All 72 Materials and How to Get Them in Sandustry

Sandustry is a factory game where the ground itself is the resource. Dig dirt and you get sand, pour water on that sand and you get Wet Sand, and shaking Wet Sand can release Gold. Every material in the game, from solid ground and liquid water to gas and the wisps that drift as they fall, follows its own rules for how it moves and what it turns into. Knowing those rules is how you get what you need.

Copper Ore

Underground Copper Ore yields Copper when mined.

Type

Terrain

Source

Small pockets underground

Processing

Yields Copper

Useful Reactions

Copper Ore breaks into Copper and requires stronger digging tools than Dirt.

Crackstone

Crackstone is hard terrain with 1 HP that yields no material when destroyed.

Type

Terrain

Source

-

Processing

No material yield

Useful Reactions

Crackstone has 1 HP and yields no material when destroyed.

Dirt

DDirt

Dirt is soft, common terrain that yields Sand when dug.

Type

Terrain

Source

Common ground terrain

Processing

Yields Sand

Useful Reactions

Dirt is a soft terrain source of Sand.

Auralite

AAuralite

A Shaker separates Auralite from Aurixite, and the Aura Extractor turns it into Aura.

Type

Solid

Density

-

Source

Aurixite

Processing

Aura Extractor → Aura

Useful Reactions

The Aura Extractor uses Auralite to produce Aura; Auralite also serves Research progression.

Aurixite

The Shaker processes Aurixite into Auralite for the Aura production chain.

Type

Solid

Density

200

Source

Florin

Processing

Shaker → Auralite

Useful Reactions

A Shaker processes Aurixite and produces Auralite.

Blacksand

BBlacksand

A Magnet separates Blacksand from dry Sand, and a Steam Dryer processes it into Gold Vapor and Magnetite.

Type

Solid

Density

-

Source

Magnet applied to dry Sand

Processing

Steam Dryer → Gold Vapor + Magnetite

Useful Reactions

A Magnet separates Blacksand and Quartz from dry Sand. A Steam Dryer processes Blacksand into Gold Vapor and Magnetite.

Read more

Burnt Residue

Igniting Residue can create Burnt Residue, which a Kinetic Press turns into Gold and Seed.

Type

Solid

Density

50

Source

Residue

Processing

Kinetic Press → Gold + Seed

Useful Reactions

Igniting Residue has a 25% chance to produce Burnt Residue; the Kinetic Press then outputs 1 Gold and 1 Seed.

Read more

Charcoal

CCharcoal

Charcoal combines with Silica in a Reaction Chamber to make Silicon.

Type

Solid

Density

-

Source

Burnt Bark

Processing

Reaction Chamber + Silica → Silicon

Useful Reactions

Charcoal and Silica combine in a Reaction Chamber to make Silicon.

Cinder

Breaking Scoria yields Cinder, and fire turns Cinder back into Lava.

Type

Solid

Density

50

Source

Scoria

Processing

Fire → Lava

Useful Reactions

Fire changes Cinder back into Lava; Snow freezes Lava into Scoria that yields Cinder.

Copper

Copper comes from Copper Ore and can be smelted into Liquid Copper.

Type

Solid

Density

200

Source

Copper Ore

Processing

Smelter → Liquid Copper

Useful Reactions

The Smelter converts Copper into Liquid Copper.

Flower

Flowers grow from Seed and drop Amethelis and Gold when destroyed.

Type

Solid

Density

-

Source

Seed

Processing

Drops Amethelis + Gold

Useful Reactions

Flowers grow from Seed and release Amethelis and Gold when destroyed.

Gold

Gold funds Research and settles below lighter materials in a pile.

Type

Solid

Density

300

Source

Shaker, Kinetic Press, Flower

Processing

Shaker, Kinetic Press, or Flower; Smelter → Liquid Gold

Useful Reactions

Gold is a Research currency and settles below lighter solids. Shakers, Kinetic Presses, and Flowers can produce it.

Read more

Gold Granulate

GGGold Granulate

Gold Granulate is a denser form of Gold made from Liquid Gold in the Synthesizer.

Type

Solid

Source

Synthesizer (Liquid Gold)

Processing

Synthesizer (Liquid Gold) → Gold Granulate

Useful Reactions

The Synthesizer converts Liquid Gold into Gold Granulate.

Ice

Snow and Water can form Ice, and Fire melts it back into Water.

Type

Solid

Source

Natural world formations; Snow + Water

Processing

Fire → Water

Useful Reactions

Snow and Water make Ice; Fire melts Ice into Water.

