Liquid Naphtha

Liquid Naphtha is an element produced in Oxygen Not Included exclusively by high-temperature conversion. Plastic converts into Liquid Naphtha when heated to 162.85°C. If the temperature of the converting plastic exceeds 541.85°C, the conversion produces Sour Gas instead of Liquid Naphtha. This temperature window defines how to obtain Liquid Naphtha reliably and how to avoid unwanted byproducts.

There are several practical production and extraction methods used in-game, ranging from simple one-off conversions to automated, high-throughput systems. A basic approach for small quantities is to place a Plastic Tempshift Plate in a high-temperature area so the plate rapidly absorbs heat and the Plastic melts and converts into Liquid Naphtha. When working with preheated Petroleum or feeding hot Petroleum into a Polymer Press, note that if the Plastic inside the Polymer Press reaches the conversion temperature, the press will drop Liquid Naphtha as the product instead of Plastic.

For larger-scale production, players commonly use a Liquid Heater combined with automation to control the process. One proven method is to transport Plastic into a Crude Oil bath, heat the Crude Oil with a Liquid Heater to transfer heat into the Plastic so it converts, then exploit the fact that Liquid Naphtha is lighter than Crude Oil to separate the two liquids. This arrangement allows continuous, controllable conversion and automatic recovery of Liquid Naphtha without manual melting.

Existing Liquid Naphtha can also be used to generate more of itself through heat-exchange techniques involving Metal Refinery cooling circuits. Build Plastic Tile on the Metal Refinery’s circulation piping and replace the local Liquid Pipe with Radiant Liquid Pipe while keeping the area well insulated from the environment. High-temperature Liquid Naphtha used as the Metal Refinery’s coolant will transfer heat to the Plastic Tile when it flows past the tile; this can melt the tile and convert it into additional Liquid Naphtha.

An alternative extraction arrangement uses a Liquid Tepidizer and a Liquid Pump placed next to Plastic Tile with the whole assembly insulated from the outside. Run the Liquid Tepidizer until the Plastic Tile is heated and melts into Liquid Naphtha, then pump the product away. Because Plastic has very low thermal conductivity, expect heating and conversion to take significant time unless radiant piping or direct-heat contact is used.

• Always keep conversion temperatures in mind: 162.85°C triggers Plastic→Liquid Naphtha; exceeding 541.85°C produces Sour Gas.
• For small needs, Plastic Tempshift Plates in a hot region are simple and fast.
• For continuous production, heat Plastic in Crude Oil and separate by density; use Liquid Heater and automation for control.
• Use Radiant Liquid Pipe and careful insulation when harvesting Liquid Naphtha from Metal Refinery coolant loops to maximize heat transfer.
• A Liquid Tepidizer + Liquid Pump assembly can extract Liquid Naphtha from Plastic Tile, but expect long heat-up times due to Plastic’s low thermal conductivity.
• When feeding hot Petroleum into a Polymer Press, monitor interior temperature: if Plastic inside reaches conversion temperature, the press will output Liquid Naphtha rather than Plastic.