This page details where to find all crafting materials in No Man’s Sky, and a brief overview of their use outside of crafting, refining or cooking where relevant. Note that some of the materials require specific technologies to access, such as Frost Crystals, Solanium, Gamma Roots, and Star Bulbs, all of which require the Haz-Mat Gauntlet Exosuit upgrade to harvest from their respective flora. In addition, some elements can only be found in specific star systems, such as Activated Cadmium (red star systems), Activated Copper (yellow star systems), Activated Emeril (green star systems), and Activated Indium (blue star systems). To venture to these systems, you’ll need specific upgrades for the Hyperdrive system in your Starship or Freighter. If you want to know where you can find these, see our pages on technology upgrades, listed below.

• How to Upgrade the Exosuit
• How to Upgrade the Starship and Living Ships
• How to Upgrade the Multi-Tool
• How to Upgrade the Freighter
• How to Upgrade All Exocraft

All Crafting Materials in NMS¶

List of Elements, Materials and Resources¶

Icon	Element	Location	Uses
	Activated Cadmium	In red star systems, mined from deposits using the Terrain Manipulator, identified with the Analysis Visor	Can be refined into Chromatic Metal and Magnetised Ferrite
	Activated Copper	In yellow star systems, mined from deposits using the Terrain Manipulator, identified with the Analysis Visor	Can be refined into Chromatic Metal and Magnetised Ferrite
	Activated Emeril	In green star systems, mined from deposits using the Terrain Manipulator, identified with the Analysis Visor	Can be refined into Chromatic Metal and Magnetised Ferrite
	Activated Indium	In blue star systems, mined from deposits using the Terrain Manipulator, identified with the Analysis Visor	Can be refined into Chromatic Metal and Magnetised Ferrite
	Ammonia	Present in all star systems, particularly on toxic planets, mined from minerals using the Mining Laser	Recharges Hazard Protection Units against Toxic environments, used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Ancestral Memories	After speaking with Specialist Polo on the Space Anomaly, give Creature Pellets to almost any fauna, then interact with them to harvest their Ancestral Memories	Can be handed in to Specialist Polo to complete the Bounds Testing milestone
	Basalt	Present in all star systems, particularly on volcanic planets, mined from deposits and minerals using the Mining Laser	Used in crafting Voltaic Amplifiers
	Cactus Flesh	Present in all star systems, particularly on desert or barren planets, mined from deposits and minerals using the Mining Laser	Used in numerous crafting, refining, and cooking recipes
	Cadmium	In red star systems, mined from deposits using the Terrain Manipulator, identified with the Analysis Visor	Can be refined into Chromatic Metal and Magnetised Ferrite, used in numerous crafting recipes
	Carbon	Present in all star systems, mined from most flora and found as a secondary item in some minerals	Recharges Multi-Tool functions and fuel sources, used in numerous crafting, refining, and cooking recipes
	Chlorine	Present in all star systems, mined from Organic Rock and underwater mineral deposits	Used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Chromatic Metal	Refined from most metal sources such as Copper, Cadmium, Emeril, Indium, Pure Ferrite, and Gold	Used in numerous crafting and refining recipes, and one cooking recipe (Silicon Egg)
	Cobalt	Present in all star systems, mined from minerals (especially stalactite / stalagmite) primarily found in caves	Used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Condensed Carbon	Present in all star systems, mined from red crystal minerals, identified with the Analysis Visor	Used in numerous crafting, refining, and cooking recipes, good source of fuel for refiners
	Copper	In yellow star systems, mined from deposits using the Terrain Manipulator, identified with the Analysis Visor	Can be refined into Chromatic Metal and Magnetised Ferrite, used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Cursed Dust	This item is found as a resource deposit on planets blighted by titan worm activity, as part of Expedition 4: Emergence	Collecting it rewards you with the An Indelible Stain milestone
	Cyto-Phosphate	Present in all star systems, primarily mined from underwater flora	Used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Deuterium	Produced when refining Di-hydrogen and Tritium or purchased from trade terminals / visiting pilots	Used in some crafting recipes, Deuterium Rich Plants provide brief jetpack power boost when consumed
	Di-hydrogen	Present in all star systems, mined from blue crystal minerals, identified with the Analysis Visor	Primarily used in crafting recipes for Starship Launch Fuel, but also a number of other crafting and refining recipes
	Dioxite	Present in all star systems, particularly on frozen planets, mined from deposits and minerals using the Mining Laser	Recharges Life Support System and Hazard Protection Units against Cold environments, used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Emeril	In green star systems, mined from deposits using the Terrain Manipulator, identified with the Analysis Visor	Can be refined into Chromatic Metal, Magnetised Ferrite and Gold, used in numerous crafting recipes
	Faecium	Produced by various fauna on planets after feeding them Creature Pellets, also grown from the Gutrot Flower	Used in numerous crafting, refining, and cooking recipes
