Coal and Metallurgy

Coal and Metallurgy

Note

Design stage. This page describes planned mechanics from the design document. Not implemented yet — see Roadmap (milestone M2 for coal and the mine, M3 for steel, air separation and water treatment).

Coal and steel are the first two eras of the industrial complex: I0 "Coal and Steam" and I1 "Steel and Power". You dig coal out of a gassy mine, wash it, burn it under a boiler, coke it, smelt iron, make steel and pipe, refine aluminium and copper, separate air into oxygen, nitrogen and argon, and treat water for every boiler and cooling tower in the complex. Almost every later industry needs something from here: pipe for wells, steel for reactor vessels, coke-oven pitch for reactor graphite, cobalt and iridium for isotope targets.

The design covers these simulation packages:

Package	Domain types
sim.mining	MineVentilation, MethaneField, Hoist
sim.metallurgy	BlastFurnace, Converter, RollingMill, CokeBattery
sim.utilities	AirSeparationUnit, WaterTreatmentTrain

Server budget for the whole section: 0.10 ms/tick. Every furnace and boiler burns fuel through the shared combustion model (see Energy Grid); electricity comes from grid buses; explosions and collapses go through DamageBudget (Multiplayer).

The design document currently specifies ore generation and coal seams in full detail; the mine, coke plant, iron and steel, non-ferrous, pipe, air separation and water treatment chapters are scoped (milestones, hazards, products, scaling rules) but their detailed formulas are still being written. This page lists what is already fixed.

Milestone scope

Milestone	What arrives
M2 I0 coal and steam	mixed veins (all worldgen), coal mine: roof supports, ventilation, methane, canary → lamp → methanometer, coal dust and rock dusting, hoisting, mine dewatering; coal washing; coal_assay; cupola and casting iron in sand
M3 I1 steel and power	coke plant with by-product recovery, pitch and electrodes; sinter, blast furnace, converter, electric arc furnace, continuous caster, rolling, pipe, heat treatment; aluminium, copper, copper_wire; air separation unit; water treatment; machine shop
M8 oil and gas	OCTG (drill_pipe, casing_pipe, tubing_pipe), sour-service pipe, platinum-group metals from slimes (refinery catalysts)
M9 chemistry	benzene, phenol and naphthalene from the coke plant feed chemistry; early-path bakelite
M10 accidents and operations	spare parts for the maintenance panel, refractory wear, breakouts, air separation unit explosions
M12 isotopes	cobalt_ingot and iridium_ingot at target purity, Ir-192 weld radiography
M13 ecology and economy	spoil heap self-ignition, red mud and acid mine water, aluminium anode-effect PFCs
M15 post-release	titanium (Kroll), underground coal gasification, pellets, vacuum degassing

What is simulated

Level	What	Model	Time domain
Geology	mixed veins, coal seams, block composition	deterministic composition field from the world seed (VeinField)	chunk generation
Mine atmosphere	airflow through workings, CH₄, CO, O₂, dust	branch network (Hardy Cross), gas balances per node	SLOW (1 Hz)
Mining mechanics	roof support, roof falls, hoisting, dewatering	span rules, lumped machines on Create shafts	event-driven + FAST (hoist)
Metallurgical furnaces	coking, blast furnace, converter, roasting	lumped zones with heat and mass balance	SLOW
Electro-technology	arc furnace, Al and Cu electrolysis, air separation	power-limited: ṁ = P / E_spec	electrical FAST
Mechanical working	rolling, continuous casting, piercing, machine tools	force/torque → Create stress	FAST
Water treatment	hardness, O₂, Cl⁻, SiO₂, conductivity	passive scalars on thermal-hydraulic nodes	SLOW

Two kinds of plant

1. Thermochemical (time-limited) — coking, blast furnace, roasting, converter, air separation cooldown, water treatment. State is integrated in the SLOW domain. These units burn their own fuel (coke, gas), so the time acceleration shows up as fuel use per real second, not as grid load.
2. Electro-technological (power-limited) — arc furnace, aluminium and copper electrolysis, air separation compressors, Acheson furnace. Throughput is limited by the electrical power the grid actually delivers: P [MW] = E_spec [kWh/kg] × ṁ [t/h]. Electrolysis uses the real DC current of the busbar in real time, so Faraday's law gives physical specific energy automatically.

