	Operational update	Positive	+0.2%	Montana antimony mining progress toward military-spec concentrate production.
Nov 12	Earnings update	Positive	-5.6%	Strong revenue and margin growth with expanded 2025–2026 guidance.

Pattern Detected

Recent strategic and management announcements often saw double-digit moves, while earnings and some operational updates produced mixed reactions.

Recent Company History

Over the last several months, United States Antimony has combined operational expansion with governance changes. On November 12, 2025, earnings showed strong growth with revenues of $26.23M for the first nine months of 2025 and guidance toward $125M in 2026. Subsequent updates on Montana mining activity and new board appointments in late November 2025 highlighted growing production and capital markets expertise. In January 2026, management changes at BRZ and a $4.75M Montana facility acquisition reinforced a build-out of critical minerals capacity, to which today’s hydromet advancement directly connects.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement details a commercial-scale hydromet processing advance, including a Bolivia facili...

Analysis

This announcement details a commercial-scale hydromet processing advance, including a Bolivia facility expanded 15x and an initial shipment of about 150 tons expected in early 2026. Combined with a $44 million DOE funding request, it connects to prior expansion in Montana and growing government engagement. Investors may focus on commissioning progress, realized throughput at Thompson Falls, regulatory milestones for new U.S. sites, and how quickly these initiatives affect reported revenue and margins.

Key Terms

hydrometallurgical, stibnite, tetrahedrite, electrowinning, +3 more

7 terms

hydrometallurgical technical

"USAC intends to construct a diverse processing facility using hydrometallurgical techniques"

Hydrometallurgical describes methods that use water-based chemistry to dissolve, separate and recover metals from ores, concentrates or recycled materials, much like dissolving sugar to separate it from tea and then collecting the sugar back out. It matters to investors because these processes determine how much metal a project can realistically produce, the operating cost and environmental footprint, and therefore influence revenue potential, capital needs and regulatory risk.

stibnite technical

"The target feeds are stibnite concentrate or tetrahedrite concentrate"

Stibnite is a naturally occurring mineral made of antimony and sulfur (chemical formula Sb2S3) and is the main ore from which the metal antimony is extracted. It matters to investors because antimony is a raw material used in flame retardants, batteries, alloys and some electronic components, so discoveries, mining output or supply disruptions of stibnite can influence commodity prices and the prospects of mining and manufacturing companies — like finding a concentrated vein of a useful metal.

tetrahedrite technical

"The target feeds are stibnite concentrate or tetrahedrite concentrate"

Tetrahedrite is a common sulfide mineral that often contains copper, silver and other metals, and appears as dark, metallic crystals in ore deposits. For investors, it matters because tetrahedrite-rich rock can be a concentrated source of valuable metals—like copper and silver—so its presence can boost the economic value of a mine much like finding a pocket of high-grade fruit in an orchard increases the harvest worth.

electrowinning technical

"This solution serves as feed for the antimony electrowinning circuit"

Electrowinning is an industrial process that uses an electric current to pull dissolved metal from a liquid and plate it as solid metal onto an electrode, similar to drawing metal out of a soup and letting it form a clean chunk on a spoon. For investors, it matters because it determines how efficiently and cheaply metals like copper, nickel or lithium can be produced, affecting a mine or plant’s margins, output speed, environmental footprint and the reliability of metal supply.

catholyte technical

"The catholyte is made from the antimony leach pregnant solution"

A catholyte is the liquid that carries the chemicals used at the cathode (the part of a battery that receives electrons) in electrochemical devices, especially flow batteries. Like fuel stored in one tank of an engine, the catholyte holds the active material that determines how much charge the device can store, how fast it can charge or discharge, and how long it lasts, so its composition, cost and stability directly affect performance, safety and operating economics for investors.

arsenopyrite technical

"solubilizes the antimony and any arsenic, except arsenopyrite"

Arsenopyrite is a common mineral made of iron combined with arsenic and sulfur; it often appears in rocks that also contain gold and other metals. For investors, it matters because arsenopyrite can lock valuable metals into a hard-to-treat form and release toxic arsenic during mining and processing, which can increase extraction costs, slow production, and raise environmental and regulatory liabilities—like finding a valuable item inside a locked safe that is expensive to open safely.

thiol technical

"The leached antimony species are complexed by sulfide in thiol compounds."

