Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. has received initial assay results from grab samples collected during the summer exploration program on the Lilypad cesium project located 350 kilometres (km) north of Thunder Bay, Ont. The new results confirm the exceptional cesium enrichment in several lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite dike occurrences on the property. Cesium is a rare element in growing demand for many new technologies, but with very limited supply following the cessation of mine production from the world's largest historical producer, the Tanco mine, near Bernic Lake, Manitoba.

The work program included line cutting and soil and biogeochemistry grid sampling, as well as geological mapping and sampling over the area of the known LCT pegmatite field. The soil and biogeochemistry results have not yet been received but are anticipated to indicate directions for extensions of the known pegmatites and identify new pegmatite targets in overburden-covered areas for testing in a future drill program. Additional bulk sampling of the cesium-rich Pollucite dike was also carried out and Avalon now has about 400 kilograms (kg) of the pollucite mineralization available for further metallurgical test work. Subsamples of the bulk sample assayed at Saskatchewan Research Council averaged 3.02 per cent caesium oxide (Cs2O), 1.07 per cent lithium oxide (Li2O) and 0.03 per cent tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5), similar to the average grade of the historic resource.

Assays of rock samples received to date have confirmed significant cesium values in four LCT dikes on the property with three samples assaying greater than 1 per cent Cs2O. Two of the highest cesium values reported in this work are from the western extension of the Pollucite dike, about 180 metres west of the closest historic drill hole indicating potential to at least double its strike length. The Pollucite dike, with a historic resource estimate of 340,000 tonnes grading 2.294 per cent Cs2O and 0.037 per cent Ta2O5 based on nine holes drilled to a maximum vertical depth of 250 metres and along a strike length of just 140 metres, remains open for expansion to depth and along strike.

Samples assaying at or greater than 1 per cent Cs2O were also obtained from the Rubellite dike, a second pegmatite with high tantalum enrichment located about 500 metres east of the Pollucite dike. Two other little-explored pegmatites known as the Baseline and Opie dikes were also found to contain significant cesium values. Some samples are also highly enriched in lithium where it occurs mainly in coarse grained spodumene. One sample from the Spodumene dike with coarse spodumene crystals returned 3.34 per cent Li2O and the six samples collected averaged 0.7 per cent Li2O.

Commented president and chief executive officer Don Bubar: "The Lilypad cesium project is proving to be a globally unique example of a large field of cesium-enriched LCT pegmatite dikes with significant resource potential. With cesium continuing to be in very short supply, the company is now well positioned to help Ontario become the new global leader in cesium production, including innovation of new downstream applications."

Once all the geochemical survey results have been received and compiled, along with the geological mapping data, next steps will be to plan for a diamond drilling program to test all the new targets, including the western extension of the Pollucite dike. This work would ideally be scheduled during winter months when access can made through a winter road.

The technical information included in this news release has been reviewed and approved by the company's vice-president of operations, Dr. William Mercer, PGeo (Ontario), a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101. The field program was supervised by project geologist Sarah Bodeving.

About Avalon Advanced Materials Inc.

Avalon Advanced Materials is a Canadian mineral development company specializing in sustainably produced materials for clean technology. The company now has four advanced-stage projects, providing investors with exposure to lithium, tin and indium, as well as rare earth elements, tantalum, cesium and zirconium. Avalon is currently focusing on developing its Separation Rapids lithium project near Kenora, Ont., while looking at several new project opportunities, including reactivating its 100-per-cent-owned Lilypad cesium-tantalum-lithium project in Northwestern Ontario. Social responsibility and environmental stewardship are corporate cornerstones.