Cinder is the transportable solid in the Lava cycle. Move it with ordinary logistics, then ignite it directly to recreate Lava.
Cinder in Sandustry is a solid, launchable material used to move Lava through an ordinary logistics line. Freeze Lava into Scoria, destroy the Scoria to obtain Cinder, transport it, and then ignite it at the destination.
How to obtain Cinder
- Apply Snow to Lava to freeze it into Scoria.
- Destroy the Scoria with a weapon.
- Collect the Cinder released by the destroyed Scoria.
The current official Lava page says any weapon can destroy Scoria. It does not rank those tools by speed or provide a confirmed unit conversion ratio, so this guide does not promise a specific Cinder yield.
Why Cinder is useful
Lava is molten and is excluded from the publisher's normal Pump/Pipe transport instructions. Cinder is solid, which means it can be picked up with the Grabber or moved on Conveyor Belts and Launchers.
That makes the Cinder stage an early solution for relocating Lava without trying to route the molten liquid itself. See the Lava guide for the full Scoria and factory-burner cycle.
How to turn Cinder back into Lava
Cinder must receive the direct flame of the Flamethrower to melt back into Lava. The official Cinder page explicitly says passive heat sources do not perform this conversion.
If a pile remains solid beside a hot structure, that does not mean the recipe is broken. Aim the Flamethrower directly at the Cinder and leave a contained space for the Lava that replaces it.
Building a contained Lava pocket
The official Lava page suggests setting a Filter to allow Cinder, placing a solid block underneath, adding Cinder, and igniting it. The resulting Lava can stay held inside the Filter position and ignite burnable material moving over it.
Build and light the pocket before connecting a high-volume line. The current sources do not establish the exact ignition duration, conversion ratio, or maximum automated throughput.
Avoid obsolete recipes
Demo-era guides may use Slag, Burnt Slag, or Spore as nearby materials. The current Early Access transport cycle is:
Lava → Snow/Cryoblaster → Scoria → destroy → Cinder → direct Flamethrower → Lava
Use the current names when selecting materials and ignore old layouts whose recipe depends on Demo terminology.
Sources
- Cinder — Sandustry Official Wiki
- Lava — Sandustry Official Wiki
- Sandustry Logistics Guide — Steam Community
- Current Early Access Lava Factory — YouTube
The current formation, transport, and direct-ignition requirements were checked on August 16, 2026. Tool efficiency, exact ratios, and automated throughput remain unconfirmed.