Magnesium FAQ

What does Magnesium add?

Evaporation ponds that turn water into bittern in the sun, a short chain from bittern to magnesium, and magnesium in low density structures, flying robot frames and electric furnaces. There is no magnesium ore. The base game uses water; Space Age also offers lava and oxide asteroids. Factorio 2.1.23 or later in the 2.1 series is required; Space Age is optional.

What are the recipes?

These are the Fluffy-only starter recipes. External material packs add the production stages described in this FAQ.

Base recipes before quality, at crafting speed 1. Fluid amounts are fluid units.

The pond has crafting speed 6 at full sun; the heated evaporator has crafting speed 10 and uses 3 MW of heat.

Why did my ponds stop?

It is night. Ponds follow the same day curve as solar panels: full speed until dusk, fading to nothing by evening, stopped until morning, back to full by dawn. The pond shows "Night: waiting for the sun". Store bittern in tanks to keep the chemical plants running, or add heated evaporators. Where even noon is too dark, as on Aquilo, the pond shows "No sunlight on this planet" and never runs; use heated evaporators there.

How many ponds do I need?

One pond makes about 36 magnesium per minute at noon and about 25 averaged over a Nauvis day. A utility science pack needs about 2.3 magnesium (three low density structures and a robot frame per three packs), so one pack per second takes about six ponds. A rocket needs 2,000 magnesium without Space Age, and 100 per launch with Space Age (one low density structure per rocket part).

Can I turn the sunlight off?

Yes: the map setting Ponds follow the sun makes ponds always run at full-sun speed.

Does it work on other planets?

With Space Age, every early planet has a local route:

• Vulcanus: Foundry research unlocks 500 lava + 1 calcite → 5 magnesia + 10 stone in 16 seconds. Reduce magnesia with coal or carbon in a chemical plant or foundry. Ponds still work at 400% noon speed, using water from steam condensation, but lava needs no water.
• Fulgora: scrap ice → water → pond bittern → magnesium chloride. Electromagnetic plant research unlocks 10 chloride → 10 magnesium in 20 seconds in the EM plant (15 with its built-in productivity). With a chlorine mod, the existing faster electrolysis keeps its chlorine output and gains EM-plant access. Holmium processing also unlocks 80 holmium solution + 1 magnesium → 5 plates + chloride in 90% of batches, in chemical plants or foundries.
• Gleba: water and stone make magnesia; 2 magnesia + 1 carbon → 2 magnesium in 4 seconds. Carbon from spoilage avoids coal synthesis. Bioflux research unlocks 15 yumako mash + 12 jelly + 1 magnesium chloride → 5 bioflux in 6 seconds in the biochamber, retaining ordinary spoilage behavior.
• Platforms: Asteroid magnesia (Space platform thruster + Magnesium processing, 500 red/green/blue/space packs, 30 seconds) unlocks 1 oxide chunk → 3 ice + 2 magnesia + a 30% chunk return in 2 seconds in the crusher. Asteroid productivity applies. Space platform research unlocks carbon reduction, so oxide and carbonic chunks supply magnesium in orbit.
• Aquilo: no dedicated route is added. Import magnesia and magnesium as needed. Ponds never run in its dim sunlight; heated evaporators can make chloride on the heat network, and an imported EM plant can use the general electrolysis recipe. Magnesium-lithium structures are not added, and the family's endgame parts still need imports.

Pond noon speeds are Nauvis 100%, Vulcanus 400%, Gleba 50%, Fulgora 20%, Aquilo off; the pond's description lists them. Ponds need ground and at least 100 hPa of air pressure. Heated evaporators run day and night. Chemical routes also work in cryogenic plants. If importing to Vulcanus, ship magnesium rather than ice: a rocket carries 4,000 magnesium, or ice for only about 200.

Magnesium productivity requires Metallurgic science pack and Magnesium processing. Each infinite level costs 1.5^L × 1000 automation, logistic, chemical, space and metallurgic packs at 60 seconds, adding 10% to reduction (including processed reductants and Pidgeon when present) and electrolysis. Lava and asteroid magnesia are feedstocks; asteroid crushing uses Asteroid productivity instead.

