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- The Closed-Loop Lava Cycle (No Plants Required)
- Update #3 Terrain Erosion & Basalt Liners
- Update #4 Advanced Filter Wall Fluid Sealing
01
The Closed-Loop Lava Cycle (No Plants Required)
When natural subterranean lava chambers deplete in mid-game, engineers often search for botanical production recipes. However, plants do not produce lava in Sandustry. Instead, sustainable factories rely on a closed-loop state cycle: quench liquid Lava with Snow into Scoria, mine Scoria into solid Cinder, route Cinder across Conveyor Belts or Launchers, and re-melt it at the destination with Fire.
In Update #3 (v0.5.6), when a Thermal Buffer operates at cold (negative) temperature, Lava converts directly back into Cinder while releasing less heat instead of being consumed. This provides a controllable solid-state heat reservoir without requiring continuous fluid pumping.
02
Update #3 Terrain Erosion & Basalt Liners
Official Update #3 introduces dynamic erosion: Lava actively dissolves and destroys Fluxite, Redsoil, and Strataform terrain blocks upon physical contact. Never let uncontained lava touch natural cavern walls.
Mandatory Containment Rule: Line all lava extraction shafts, conduits, and catch basins with inert Basalt blocks or manufactured Foundations. Basalt walls completely resist lava erosion and prevent sudden structural collapses into lower factory tiers.
Lava State & Logistics Parameters (Update #3 & #4) | Phase / Element | In-Game State / Mechanism | Engineering Rule |
|---|
| Liquid Lava | Density 200 (Update #3) | Floats lighter solids (e.g. Stratacore density ~130); dissolves Fluxite/Redsoil/Strataform. |
| Solid Scoria | Lava + Snow reaction | Solidified intermediate created instantly upon contact with Cryoblaster Snow. |
| Solid Cinder | Excavated from Scoria | Moves freely via Conveyor Belts, Grabbers, and Launchers without fluid pipes. |
| Thermal Buffer | Converts Lava at negative temp | Adds less heat and yields solid Cinder instead of consuming lava. |
| Advanced Filter Wall | No fluid leakage (Update #4) | Safely gates liquid lava pools without perimeter leaks. |
03
Update #4 Advanced Filter Wall Fluid Sealing
Under Update #4 (v0.5.7), Lava can no longer leak through Advanced Filter Walls. This resolves legacy containment failures, allowing engineers to stage molten lava reservoirs behind filter barriers for selective material interaction without fluid breach.