Reference site, back-of-envelope

A 54 m³ blast furnace (3×3×6 inside) with a 5 MW blower makes 1.76 t/min of hot metal (real time). A battery of 6 ovens of 6 t wet charge, 16 h physical coking time = 13.3 real minutes, gives 2.7 t/min coal → 1.9 t/min coke, enough at 0.55 t coke per tonne of iron. A 10 t converter heat takes 40 physical minutes = 33 real seconds; its oxygen (50 Nm³/t) needs about 2.1 MW of air separation. The site totals about 8–10 MW without electrolysis and arc furnace. 20–30 items per minute on a Create belt: a large Create factory, but not an overload.

Mass in items and fluids

Mined blocks have physical mass: m = ρ_ore × 1 m³, dropped as round(m / 100 kg) items in one stack (coal 1.3 t/m³ → 13 items; magnetite quartzite 3.4 t/m³ → 34). The ore yield multiplier used for uranium does not apply here — metallurgy needs tonnes, and physical mass already provides them.

Carrier	Mass per item	Key
Bulk (raw_coal, washed_coal, coke, sinter, raw_magnetite …)	100 kg	metallurgy.bulk_item_mass_kg
Ingots and rolled products (steel_ingot, steel_plate, steel_rod, steel_beam, steel_billet, pig_iron, aluminium_ingot, copper_cathode, nickel_ingot)	100 kg	metallurgy.ingot_mass_kg
seamless_pipe, welded_pipe	1 m of pipe, mass from pipe_spec	—
drill_pipe, casing_pipe, tubing_pipe	one 20 m wellbore block (5″ drill pipe = 580 kg)	geology.depth_scale_m_per_block
wire_rope	10 m	mining.rope_item_length_m
copper_wire	10 kg coil	metallurgy.wire_item_mass_kg
cobalt_ingot	1 kg	metallurgy.cobalt_item_mass_kg
platinum_ingot	100 g	metallurgy.pgm_item_mass_kg
iridium_ingot	10 g	metallurgy.iridium_item_mass_kg
Melts, solutions, water	1 mB = 1 L	—
Gases (coke_oven_gas, oxygen, argon …)	mass in vessels, metered in Nm³	—

A stack of 64 bulk items is 6.4 t — one mine car. One steel_plate is a 2×1 m sheet, 6.4 mm thick. Melts are stored as volume at melt temperature: liquid steel 7000 kg/m³, slag 2800, liquid aluminium 2375, liquid copper 8020. A 10 t steel ladle holds 1.43 m³.

Scaling points

Everything else is physics with a source.

Key	Default	Meaning
metallurgy.bulk_item_mass_kg	100	bulk item mass (matches boiler fuel item mass)
metallurgy.ingot_mass_kg	100	an ingot is a billet, not a vanilla ingot
metallurgy.coke_chamber_width_m	0.45	effective width of a 1-block coking chamber (coking time ∝ width²; at 1 m it would take 80 physical hours)
aluminium.pot_heat_capacity_scale	0.05	pots freeze in minutes, not hours
mining.methane_emission_scale	1.0	seam gas emission multiplier; 0.3 for light servers

Ore generation: mixed veins

An ore body is a mixed vein: one geological body with a primary, secondary, in-between and sporadic ore (the GregTech: New Horizons scheme mapped onto real deposit zoning). Find one ore block and you have found the whole body; mining it you always get by-product metals and have to do something with them. Uranium bodies are a special case with one ore and a halo.

• The world is split into 3×3-chunk cells (48×48 blocks). Each cell has a 0.45 chance of one body (worldgen.veins.fill_probability).
• A body is a lens with horizontal semi-axes 12–20 blocks, vertical 3–6, tilted up to 30°.
• Ore density falls off toward the edge with simplex noise.
• Each ore block gets a role by height within the lens:

Zone	Primary / secondary / in-between / sporadic
Top	0.10 / 0.70 / 0.15 / 0.05
Middle	0.25 / 0.15 / 0.55 / 0.05
Bottom	0.75 / 0.05 / 0.15 / 0.05

This mimics supergene enrichment on top and primary sulfides below: open the top of a body and you mostly see secondary ore — dig deeper.

