Satisfactory Bauxite Guide: The Aluminum Industrial Chain
Bauxite is the first "complex" resource in Satisfactory. Unlike Iron or Coal, its processing chain involves multiple fluid byproducts that can easily cause a factory to deadlock if not managed correctly. Master Aluminum to unlock Mk.6 Belts, Hoverpacks, and late-game Nuclear technology.
1. Bauxite Node Priority
Bauxite is exclusively found in high-altitude biomes. The Red Jungle and Western Reaches contain the densest clusters of Pure nodes, offering 600+ ore/min each with Mk.3 Miners.
2. Fluid Management
The core challenge is Recycled Water. The second stage of production outputs water, which must be fed back into the first stage without blocking the fresh water supply.
3. Alternative Recipes
Standard aluminum is inefficient. Sloppy Alumina and Instant Scrap are the community-preferred "Gold Standard" for late-game mega-factories.
Bauxite Processing Chain (1.0 Standards)
Aluminum production requires two main stages. Stage 1 creates Alumina Solution; Stage 2 converts that solution into solid Scrap.
| Production Stage | Primary Ingredients | Byproducts | Efficiency Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alumina Solution | Bauxite + Water | Silica (None if Sloppy) | Standard recipe is Silica-heavy; Sloppy is simpler. |
| Aluminum Scrap | Alumina Solution + Coal | Water | Recycle this water to the first stage! |
| Aluminum Ingot | Scrap + Quartz or Silica | None | Pure Aluminum Ingot (Alt) skips Silica entirely. |
Solving the "Water Block" (The VIP Junction)
Because the Scrap Refineries produce water, your system will eventually stop if you don't use it. However, fresh Water Extractors can "overpower" the byproduct water, causing a backup.
- The Solution: Use a Variable Input Priority (VIP) Junction.
- Place your Freshwater line and Byproduct line into a single pipe cross, but place the byproduct line physically lower or use a Valve to limit fresh water flow.
- This ensures the system "consumes" the recycled water before pulling from the Extractors.
Matter Conversion: Bauxite Transmutation (Tier 9)
In Satisfactory 1.0, the Converter allows you to use Bauxite and S.A.M. technology to bypass rare resource shortages:
- Synthetic Raw Quartz: 10x Bauxite + 1x Reanimated SAM → 10x Raw Quartz. (Perfect for avoiding long-range Quartz trains).
- Uranium Enriching: 48x Bauxite + 1x Reanimated SAM → 24x Uranium Ore. (A vital late-game backup for Nuclear safety).
Logistics Warning: Bauxite nodes are often guarded by radioactive flora or Elite Stinger fauna. Bring a Hazmat suit and a Rifle with Turbo Ammo when exploring the Red Forest plateaus.
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