Aluminum

Aluminum is a Refined Metal used widely in mid-to-late game construction and production. It appears as the refined product of Aluminum Ore and functions as a high-thermal-conductivity building material and crafting input for advanced equipment and materials. Its thermal conductivity is 205, which is higher than Diamond and second only to Thermium; this makes Aluminum one of the best available materials for structures and piping that require rapid heat transfer. Aluminum also has a relatively low melting point (about half that of Iron), which limits its use in extremely high-temperature environments.

Aluminum is produced directly in a Metal Refinery from Aluminum Ore at full conversion: 100 kg Aluminum Ore → 100 kg Aluminum. Alternative processing yields include Smooth Hatches, which process Aluminum Ore into Aluminum at 75% efficiency (100 kg Aluminum Ore → 75 kg Aluminum), and the Rock Crusher, which outputs Aluminum plus Sand (100 kg Aluminum Ore → 50 kg Aluminum + 50 kg Sand).

Common and notable uses and interactions:

• Aluminum’s high thermal conductivity makes it ideal for building Tempshift Plates, Radiant Liquid Pipes, Radiant Gas Pipes, and heat-conducting Metal Tiles where quick heat exchange is required. Use Aluminum in places where you need to move heat away rapidly but must avoid zones that exceed Aluminum’s lower melting threshold.
• As a Refined Metal, Aluminum is usable for constructing advanced power systems, automation components, and a wide variety of buildings that accept refined metals.
• Exosuit Forge recipe: 300 kg Aluminum + 2 Reed Fiber → 1 Atmo Suit. Aluminum is therefore a direct input to Atmo Suit production at the Exosuit Forge.
• Molecular Forge recipe: 5 kg Aluminum + 90 kg Graphite + 5 kg Sulfur → 100 kg Fullerene. Aluminum is one of the inputs for converting to Fullerene in the Molecular Forge.

Practical notes for use and planning:

• Favor Aluminum for heat-routing structures but avoid placing it where temperatures will approach its melting point; consider switching to Thermium or other ultra-high-temperature materials if you expect extremely hot processes.
• When refining Aluminum Ore, Metal Refineries give a straightforward 1:1 return; if using critters or rock processing, account for lower yields from Smooth Hatches or mixed outputs from Rock Crushers when balancing resource chains.
• Because Aluminum combines excellent thermal performance with lower heat tolerance, it is particularly useful in temperate-to-high but not extreme thermal systems—examples include mid-game coolant loops, heat sinks linking to refrigeration, and conductive flooring that spreads heat broadly without needing extreme temperature resilience.