Vein catalogue

Vein	Prototype	Primary	Secondary	In-between	Sporadic	Y range (peak)	Weight
banded_iron	Kursk, Kryvbas	magnetite_ore (30–40 % Fe)	hematite_ore (50–65 % Fe)	vein_quartz	pyrolusite_ore	−32…64 (16)	30
coal_seam	Donbas, Kuzbass	coal seam by depth	pyrite_ore	fireclay	sphalerite_ore	−40…72 (24)	25
cu_ni_sulfide	Norilsk, Sudbury	pentlandite_ore (1–3 % Ni, Co)	chalcopyrite_ore (2–4 % Cu)	pyrrhotite_ore	sperrylite_ore (PGM 5–50 g/t)	−64…16 (−32)	8
porphyry_copper	Chuquicamata	chalcopyrite_ore (0.5–1 % Cu)	molybdenite_ore	pyrite_ore	vein_quartz	0…80 (40)	10
polymetallic	Rudny Altai, Broken Hill	galena_ore	sphalerite_ore	pyrite_ore	chalcopyrite_ore	−16…48 (16)	12
bauxite	Guinea laterites	bauxite_ore (40–60 % Al₂O₃)	hematite_ore	fireclay	—	56…80 (66)	8, jungle/savanna only
quartz_greisen	Transbaikalia, Cornwall	vein_quartz (> 99 % SiO₂)	cassiterite_ore (Sn)	fluorite_ore	molybdenite_ore	−32…64 (24)	7
chromite_ultramafic	Bushveld, Kempirsai	chromite_ore	magnetite_ore (titanomagnetite)	pyrrhotite_ore	sperrylite_ore	−64…0 (−40)	5
ilmenite_placer (backlog)	Kerala sands	ilmenite_sand	zircon_sand	monazite_sand	—	55…66	5

Vanilla ores stay for vanilla crafting and early Create (can be disabled with worldgen.vanilla_ores.<ore>.enabled). minecraft:coal is accepted by boilers as a default long-flame coal; minecraft:raw_iron is accepted by the blast furnace as 60 % Fe hematite. Host rock is a block property host=stone|deepslate|tuff instead of separate deepslate IDs.

What you see

Visible at once	Visible after assay
block type by texture: magnetite black metallic, chalcopyrite brass-yellow with tarnish, pentlandite bronze, sperrylite tin-white grains, chromite pitch-black	grade class G0–G5, by-product Co, Mo, PGM (g/t), sulfur, moisture
vein type — only from the combination of blocks you have found	composition of the whole body — from a geological_map or a series of cores

Raw items carry an ore_assay component quantized into six grade classes, so items of the same class stack. Prospecting uses the same tools as uranium: core_drill and core_sample (now also recording vein ID and block role), assay_station (ore chemistry, proximate coal analysis, coal plastometry), and the geological_map. A magnetometer for iron anomalies is backlog.

Coal seams and coal rank

Coal is not a lens but a seam: a horizontal layer 1–4 blocks thick and 48–160 blocks long, dipping up to 10°, sometimes stacked 6–20 blocks apart. The roof is stone with a mudstone overlay; the floor is fireclay (real seam-floor refractory clay, raw material for firebrick).

Rank increases with depth (Hilt's law). Volatile matter on a dry ash-free basis: V_daf(y) = clamp(45 − 0.32·(72 − y) + 3·noise, 3, 48) %. Above 42 % → lignite_seam, 8–42 % → coal_seam (bituminous grades), below 8 % → anthracite_seam. At y = 0, V_daf ≈ 22 % — coking coal lies deeper than steam coal, as in the Donbas.

