Gold Amalgam

Gold Amalgam is a metal ore used primarily as a construction material and as a feedstock for gold production. It is typically found in small to medium-sized deposits in swamp biomes, and functions much like other metal ores when harvested and used in buildings.

Its main appeal is not raw thermal performance, but the combination of a modest decor bonus and a much higher overheating threshold. Buildings made from Gold Amalgam gain +10% Decor and a +50°C overheat bonus, which raises the overheat temperature of most structures to 125°C. This makes it especially useful for machines that need to operate in very hot environments, such as around steam vents or in other high-temperature industrial setups. It is, however, a poor choice when the goal is temperature regulation: Gold Amalgam has very low Specific Heat Capacity and the lowest Thermal Conductivity among metal ores, so buildings made from it heat up quickly and release heat slowly. For heat-exchange applications, Wolframite performs better, though in many practical cases the difference is minor because of how heat exchange mechanics work.

Gold Amalgam can be processed in several ways:

• It can be refined into Gold in a Metal Refinery at a 1:1 mass ratio: 100 kg Gold Amalgam = 100 kg Gold.
• A Rock Crusher can break it down into Gold and Sand: 100 kg Gold Amalgam = 50 kg Gold + 50 kg Sand.
• Stone Hatches can eat Gold Amalgam and excrete Coal, producing 50 kg Coal from 100 kg Gold Amalgam. Feeding it this ore also increases the chance of producing Smooth Hatch eggs.
• Smooth Hatches can eat Gold Amalgam and excrete Gold, producing 75 kg Gold from 100 kg Gold Amalgam.

Because of these conversion options, Gold Amalgam is useful both as a construction material and as a resource for ranching and metal production. It is particularly valuable when a building needs the durability of a metal ore but must survive in hotter-than-usual conditions without overheating. At the same time, it is not an efficient choice for storing or moving heat, so it is best used for structure safety rather than thermal management.