Electrum

Electrum is a mineable element in Oxygen Not Included, commonly encountered as a naturally occurring ore. It is classified as Very Soft with a hardness of 2, and behaves thermodynamically as a metal ore that melts rather than decomposes: when heated to ~1063.9 °C it transitions into Molten Gold without any loss of mass.

Electrum serves primarily as a metal feedstock for producing Gold. It can be processed in two standard ways: sending Electrum to a Rock Crusher yields 50 kg Gold and 50 kg Sand per 100 kg Electrum processed, while refining Electrum in a Metal Refinery converts 100 kg Electrum into 100 kg Gold (i.e., full conversion by mass when refined). These processing options allow players to choose between an immediate conversion to pure Gold or breaking Electrum into Gold plus Sand for alternative uses or storage.

Practical notes and interactions:

• Electrum’s Very Soft classification and hardness of 2 affect how it is mined and the digging time required for duplicants.
• The melting point at roughly 1063.9 °C makes Electrum susceptible to becoming Molten Gold in high-temperature environments or when placed near heat sources; plan ore handling and smelting infrastructure accordingly to avoid unwanted liquefaction.
• Use Rock Crushers when you want to obtain both Gold and Sand from Electrum, for cases where you need Sand for filtration or construction. Use a Metal Refinery when you need maximum Gold yield and have refinery capacity.
• Transport and storage of Electrum follow the same logistics as other solid ores; consider routing ore through ore scrubbers or other germ-control buildings if contamination is a concern.
• Electrum does not lose mass when melted into Molten Gold, so melting and subsequently re-solidifying (by cooling) preserves total mass for metal-processing workflows.

Electrum’s straightforward processing paths make it a useful midgame resource for converting raw ore into Gold for refined components and advanced constructions.