Magnetite

MMagnetite

Magnetite is produced by processing Blacksand in a Steam Dryer.

Type

Solid

Source

Blacksand + Steam Dryer

Processing

-

Useful Reactions

Processing Blacksand in a Steam Dryer produces Magnetite.

Moonhop

Moonhop is a solid resource found by breaking Mooncrystal outcrops.

Type

Solid

Source

Mooncrystal

Processing

-

Useful Reactions

Moonhop is the output of breaking Mooncrystal outcrops.

Pentlandite Ore

POPentlandite Ore

Pentlandite Ore is mined from Pentlandite and used to make Liquid Nickel.

Type

Solid

Source

Pentlandite

Processing

Used to make Liquid Nickel

Useful Reactions

Pentlandite yields the ore used to make Liquid Nickel.

Prismite

PPrismite

Prismite is a solid material.

Type

Solid

Source

-

Processing

-

Useful Reactions

-

Quartz

QQuartz

A Magnet separates Quartz from dry Sand, and a Grinder turns Quartz into Silica.

Type

Solid

Density

-

Source

Magnet applied to dry Sand

Processing

Grinder → Silica

Useful Reactions

Magnets separate Quartz and Blacksand from dry Sand; a Grinder turns Quartz into Silica.

Redsand

Redsand combines with Void Petals to make Voidbloom.

Type

Solid

Density

160

Source

Redsoil

Processing

Void Petals → Voidbloom

Useful Reactions

Void Petals combine with Redsand to make Voidbloom.

Sand

Dirt yields Sand, and one Sand pixel touching Water becomes two Wet Sand pixels.

Type

Solid

Density

150

Source

Dirt

Processing

Water → Wet Sand

Useful Reactions

One Sand and one Water pixel become two Wet Sand pixels on contact.

Seed

Seed can be wetted with Water to make Wet Seed for growing Flowers.

Type

Solid

Density

150

Source

Kinetic Press

Processing

Water → Wet Seed

Useful Reactions

Water turns Seed into Wet Seed, which Planter Boxes use to grow Flowers.

Silica

SSilica

Silica is ground from Quartz and combines with Charcoal to make Silicon.

Type

Solid

Density

-

Source

Grinder (Quartz)

Processing

Reaction Chamber + Charcoal → Silicon

Useful Reactions

A Grinder makes Silica from Quartz; Silica combines with Charcoal in a Reaction Chamber to make Silicon.

Read more

Silicon

SSilicon

Silicon is made by combining Silica and Charcoal in a Reaction Chamber.

Type

Solid

Density

-

Source

Reaction Chamber (Silica + Charcoal)

Processing

-

Useful Reactions

Silica and Charcoal combine in a Reaction Chamber to make Silicon.

Sunsand

Dunes release Sunsand while it falls, but it reforms into Dune when it stops.

Type

Solid

Source

Dune

Processing

Reforms into Dune when no longer falling

Useful Reactions

Sunsand is the temporary falling form from a Dune and reforms when it stops falling.

Void Husk

Void Husk is a solid material.

Type

Solid

Source

-

Processing

-

Useful Reactions

-

Void Petal

Void Petals combine with Redsand to make Voidbloom.

Type

Solid

Source

-

Processing

Redsand → Voidbloom

Useful Reactions

Void Petals react with Redsand to form Voidbloom.

Void Seed

Void Seed is a solid material.

Type

Solid

Acid

AAcid

Sulfur Dioxide and Water make Acid, which heat turns back into Sulfur Dioxide.

Type

Liquid

Density

-

Source

Sulfur Dioxide + Water

Processing

Heat → Sulfur Dioxide

Useful Reactions

Sulfur Dioxide reacts with Water to make Acid; heat turns Acid back into Sulfur Dioxide.

Florinol

Florinol is a liquid in the Amethelis energy chain and is used by Florinol Batteries.

Type

Liquid

Density

-

Source

Florin

Processing

Synthesizer → Aurixite; Florinol Battery → Energy

Useful Reactions

Florinol can be stored in a Florinol Battery or used by the Synthesizer to make Aurixite.

Lava

Snow freezes Lava into Scoria; the resulting Cinder can be moved and reignited elsewhere.

Type

Liquid

Density

200

Source

Deep Lava Cave; Cinder + Fire

Processing

Snow → Scoria → Cinder; Fire → Lava

Useful Reactions

Snow converts Lava into Scoria, which yields transportable Cinder when mined.

Liquid Copper

Smelting Copper produces Liquid Copper, which can be used in a Copper Mold.

