Because denser materials like Gold and Wet Sand fall faster and displace lighter materials, angled diagonal chutes naturally sort heavier solids to the bottom and push lighter byproducts (like Residue) to the top without consuming any electricity.
Physics Engine · Settling Order
Sandustry Material Physics Guide: Buoyancy, Density & Settling Rules.
Sandustry features a pixel-level granular physics simulation where every particle possesses distinct mass, density, and buoyancy. Understanding this settling hierarchy lets you build zero-power sorting lines and prevent gas leakage.
Quick answer
How granular density sorting works
What the evidence supports
Master the physics,
design passive lines.
01 · Leverage Gravity Slopes
Feed mixed bulk material onto a 45-degree slope. Gold drops immediately straight down while lighter sand rolls further forward.
02 · Manage Prismaline Float Boundaries
Prismaline gas naturally rises until reaching a hard atmospheric density ceiling. Build enclosed collection funnels below this ceiling.
03 · Prevent Florin Gas Escape
Lightweight Florin gas escapes open conveyor belts into the open sky. Always route Florin through enclosed Pipes with vacuum Pumps.
04 · Understand Wet Seed Neutral Buoyancy
Wet Seeds share exact water density and remain suspended mid-fluid. Use shallow chutes rather than deep tanks to transport them.
Questions answered
Solve the next
blockage.
Why does Prismaline stop rising at a certain height?
Prismaline has a maximum buoyancy equilibrium height in the atmospheric simulation. It halts naturally at this altitude unless manually moved.
How do I build a 0-power gravity filter in Sandustry?
Set up an open-air angled staircase. Denser particles drop through the gaps first, while lighter materials bounce and slide to the far end.
Why do Wet Seeds float in water?
Wet Seeds and Water share the exact same density in the physics engine, creating neutral buoyancy where gravity has no net separating effect.
Evidence notes
Confirmed first.
Tested second.
Source Wiki
- Every solid and fluid has a hard-coded density value governing interactive displacement.
- Prismaline exhibits buoyant upward drift and stabilizes at specific atmospheric elevations.
- Gold passes downward through Shaker grids while Residue floats on top.
Community-tested
- Reddit r/SandustryGame (u/Stormoffires): Documented the hard ceiling limit for Prismaline buoyancy.
- Reddit r/SandustryGame (u/Ikazone): Showcased a 0-power gravity-based filter exploiting material density differences.
These are useful player examples, not official specifications.