Lachute, Québec--(Newsfile Corp. - March 14, 2023) - Québec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) ("QI Materials" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that newly confirmed high purity silica samples have met the requirements for feedstock in HPQ Silicon Inc.'s ("HPQ") silicon-based battery material production in North America. The Company continues to move toward its main objective of developing the green economy as a supplier of high-grade silica in tandem with HPQ.

PROCUREMENT OF QUARTZ MATERIAL

As per the terms of the MOU between HPQ and QIMC (see September 14, 2022 news release), QIMC is to provide high grade silica for testing in HPQ's GEN3 PUREVAPTM Quartz Reduction Reactor ("QRR"). Silica samples from the Main Zone at the Charlevoix Project were delivered to HPQ in December 2022 and confirmed to be of high purity and in line with HPQ's compatibility requirements (see February 23 and January 27, 2023 news releases). HPQ has recently announced plans to build a silicon-based battery material production line in North America. QIMC will continue to support their shared objective of advancing the battery initiative to meet rapidly increasing demand. In an effort to accelerate the move to production, the Company continues to refine its purification methods for silica sand and continue discussions with potential buyers of silica materials.

"With our GEN3 QRR pilot plant program moving forward combined with our newly launched battery initiative, it is important for HPQ to be able to focus its energies and resources on developing our ground-breaking technologies while QIMC advances it promising Charlevoix Quartz Project," said Mr. Bernard Tourillon, President and CEO of HPQ Silicon Inc. "As we gain traction producing and selling our silicon battery materials, we will also be strengthening the values of our QRR projects. Therefore, if all continues to advance as we hope, we can foresee a time when HPQ could be using QIMC quartz to produce Silicon with our Gen4 PUREVAPTM QRR systems."