A thiol is an organic molecule that contains a sulfur–hydrogen group (–SH), roughly analogous to an alcohol but with sulfur instead of oxygen; many have a strong smell and distinct chemical behavior. For investors, thiols matter because they serve as building blocks or active parts of drugs, materials and chemical processes, influencing product performance, manufacturing costs, safety and regulatory risk—traits that can affect a company’s pipeline value and operational exposure.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

"The Critical Minerals and ZEO Company"

~ Antimony, Cobalt, Tungsten, and Zeolite ~

DALLAS, TX / ACCESS Newswire / January 28, 2026 / United States Antimony Corporation ("USAC," "US Antimony," or the "Company"), (NYSE American:UAMY)(NYSE Texas:UAMY), a leading producer and processor of antimony, zeolite, and other critical minerals, and the only fully integrated antimony company in the world outside of China and Russia, announced today that it has been involved since mid-2025 in funding and assisting with the development of a new hydrometallurgical (hydromet) processing facility for refining antimony and other critical minerals on a commercial scale associated with a project located in the country of Bolivia. Our financial assistance has allowed this facility to expand 15 times its original size and output. USAC has an exclusive contract to receive the processed "antimony flake" from this Bolivian based facility to the USAC North American processing smelters. First product receipt of approximately 150 tons is anticipated in February/March 2026 at the Company's recently expanded Thompson Falls smelter. Because of the very high quality of this material, actual thruputs at USAC's newly expanded smelters should increase markedly with these volumes and can meet military spec requirements for metal or trioxide products.

Additionally, USAC anticipates announcing, in the near future, the duplication of this new facility with additional patented processes in one or more new hydromet facilities to be located in the Western USA and/or Alaska and controlled by our Company.

HYDROMETALLURGICAL PROCESSING

USAC intends to construct a diverse processing facility using hydrometallurgical techniques to produce antimony and other critical minerals. The target feeds are stibnite concentrate or tetrahedrite concentrate with the ability to adapt to other feeds of metallic concentrates or high-grade ores containing critical materials. The processing of stibnite and tetrahedrite concentrates are very similar, except for the byproduct residue(s) leaching process. The leaching residue of the stibnite concentrate (residual after antimony extraction) can be subjected to precious metals recovery, producing critical materials such as silver. The leaching residue byproduct from tetrahedrite concentrate can be further oxidized to extract copper and the leaching residue byproduct from the copper extraction can in turn be processed to extract critical materials such as silver.

In practice, the antimony containing concentrate is batch leached in a hot solution in mild steel tanks. The leach solution is created with a mixture of depleted electrolyte from the downstream electrowinning process, and other reagents. The solution matrix then solubilizes the antimony and any arsenic, except arsenopyrite. The leached antimony species are complexed by sulfide in thiol compounds.

ELECTROWINNING

The leach solution primarily contains antimony in the form of thio-antimonate complexes. This solution serves as feed for the antimony electrowinning circuit where antimony metal is recovered on the cathode.

The catholyte is made from the antimony leach pregnant solution (i.e., pregnant catholyte). Antimony metal is deposited on the cathode plates as a brittle non-adherent layer, and it is harvested at regular intervals by briefly removing the cathodes from the cells. The cathode is then hit with a small pneumatic hammer which causes the antimony to break free and fall into a collection bin.

MANAGEMENT COMMENTS

Commenting on this new commercial sized application, Mr. Aaron Tenesch, Vice President of USAC's Antimony Division stated, "We have been quietly working with another company that has a group of engineers and chemists from around the world that have specifically developed a commercial scale hydromet project in Bolivia. USAC has funded the majority of the cost to develop and construct the new facility. As part of this co-operative work agreement, USAC has obtained an exclusive right via a license to duplicate this process in North America and Australia. While our initial applications are strictly geared to antimony, we know other critical minerals can be refined using similar methods and equipment. There has been a lot of talk within the mining industry about hydromet, but we are the first to bring this processing technology to market in a commercial scale. This process, in conjunction with our concentrating facilities, allows us to take "sub-par" antimony (less than 10% stibnite) and produce finished material meeting military specifications (mil-spec). We are unable to achieve these final steps with our conventional gas fired smelters and many of the ores available today.