Type

Liquid

Source

Copper

Processing

Copper Mold → copper power brick

Useful Reactions

Copper becomes Liquid Copper in the Smelter; a Copper Mold uses the liquid in power production.

Liquid Gold

Liquid Gold is a molten form of Gold that can still serve as Research currency when collected.

Type

Liquid

Source

Smelter

Processing

-

Useful Reactions

Gold can be smelted into Liquid Gold, which still counts as Research currency in a Collector.

Liquid Nickel

LNLiquid Nickel

Smelting Pentlandite Ore produces Liquid Nickel for casting Power Cells in Nickel Molds.

Type

Liquid

Source

Smelted Pentlandite Ore

Processing

Nickel Mold → Power Cell

Useful Reactions

Smelting Pentlandite Ore produces Liquid Nickel for Nickel Molds; Sulfur Dioxide is a byproduct.

Void Juice

Void Juice is a liquid material.

Type

Liquid

Density

-

Source

-

Processing

-

Useful Reactions

-

Water

Water wets Sand and Seed, freezes into Ice, and becomes Steam when heated or when it touches Lava.

Type

Liquid

Density

100

Source

Surface lakes; Ice; Steam rain; Snow melting

Processing

Sand → Wet Sand; Seed → Wet Seed; Fire → Steam; Snow → Ice

Useful Reactions

Water reacts with Sand, Seed, Fire, Snow, and Lava; Water touching Lava becomes Steam without reducing Lava.

Read more

Carbon Dioxide

CDCarbon Dioxide

Carbon Dioxide is a gas used to grow Bark in Planter Boxes.

Type

Gas

Source

Oxyblubs fed Oxygen

Processing

Planter Box → Bark

Useful Reactions

Carbon Dioxide is used to grow Bark in Planter Boxes.

Depleted Steam

Steam Turbines produce Depleted Steam, which Condensers turn into Water.

Type

Gas

Source

Steam Turbine exhaust

Processing

Condenser → Water

Useful Reactions

Steam Turbines produce Depleted Steam, and Condensers convert it into Water.

Florin

Florin is a gas in the Amethelis energy chain and condenses into Florinol.

Type

Gas

Source

Dry Amethelis

Processing

Condenses into Florinol

Useful Reactions

Florin is condensed into Florinol for the battery energy chain.

Prismaline

PPrismaline

Prismaline gas rises until it reaches its atmospheric height limit.

Type

Gas

Source

-

Processing

-

Useful Reactions

Prismaline gas rises until it reaches its atmospheric height limit.

Steam

Heating Water or Snow creates Steam, which rises and can condense back into Water.

Type

Gas

Source

Heating Water or Snow

Processing

Condenser → Water; Steam Turbine → Depleted Steam

Useful Reactions

Heating Water or Snow produces Steam; it rises, can condense into rain, and can feed a Steam Turbine.

Read more

Sulfur Dioxide

SDSulfur Dioxide

Sulfur Dioxide is released when Pentlandite Ore is smelted and combines with Water to form Acid.

Type

Gas

Source

Smelting Pentlandite Ore

Processing

Water → Acid; heat → Sulfur Dioxide

Useful Reactions

Sulfur Dioxide combines with Water to form Acid, and heat releases the gas again.

Residue

The Shaker separates Residue from Wet Sand, and fire can turn it into Burnt Residue.

Type

Slushy

Density

50

Source

Wet Sand

Processing

Shaker → Residue; Fire → Burnt Residue

Useful Reactions

Wet Sand processing produces Residue; fire may turn Residue into Burnt Residue.

Voidbloom

Combining Void Petals with Redsand produces Voidbloom, which the Flux Emanator turns into Fluxite.

Type

Slushy

Density

30

Source

Void Petals + Redsand

Processing

Flux Emanator → Fluxite

Useful Reactions

Voidbloom combines Void Petals and Redsand; Flux Emanator processing produces Fluxite.

Wet Sand

Water and Sand form Wet Sand, which the Shaker separates into Gold and Residue.

Type

Slushy

Density

150

Source

Sand + Water

Processing

Shaker → Gold + Residue

Useful Reactions

Shakers split Wet Sand into Gold and Residue.

Wet Seed

Water and Seed form Wet Seed, which the Planter Box processes into Flowers.

Type

Slushy

Density

100

Source

Seed + Water

Processing

Planter Box → Flower

Useful Reactions

Wet Seed is processed in a Planter Box to produce Flowers.

Amethelis

Flowers drop Amethelis petals and Gold when destroyed, and the wisps drift as they fall.

Type

Wisp

Density

40

Source

Flower

Processing

Dryer → Dry Amethelis

Useful Reactions

Destroying a Flower drops 4 Amethelis and 1 Gold; Amethelis drifts side to side as it falls.