Space Age recipes returning a catalyst or asteroid chunk disable quality modules. The optional holmium route also disables quality, and its returned chloride ignores productivity. Existing researched saves gain the routes unlocked by their completed research on update.

In Space Exploration, ponds follow the sun SE sets for each zone, faster on hot, dry worlds and slower on cold, wet ones; the homeworld is the baseline.

Which planet mods does it support?

• Maraxsis: Hydro plants make magnesia from seawater and coral.
• Paracelsin: Vaterite precipitates magnesia, and a zinc-magnesium coating saves half the zinc on cast galvanized steel.

What uses magnesium before blue science?

Ordinary plastic continuously consumes magnesium chloride: one per ten plastic before other yield bonuses. Catalysed plastic consumes three chloride per forty plastic and returns its separate catalyst in 98% of batches. With Phosphorus, the final batches are three chloride per forty ordinary plastic or fifty catalysed plastic. The chloride is consumed even when the catalyst returns.

Tier-one speed, efficiency and productivity modules each need one magnesium for their housings, as does the quality module when available. Higher module tiers use the lower tiers rather than receiving another direct charge. These uses stay at red/green science in vanilla and the current family pack; earlier recipes in overhauls are left alone.

Night-vision and belt-immunity equipment each replace two steel with two magnesium for lightweight housings. In vanilla and the current family pack, each recipe is five advanced circuits, eight steel and two magnesium. Their red/green research and equipment effects stay the same. Overhaul recipes using different structural metals retain them, and detector components are preserved.

Optional magnesium-treated engines turn four steel, four gears, eight pipes and one magnesium into five engine units in 50 seconds in vanilla and the current family pack. This saves 20% of ordinary components with the same crafting time per engine. Magnesium processing unlocks it; existing researched saves gain it on update. The normal engine recipe remains available. Add magnesium-ductile-engine-unit to Unmodified recipes to disable the alternative.

After upgrading an existing save, supply chloride to plastic plants and magnesium to module assemblers. Add plastic-bar or the exact module recipe names to Unmodified recipes if you need to retain their old recipes while preparing supply.

What changes for uranium fuel cells?

The conventional ten-cell recipe uses five iron plates, five magnesium, one uranium-235 and nineteen uranium-238. Magnesium represents Magnox-inspired fuel cladding. Crafting time, productivity support, fuel value and reprocessing stay the same.

Existing assemblers retain their assigned recipe and buffered ingredients. Supply magnesium after updating; the unused iron remains available for later batches. Existing fuel cells keep working. Add uranium-fuel-cell to Unmodified recipes to retain the original bill. Earlier or start-enabled recipes, existing magnesium inputs and smaller native iron casing bills such as BZ Zirconium's are preserved.

What changes for flamethrowers?

In vanilla and the current family pack, with Magnesium alone, the handheld flamethrower uses three steel, ten iron gears, two magnesium and one magnesia in ten seconds. The turret retains its thirty steel, fifteen gears, ten pipes and five engines, adding five magnesia for refractory insulation; crafting still takes twenty seconds. Magnesium represents the handheld outer housing, separate from the steel hot parts.

The shared Flamethrower technology now requires Magnesium processing, still at red/green/military science. This also applies to its existing ammo unlock, but ammo recipes (including Phosphorus incendiary ammo), turret fuels and combat effects are unchanged. Earlier overhaul recipes and different handheld structural metals are preserved.

Existing researched saves keep their unlocks and placed weapons. Supply magnesium and magnesia to handheld assemblers and magnesia to turret assemblers after updating. With Tellurium 0.2.4 and Antimony 0.3.14, the handheld also needs two tellurium copper; turrets need four tellurium copper and one antimony metal (or supported Babbitt alloy). Add flamethrower and/or flamethrower-turret to Unmodified recipes to bypass the corresponding change.

What changes for exoskeletons?

In vanilla, one exoskeleton uses ten processing units, thirty electric engines, ten steel and five magnesium in ten seconds; with Molybdenum, the ten steel are molybdenum steel. Magnesium replaces half the steel frame. The recipe retains blue-science access and the equipment's movement bonus and power use stay unchanged.

