Graphite

Graphite is a mid-tier material used across many production chains and weapons in Mindustry. It is produced both on Serpulo-era maps and on Erekir via different buildings and processes; the item serves as a component for advanced conveyors, weapons, reactors, drills and numerous fabrication recipes. Graphite also functions as an ammo ingredient for several projectile types and appears in multiple factory outputs and crafting chains.

On Serpulo, Graphite is produced by presses and separators: Graphite Press, Multi-Press, Separator and Disassembler can generate it. On Erekir, Graphite is produced by machines and tiered generators including Evoke, Incite, Emanate, Plasma Bore and Advanced Plasma Bore. The Serpulo Graphite Press converts Coal and Water into Graphite while consuming electrical power: the conversion uses Coal at 6/s and Water at 6/s, draws 108 power/sec, operates on a 0.5 second production cycle and outputs Graphite at the equivalent of 4/s under those inputs.

Graphite is used directly as an input in additive reconstructor and in a wide range of building recipes across both tech trees. Notable constructions that require Graphite include Multi-Press and Kiln-tier manufacturing, Plastanium Compressor, Melter, Disassembler, Coal Centrifuge, Incinerator, multiple conveyor and router types (including Plastanium Conveyor, Phase Conveyor, Payload Conveyor, Payload Router), several liquid piping blocks (Liquid Router, Liquid Junction, Bridge Conduit), and many power and reactor structures such as Thermal Generator, Steam Generator, Thorium Reactor and Impact Reactor. Mining and production equipment like Pneumatic Drill, Laser Drill, Water Extractor and Oil Extractor also use Graphite in their construction. Numerous units and turrets (Scorch, Hail, Parallax, Swarmer, Salvo, Fuse, Ripple, Spectre) and logic / command infrastructure (Command Center, Illuminator, Message, Switch, Logic Processor, Memory Cell, Memory Bank) list Graphite as a component. On Erekir, Graphite further appears in electro-chemical processing structures (Silicon Arc Furnace, Carbide Crucible, Cyanogen Synthesizer), ship fabricators, reinforced piping and router variants, chemical and heat-processing chambers, advanced drills, defensive structures and many higher-tier unit/spawn factories. Graphite is a recipe ingredient for building Mech Fabricator, Unit Repair Tower and deconstruction loaders/unloaders specific to Erekir, and it is required for constructing Deconstructor (the Small Deconstructor equivalent in naming).

Graphite is also used as ammunition material for several projectiles and weapons. It is listed as an ammo component for Duo, Hail, Salvo, Ripple and Spectre on Serpulo, and for Diffuse on Erekir.

Practical notes and strategy:

• Graphite sits between basic fuels/metals and advanced materials: secure steady Coal and Water inputs (and sufficient power) to sustain presses on Serpulo, or prioritize the Erekir generators and Plasma Bores if playing that tileset.
• Because many conveyor, router and reactor blueprints require Graphite, bottlenecks often occur in mid-game when scaling logistics; plan parallel Graphite production or buffer storage to avoid stalls.
• Use Multi-Press and Graphite Press where available to convert surplus Coal into a high-demand crafting component rather than letting Coal sit unused.
• When designing factory chains that produce weapons or advanced units, place Graphite production close to assembly blocks that consume it to minimize throughput losses on long conveyor runs.
• Graphite’s real-world analogue is an allotrope of carbon with conductive and lubricating properties; this mirrors its in-game role as a material used in electrical, mechanical and high-heat systems.