Dry Amethelis

Dryers turn Amethelis into Dry Amethelis, which fire converts into Florin.

Type

Wisp

Density

39

Source

Amethelis

Processing

Fire → Florin

Useful Reactions

Drying Amethelis produces Dry Amethelis; Fire turns it into Florin.

Snow

Snow can freeze Lava into Scoria or deep Water into Ice, and fire turns it into Steam.

Type

Wisp

Density

150

Source

Cryoblaster, Frostbed

Processing

Fire → Steam; Snow + deep Water → Ice; Snow + Lava → Scoria

Useful Reactions

Snow freezes Lava into Scoria and can turn deep Water into Ice; burning Snow produces Steam. Shallow Water or Lava may consume Snow without producing Ice or Scoria.

Read more

Sandustry material types and how they move

Every material in Sandustry belongs to a type, and the type tells you how it behaves. Terrain is the ground, rock and boundaries you dig through, and the rest move and react. Solids fall straight down, liquids spread out and level off, and slushy materials like Wet Sand and Residue act like damp sand and pile up. Gases rise and gather under ceilings, while wisps such as Amethelis and Snow drift sideways as they fall, so anything meant to catch them needs a wide opening, not a narrow funnel.

Density decides what sinks and what floats. Heavier materials sink under lighter ones based on weight, not on which one you added first, which is why a layout that looks right on paper can still get stuck. Gold is the heaviest at 300, Lava sits at 200 and Water at 100. Lower-density gases rise higher.

Terrain in Sandustry: what digging gives you

Dirt is the everyday ground in Sandustry, and digging it gives you Sand, which is where the first chain starts. Deeper down, Copper Ore sits in small pockets and gives Copper, though it needs stronger digging tools than dirt does. Pentlandite is a tough underground rock that gives Pentlandite Ore, and Mooncrystal outcrops deep underground yield Moonhop.

Some ground is more specific. A Dune in the desert releases Sunsand when it breaks, and that Sunsand settles back into Dune once it stops falling. Redsoil gives Redsand when dug.

Some ground gives nothing back. Stone and Limestone are tough, and Crackstone, Solidite and Puff break without giving anything in return. Moss and Vine can burn, but they yield nothing either.

A couple of cases are worth knowing. Indestructible forms the bedrock edge of the world and can't be damaged or changed, while Ice Crystal, found underground, is harder than Stone and reflects lasers.

How to get Gold in Sandustry

Gold pays for research, so it's one of the first materials worth setting up. The main route starts with Sand: dig Dirt, pour Water on the Sand to make Wet Sand, and let it fall onto a Shaker. A Shaker sorts by material, so only Gold drops through, each Wet Sand has a 25% chance of giving you one, and the Residue that's left stays on top and slowly slides off the side.

Build your Shakers in a descending diagonal, not a flat field. On a diagonal, the incoming Wet Sand pushes the Residue off each Shaker onto the next one down, so the Gold keeps falling through. On a flat field the Residue piles up over the Shaker and the Gold stops coming.

The second route starts with Residue. Fire turns Residue into Burnt Residue, at roughly four Residue for each one, and that fire can come from a Flamethrower, Lava, a Pyro Dispenser or a Burner Belt. Drop Burnt Residue from at least 25 blocks onto a Kinetic Press, which turns it into Gold, because the height is part of the recipe and a shorter drop does nothing.

Gold can also be smelted into Liquid Gold, which still counts as Research currency in a Collector. A Synthesizer can turn Liquid Gold into Gold Granulate, a denser form of gold, and density matters because a Collector holds more gold the denser it is. The Gold Granulate recipe is a late research unlock.

How to get Water in Sandustry

Water wets Sand and Seed, so early lines need a steady supply nearby. Surface lakes and underground layers hold plenty, and Ice, rain from Steam and melting Snow add more. Lumling critters produce Water too, and a mining Laser fired steadily at Ice melts it straight into Water, which helps in cold biomes far from a lake.

If you start far from any lake, melting Snow is the quickest fix. Snow from a Cryoblaster, sprayed into a small sealed box and hit with heat, melts into pure Water almost at once. It's a fast answer while you set up something steadier.

Water spreads out to a flat level and can slip through a diagonal gap where two blocks only meet at a corner. Seal those seams with an extra block, or your pool will drain somewhere you didn't plan for.

Heat and cold in Sandustry: Steam, Ice, Snow and Lava

Heat and cold change materials from one form into another. Fire turns Water into Steam, and Water that touches Lava does the same without using up the Lava. Steam rises, and with nothing above it, it condenses and falls back as Water, while a ceiling holds it in place where you want it inside a machine.