K2's smaller frame uses five steel and three magnesium, rounding the smaller magnesium dose up to a whole item. Its upgraded exoskeletons inherit the base equipment, with no new direct charge. Recipes already using carbon fiber, titanium, aluminum or its alloys, low density structures, aeroframe materials or magnesium retain those materials. Earlier overhaul research and recipe bypasses are respected.

Existing researched saves retain the recipe and equipped exoskeletons. Supply magnesium to existing assemblers after updating, or add exoskeleton-equipment to Unmodified recipes to retain the previous recipe.

Why is magnesium not in my robot frames?

Magnesium does not add itself where another mod already reinforces the frame (Cadmium's plated hardware, cobalt-chromium alloy or titanium), or where the frame uses aluminum 2219 that already contains magnesium. In those packs, magnesium reaches utility science through low density structures or the alloy instead.

My pack uses different plastic, engine, pipe or concrete recipes.

Catalysed plastic, treated engines, ductile pipe and Sorel concrete are built from your pack's own recipes. Ductile pipe only exists where pipes are made of iron plate, and Sorel concrete where the host uses stone bricks or a supported limestone binder. Raw stone provides the aggregate: the recipe makes twice the concrete per binder batch, with twice the batch time to preserve throughput. Existing Sorel assemblers retain their recipe and buffered ingredients but need a stone feed after updating. Treated engines require connected Engine/Magnesium research; separate overhaul branches are left alone to preserve progression. Their productivity is capped at 220% (or a lower host limit) to keep ordinary engine recycling balanced.

What changes with Krastorio 2, BZ and chlorine mods?

Magnesium processing arrives with chemical plants, which is early in Krastorio 2. Aluminum 6061 and 2219 use magnesium, coke replaces coal, mineral water gives twice the bittern and quicklime more magnesia. With chlorine, magnesium chloride electrolysis gives more magnesium plus chlorine, ponds can run as salt pans, and the Kroll process makes the most titanium per ore.

What does magnesium do with BZ, Timeken, Ashier and trikop metals?

It becomes a reagent. Silicon reduces magnesia (the Pidgeon process, twice as fast as coal), magnesium reduces silica and tantalite for more silicon, tantalum and niobium per ore, and Grignard reagents make more organotins. Magnesia precipitates nickel from sulfuric acid leach, neutralises chemical waste and depleted acid into water, lines electric foundries and carries platinum catalysts. Zinc-magnesium coating needs half the zinc for galvanized steel. All of these are alternatives or apply only where Magnesium never delays research.

What changes with Space Exploration?

Heat shielding takes magnesia in place of half its stone tablets, so every rocket part, cargo rocket section and delivery cannon capsule needs a salt works. Aeroframe poles take magnesium instead of an iron stick (with Krastorio 2 lithium, a magnesium-lithium pole needs half the beryllium). Magnesiothermic reduction makes more beryllium and holmium per ore, and magnesium, magnesia and magnesium chloride fit the delivery cannon.

Can I keep a recipe unchanged?

Yes: list it in the startup setting Unmodified recipes, for example low-density-structure, flying-robot-frame.

Is incendiary ammunition planned?

Not as Magnesium's own ammo line. A later version may add magnesium to incendiary ammunition from weapon mods that already have it.

What do the material-pack integrations add?

Brine first becomes magnesium hydroxide, then a furnace calcines it into magnesia. Native reagents, graphite, prepared silicothermic charges and nickel precipitation connect the chemical and metal branches. The original direct brine-to-magnesia recipe remains the route for games without these external material providers.

Will this change my Fluffy-only factory?

Fluffy-only games keep their existing recipes, machines and progression, with or without Space Age. The extra requirements activate only with the relevant external material providers. They do not add machinery requirements to a normal Fluffy-only game.

How should I update a factory that uses material packs?

Back up your save and update the Fluffy material mods you already use together. You do not need to install additional siblings. Existing external production lines may need new ingredient feeds, intermediate transfers or a different crafting machine. Saved materials and recipe references are preserved; check around machines for returned stock after upgrading.

The matching versions are listed in the Caesium FAQ. The companion mods remain optional.

Provider conflicts still apply. BZ + Trikop is supported; Manganese on its own has an upstream steel-furnace limitation that can block progression. Space Exploration and Space Age are separate configurations.