Items
Sandustry Lava — Properties, Storage, and Uses
Lava is a consumable heat source in Sandustry. It cannot be pumped or belted. The only way to move it is the Cinder round-trip, and the only way to keep it stable is containment.
Last updated: August 17, 2026
Properties
- Interactions: Snow, water
- Density: 75
- Matter type: Liquid
- Byproducts: Scoria (frozen), Cinder (broken)
Finding lava
Lava appears as glowing orange pools once you dig deeper into the caves. You'll find it under ice layers, behind shatter stone, or in open chambers. Deeper areas generally have larger deposits, though map generation varies. When you open a new cave and see the glow, stop and plan — lava pours and spreads the instant you break the wall.
Storing lava safely
- Use filters on top so random sand or residue cannot fall in.
- Leave extra height and add launchers or belts so you can pull material out cleanly.
- Seal the sides carefully — one missing pixel and lava will drip into places you do not want it.
- Keep a visible stockpile of Cinder. Heat systems slowly consume lava, so you will need to top up regularly.
What lava is actually for
- Burning systems. Burning systems. Rising lava flames ignite residue, slag, seeds, and flowers.
- Thermal buffers. Thermal buffers. Buffers that sit directly in or on lava heat up and consume the lava.
- Steam. Steam. Water + lava → steam. The amount of lava does not decrease.
- Smelting. Smelting. Copper and later materials smelt on a thermal buffer kept hot by lava.
How to move lava
You cannot pipe or belt raw lava. The Cinder round-trip is the only reliable way: snow → Scoria → Cinder → conveyor → Flamethrower → lava. See How To Move Lava for the full walkthrough.