Grade (GOST 25543)	V_daf, %	Plastic layer, mm	Use in game
B (lignite)	> 42	—	I0 boilers (30–40 % moisture), gasification (backlog)
D (long-flame)	37–42	< 6	boilers, same as vanilla coal
G (gas coal)	33–40	6–16	boilers, blend component
Zh (fat coal)	28–36	16–26	base of coking blend
K (coking coal)	18–28	12–18	base of coking blend
OS (lean caking)	14–22	6–12	leaning additive
T (lean)	8–17	< 6	boilers, power
A (anthracite)	< 8	—	smokeless fuel, electrode paste

Grade is a consequence of depth and noise, not a separate tag. The coal's properties travel with it in the coal_assay component and are used by boilers (calorific value, grindability for the coal mill).

The coal mine (M2)

Milestone M2 delivers the mine with its hazards:

• Roof support — timber support that rots in abandoned mines; roof falls by span rules.
• Ventilation — main mine fan, airflow through the workings computed as a branch network; tracked gases CH₄, CO, O₂ and dust.
• Methane — seam gas emission (mining.methane_emission_scale); 5–15 % CH₄ in a working is an explosive mix. Methane drainage produces mine_methane, a boiler and gas-engine fuel.
• Detection ladder — canary_cage with a live canary (states alive, fainted, empty) → safety lamp → methanometer.
• Coal dust and rock dusting — dust above the lower explosive limit is explosive.
• Hoisting on wire_rope, mine dewatering pumps.
• Coal washing to washed_coal, and a cupola for casting iron in sand.

Mine automation is exposed through the pc_mine peripheral (ventilation, dewatering, hoist). Advancements include placing a canary cage and "The bird lives" (the canary survived a methane outburst because you got out in time). Abandoned old_coal_mine structures contain methane pockets that explode from a torch. The handbook Ponder scene mine_ventilation teaches ventilation, methane and the canary.

Hazards

Tag	Where	Consequence
EXPLOSIVE_MIX	5–15 % CH₄ in a working; coal dust above LEL; coke oven gas + air	explosion through DamageBudget
TOXIC_CO	blast furnace gas (22 % CO), converter gas (60–70 % CO), coke oven gas (6 % CO), mine air after an explosion	CO poisoning; the canary reacts first
ASPHYXIANT	N₂ and Ar from air separation, workings with O₂ < 19 %, CO₂ in old workings	promptcritical:asphyxiation
CRYOGENIC	liquid_nitrogen, liquid_oxygen, the cold box	frostbite, brittle fracture of carbon steel below −20 °C
OXIDIZER	O₂, liquid_oxygen	oil and clothing ignite above 23.5 % O₂
MOLTEN	iron, steel, slag, Al, Cu, matte	melt + water = steam explosion
HIGH_VOLTAGE	arc furnace transformer, potline busbars	electric shock
CHEMICAL_CORROSIVE	acid mine water pH 2–4, Bayer caustic, regeneration acids	vessel damage
CHEMICAL_TOXIC	benzene, phenol, coke-plant ammonia, HF and fluorides from Al smelting	toxic cloud, chronic exposure
FLAMMABLE	tar, crude benzene, mine_methane	fire

Coke plant (M3)

coke_oven becomes an oven of a coke battery. Coking a blend of fat and coking coal gives coke and by-products: coke_oven_gas (fuel for boilers and furnaces), coal_tar → coal_tar_pitch → graphite_electrode, and aromatics (benzene, toluene, xylenes, phenol, naphthalene) for chemistry. Coke quenching is part of the cycle (Ponder scene coke_battery_cycle); dry quenching gas at 750–800 °C feeds a heat-recovery boiler (hrsg).

Pitch → reactor graphite. Electricity from the generator powers the Acheson furnace, and coke-oven pitch plus petroleum or needle coke become reactor graphite. This is why graphite-moderated reactors (tier T0) need era I1.

