Uranium Ore

Uranium Ore is a radioactive mineral element used mainly as a source of radiation and as feedstock for producing Enriched Uranium. It can be mined from naturally occurring uranium ore tiles, and it also appears as a renewable resource in Space POIs, where it can be harvested from Radioactive Asteroid Fields or Radioactive Gas Clouds at a rate of 9.1–36.4 kg per cycle.

Its most important industrial use is enrichment. Uranium Ore can be processed in a Uranium Centrifuge to produce Enriched Uranium, but the yield depends heavily on how the ore is handled. If the ore is mined from a natural tile before processing, the mined debris only preserves half of the original tile’s mass, and the centrifuge converts only 10% of the original mass into Enriched Uranium. In contrast, a Beeta Hive can harvest Uranium Ore directly from a natural tile over time and recover up to 90% of the original mass as Enriched Uranium, making it far more efficient when the goal is to maximize output.

Uranium Ore also has several useful radiation-related side effects. Buildings made from it, including Hydroponic Farm Tiles, Heavi-Watt Joint Plates, Manual Airlocks when closed, and Mechanized Airlocks when closed, emit a small amount of radiation that can be used for sterilization. Uranium Ore is also a material option for the Radiation Lamp, and it can be used by the Manual Radbolt Generator to generate radbolts.

• If the goal is Enriched Uranium production, using a Beeta Hive on a natural tile is much more efficient than mining the tile first.
• If the ore is mined before processing, expect a large loss in total output because mined debris retains only half the tile’s mass.
• Uranium-based buildings are useful in areas where weak radiation is desirable, such as for killing germs.
• Because Uranium Ore is available from space harvesting, it can serve as a renewable late-game supply if a suitable rocket setup is available.

Overall, Uranium Ore is less valuable as a raw construction material than as a radiation source and enrichment input. Its best applications are tied to Beeta Hives, the Uranium Centrifuge, and devices that make use of its weak emitted radiation.