Cold works in reverse. Snow dropped into deep Water turns it into Ice, while in shallow water the Snow is simply used up, and fire melts Ice back into Water. Snow comes from a Cryoblaster, which gives an endless supply, or from Frostbed terrain when you dig it.

Snow can also freeze Lava into Scoria, a terrain block that gives Cinder when broken. Lava can't be pumped, so moving it takes three steps: freeze it with Snow, dig out the Scoria for Cinder, and melt the Cinder with a direct flame, since passive heat won't do it. Lava is found in deep caves and destroys Fluxite and Redsoil, so keep those away from it.

How to grow Flowers and Bark in Sandustry

Flowers start with Seed, which a Kinetic Press produces. Water turns Seed into Wet Seed, and Wet Seed hangs in water rather than sinking the way plain Seed does. A Planter Box turns one Wet Seed into one Flower, and a plant that's still growing soaks up extra Wet Seed without wasting it.

Break a Flower's head and it drops 4 Amethelis and 1 Gold. Amethelis drifts sideways as it falls, so catch it with a wide opening or a fan rather than a single-tile funnel.

Bark works differently. Trees grow in Planter Boxes when they're fed Carbon Dioxide, and their trunks are Bark. Fire turns Bark into Burnt Bark, and destroying Burnt Bark gives you Charcoal.

How to make energy in Sandustry: Florinol, Copper and Steam

Florinol starts with Amethelis. Dry Amethelis comes out of a Steam Dryer, and fire burns it into Florin, at roughly two Dry Amethelis per Florin. A Condenser with cold above and Florin underneath turns Florin into Florinol and pays out 2 Gold for each one.

A Florinol Battery holds 16 energy. Once a battery is spent, its Florinol turns into Florinol Soil, which you can dig up or burn to get Florinol back.

Copper gives you a bigger store. Liquid Copper, made by smelting Copper, poured into a Copper Mold becomes a Power Brick holding 1,000 energy, and breaking the brick returns the 16 Copper it was made from. A Smelter needs heat from a Thermal Buffer or Lava to work.

Steam can make energy too. A Steam Turbine turns Steam into 10 energy for each unit, and it gives back Depleted Steam, which a Condenser turns into Water again.

Belts, launchers, filters and portals run without power. You only need energy for the machines that refine, extract or store things.

How to make Aura in Sandustry: Aurixite and Auralite

Aura is the one resource in the game you can't dig, burn or condense, so it comes out of one machine fed by another. A Synthesizer turns Florinol into Aurixite, a dense solid, and a Shaker splits Aurixite into Auralite.

Auralite placed in range of an Aura Extractor condenses into Auralite Crystal, which no hand tool can dig, shoot or melt. The extractor's nanobots break the crystal open to release Aura, and you steer them by clicking the extractor.

Wells must sit just outside the extractor's ring, because building them inside the radius stops them working. Prismaline builds up in storage while the extractor runs and a Prismaline Well releases it, and Gold Wells and Prismite Wells pull Gold and Prismite from the void at a steady rate.

If you pick up the extractor mid-crystallizing, the crystals are held and come back as Auralite when you rebuild it. A misplaced extractor doesn't mean starting over.

Silicon, Hydrogen, Acid and other refined materials in Sandustry

Dry Sand has a refined side too. A Magnet pulls Quartz and Blacksand out of it, and a Grinder turns Quartz into Silica. Silica and Charcoal go into a Reaction Chamber to make Silicon.

Blacksand goes into a Steam Dryer to make Gold Vapor and Magnetite. Gold Vapor can be condensed into Liquid Gold, and Magnetite feeds an Electromagnet, which uses it along with energy to create a steady magnetic field.

Grinders use 200 energy per element, and Electromagnets draw 200 energy as well, so get your power running first. An Electrolyzer splits Water into Hydrogen and Oxygen, and a Fuel Cell burns the Hydrogen to make energy. Gases move through Gas Pipes, a network of their own, and Oxygen feeds Oxyblob critters, which turn it into Carbon Dioxide.

Smelting Pentlandite Ore makes Liquid Nickel and Sulfur Dioxide. Liquid Nickel poured into a Nickel Mold becomes a high-capacity Power Cell, and Sulfur Dioxide mixed with Water makes Acid, which heat turns back into Sulfur Dioxide.

Void Petals mixed with Redsand make Voidbloom, which a Flux Emanator turns into Fluxite. Fluxite also turns up in small natural deposits.

FAQ