Further commenting on today's announcement, Mr. Gary C. Evans, Chairman and CEO of USAC stated, "On January 15, 2026, USAC filed with the DOE (Department of Energy) a request for funding for a program total of $44 million associated with our hydromet process developed in Bolivia for a new facility to be located in the USA. Additionally, the Company is working on a similar application for an award from the DoW (Department of War) for this process in a new location near the State of Montana. These new location(s) will be "state of the art" antimony processing facilities in North America. USAC intends to continue to be at the forefront of antimony processing utilizing not only proprietary traditional technology and processes but also new technology in an effort to meet the needs of both our industrial customers and the various divisions of the United States Government, with whom we are working with on many different fronts on a regular basis."

About USAC:

United States Antimony Corporation and its subsidiaries in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada ("USAC," "U.S. Antimony," the "Company," "Our," "Us," or "We") sell antimony, zeolite, and precious metals primarily in the U.S. and Canada. The Company processes third party ore primarily into antimony oxide, antimony metal, antimony trisulfide, and precious metals at its facilities located in Montana and Mexico. Antimony oxide is used to form a flame-retardant system for plastics, rubber, fiberglass, textile goods, paints, coatings, and paper, as a color fastener in paint, and as a phosphorescent agent in fluorescent light bulbs. Antimony metal is used in bearings, storage batteries, and ordnance. Antimony trisulfide is used as a primer in ammunition. The Company also recovers precious metals, primarily gold and silver, at its Montana facility from third party ore. At its Bear River Zeolite ("BRZ") facility located in Idaho, the Company mines and processes zeolite, a group of industrial minerals used in water filtration, sewage treatment, nuclear waste and other environmental cleanup, odor control, gas separation, animal nutrition, soil amendment and fertilizer, and other miscellaneous applications. During 2024 and 2025, the Company began acquiring mining claims and leases located in Montana, Alaska and Ontario, Canada in an effort to expand its operations as well as its product offerings.

Learn more about United States Antimony Corporation at www.usantimony.com.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's future operations, production levels, financial performance, business strategy, market conditions, demand for antimony, zeolite, other critical minerals, and precious metals, expected costs, and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections about the industries in which the Company operates, as well as management's beliefs and assumptions. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "could," and variations of these words or similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such statements, including, but not limited to: fluctuations in the market prices and demand for antimony and zeolite; changes in domestic and global economic conditions; operational risks inherent in mining and mineral processing; geological or metallurgical conditions; availability and cost of energy, equipment, transportation, and labor; the Company's ability to maintain or obtain permits, licenses, and regulatory approvals; changes in environmental and mining laws or regulations; competitive factors; the impact of geopolitical developments; and the effects of weather, natural disasters, or health pandemics on operations and supply chains. Additional information regarding risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

Investor Relations Contact:	Media Relations Contact:
Jonathan Miller, VP, Investor Relations	Edge Consulting, Inc.
4438 W. Lovers Lane, Unit 100	Anthony D. Andora
Dallas, TX 75209	1560 Market Street, Ste. 701
E-Mail: Jmiller@usantimony.com	Denver, Colorado 80202
Phone: 406-606-4117	Email: Anthony@EdgeConsultingSolutions.com
	Phone: 720-317-8927

SOURCE: United States Antimony Corp.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

FAQ

What did United States Antimony (UAMY) announce about the Bolivian hydromet facility on January 28, 2026?

They announced they funded and assisted a Bolivian commercial hydromet facility expanded 15x. According to the company, USAC secured an exclusive right to receive processed antimony flake for North American smelters, with first receipts expected Feb–Mar 2026.

How much antimony product does UAMY expect to receive and when will it arrive at Thompson Falls?

UAMY expects approximately 150 tons of antimony flake in Feb–Mar 2026. According to the company, the material will be processed at the recently expanded Thompson Falls smelter and meet military specification for metal or trioxide products.

What is the scope of USAC's DOE funding request related to the hydromet process (UAMY)?

USAC filed a request with DOE for $44 million to support a U.S. hydromet facility. According to the company, the funding would help duplicate the Bolivian process in the USA to scale domestic antimony processing capacity.

Does United States Antimony (UAMY) have rights to duplicate the Bolivian process in North America?

Yes — UAMY obtained an exclusive license to duplicate the hydromet process in North America and Australia. According to the company, this license permits constructing additional patented hydromet facilities under USAC control.

What processing advantages does the hydromet method provide for UAMY's antimony feedstocks?

Hydromet lets UAMY refine low-grade stibnite (under 10%) into mil-spec antimony products which gas smelters cannot achieve. According to the company, the process also enables recovery of byproducts like silver and copper from residues.