Iron and steel (M3)

• Sinter plant → sinter.
• Blast furnace (Ponder blast_furnace_tap): burden, hot blast, tapping. Products molten_iron / pig_iron, molten_slag (→ portland cement), blast_furnace_gas. Hot-blast stove switching ("on gas" / "on blast") is an automation task for an A1 cam controller or A3 sequential function chart. Advancement: first tap of pig iron.
• Converter (oxygen from air separation) → molten_steel, converter_gas.
• Electric arc furnace — power-limited; arc resistance fluctuates during meltdown and causes voltage flicker on the shared bus (see Energy Grid).
• Continuous caster, rolling mill, heat treatment → steel_ingot, steel_plate, steel_rod, steel_beam, steel_billet with a steel_grade component.
• Pipe → seamless_pipe, welded_pipe with a pipe_spec component (grade, diameter, wall, inspection). Boiler water walls and superheaters need heat-resistant grades; uninspected welds rupture.
• Casting — melts are poured into Create molds for valve and pump bodies, with casting defects.
• Machine shop — machine tools produce spare parts consumed by the maintenance panel; the spare parts store is part of planned maintenance (Operations and Safety).
• Peripherals: pc_furnace (blast furnace, converter, furnaces), pc_rolling_mill.

Non-ferrous metals (M3)

• Aluminium from bauxite_ore (Bayer process, red mud) and electrolysis on a DC busbar from rectifier_unit. Pots freeze within minutes if power is lost.
• Copper — copper_cathode, copper_wire for windings and lines. Anode slimes yield platinum_ingot (PGM for refinery catalysts and pt_rh_gauze).
• Nickel — nickel_ingot; cobalt recovered as a by-product → cobalt_ingot (Co-60 targets). Iridium → iridium_ingot (Ir-192 sources). See Isotopes and RTG.
• Titanium (Kroll) is post-release.

Industrial gases: air separation unit

air_separator is a cryogenic air separation unit producing oxygen, nitrogen, argon, liquid_nitrogen and liquid_oxygen. Oxygen goes to the converter; argon to zirconium welding; nitrogen to cold traps and nitrogen purging in oil and gas. Cooldown is a time-limited SLOW process; the compressors are a power-limited grid load. Air separation explosions arrive with milestone M10. Peripheral: pc_utility.

Water treatment

A WaterTreatmentTrain turns raw_water into demineralized_water, boiler_feedwater and cooling_water. Tracked water chemistry: hardness, dissolved O₂, Cl⁻, SiO₂, conductivity. Without it, boiler tubes scale and rupture, and cooling towers are limited in cycles of concentration. pH dosing against a highly non-linear titration curve is a reference control task for the automation platform. Peripheral: pc_utility.

Cross-industry links

Product	Goes to
raw_coal, washed_coal	boilers (Energy Grid)
coke_oven_gas, blast_furnace_gas, mine_methane	boilers, gas engines; otherwise flared
coke	blast furnace, carbochlorination in the fuel cycle
coal_tar_pitch, graphite_electrode	Acheson furnace → reactor graphite
benzene, toluene, xylenes, coal_tar	Petrochemistry
steel_* products	every industry: towers, tanks, vessels
seamless_pipe, welded_pipe	plant piping, pipelines
drill_pipe, casing_pipe, tubing_pipe	drilling and wells (Oil and Gas)
wire_rope	mine hoist, cranes
aluminium_ingot, copper_wire	conductors, windings, transformers
platinum_ingot	catalysts, pt_rh_gauze
cobalt_ingot, iridium_ingot	isotope targets
oxygen, nitrogen, argon, liquid gases	converter, Zr welding, cold traps, N₂ purging
water by treatment stage	reactor, boilers, oil and gas
molten_slag, fly ash	portland cement, concrete

Inputs from other industries: electricity and DC from the grid, petroleum and needle coke from refinery coking for electrodes, bitumen for cable insulation.

Automation

Peripherals pc_mine, pc_furnace, pc_rolling_mill, pc_utility (see CC: Tweaked API). Reference control tasks on the Automation Platform include blast furnace stove switching and water-treatment pH dosing.

See also

• Energy Grid — boilers, combustion, grid supply for electro-technology
• Nuclear Fuel Cycle — uranium ore bodies, Acheson graphite
• Oil and Gas — OCTG pipe, refinery coke
• Petrochemistry — coke-plant aromatics
• Player Content — handbook, advancements, old coal mines
• Operations and Safety — confined spaces, gas testing, spare parts
• Environment and Economy — spoil heaps, mine water, red mud