	Ferrite Dust	Abundant in all star systems, mined from the surface and rocks of most planets	Used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Fragmented Qualia	Extracted from living beings with the Animus Beam Multi-Tool upgrade, obtained during the Starbirth mission	Encountered during the Starbirth mission as part of the introduction to Living Ships
	Frost Crystal	Requires the Haz-Mat Gauntlet Exosuit upgrade, allowing you to harvest Frost Crystal from Frostwort flora on frozen planets	Used in crafting, refining, and numerous cooking recipes
	Fungal Mould	Requires the Haz-Mat Gauntlet Exosuit upgrade, allowing you to harvest Fungal Mould from Fungal Clusters on toxic planets	Used in crafting, refining, and cooking recipes
	Gamma Root	Requires the Haz-Mat Gauntlet Exosuit upgrade, allowing you to harvest Gamma Root from Gamma Weed flora on radioactive planets	Used in crafting, refining, and cooking recipes
	Gold	Present in all star systems, can be mined from asteroids in orbit, or from deposits on Exotic planets	Used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Hexite	A rare material acquired from Local Missions and Guild Envoys as rewards, also looted from Crystal Elements on some Exotic planets	Used in the recipe to craft a Consciousness Bridge for the Living Ship, or refined with Faecium to produce Nanite Clusters
	Indium	In blue star systems, mined from deposits using the Terrain Manipulator, identified with the Analysis Visor	Can be refined into Chromatic Metal and Magnetised Ferrite, used in some crafting and refining recipes
	Ionised Cobalt	Purchased from trade terminals and visiting pilots, or refined from Cobalt / Marrow Bulb + Oxygen / Marrow Bulb + Pugneum	Used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Kelp Sac	Present in all star systems, on planets with water, harvested from Candle Kelp flora	Used to craft Weatherproof Rubber, numerous refining recipes, and one cooking recipe (Kelp Rice)
	Liquid Sun	Can be extracted from resource deposits using the Solar Ray Multi-Tool tech, which is obtained from Specialist Polo on the Space Anomaly as part of the Starbirth mission	Used during the Starbirth mission to craft items such as the Pulsating Core
	Living Slime	Acquired from Damaged Machinery and Derelict Freighters, sometimes dropped by fauna on Exotic planets, otherwise purchased in trade	Can be refined into Runaway Mould, or refined from Viscous Fluids and Hypnotic Eyes
	Magnetised Ferrite	Present in all star systems, mined from deposits using the Terrain Manipulator, identified with the Analysis Visor	Used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Marrow Bulb	Present in all star systems, can be harvested from Cave Marrows, which are generally found within caves	Used in crafting, refining, and cooking recipes
	Mordite	Present in all star systems, dropped by various fauna or harvested from Mordite Roots, alternatively mined from Organic Rocks and deposits on marshy planets	Used in numerous crafting, refining, and cooking recipes
	Nitrogen	Present in all star systems, harvested as a secondary item from some flora, mined from deposits, or harvested from toxic and lush planet atmospheres	Used in crafting, refining, and cooking recipes
	Oxygen	Present in all star systems, mined from red crystal minerals, identified with the Analysis Visor, also harvested from some flora	Recharges Life Support System, used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Paraffinium	Present in all star systems (particularly tropical planets), mined from deposits using the Terrain Manipulator, identified with the Analysis Visor	Used in crafting and refining recipes
	Phosphorus	Present in all star systems, particularly on scorched planets, mined from deposits using the Terrain Manipulator, identified with the Analysis Visor	Used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Platinum	Present in all star systems, can be mined from asteroids in orbit, or sometimes from underground deposits in caves	Used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Pugneum	Primarily dropped by Sentinels, sometimes found at trade terminals or from visiting pilots	Used in crafting and refining recipes
	Pure Ferrite	Abundant in all star systems, mined from large rocks on most planets	Can be used to repair damaged Launch Thrusters, used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Pyrite	Present in all star systems, particularly on desert or barren planets, mined from deposits and minerals	Used in crafting and refining recipes
	Radon	Present in all star systems, particularly on frozen and radioactive planets, extracted from environment with Atmosphere Harvesters, found in some flora	Used in crafting and refining recipes
	Residual Goop	Commonly found at Abandoned Building sites when interacting with terminals	Can be refined into Nanite Clusters from Residual Goop > Viscous Fluids > Living Slime > Runaway Mould
	Runaway Mould	A relatively rare item mined from some curious deposits on planets, also received as a gift from Guild Envoys	Can be refined into Nanite Clusters
	Rusted Metal	Commonly acquired from Damaged Containers, found on most planets scattered through the landscape	Can be refined into Ferrite Dust
	Salt	Present in all star systems, can be mined from underwater minerals and resource deposits	Used in numerous crafting, refining, and cooking recipes
	Silicate Powder	Abundant in all star systems, can be mined from soil on almost any planet	Used in numerous crafting recipes and can be refined into glass
	Silver	Present in all star systems, can be mined from asteroids in orbit, or from deposits on most planets, particularly from minerals in caves	Used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Sodium	Present in all star systems, can be harvested from some flora, mined as secondary item from some minerals and deposits	Recharges defensive technologies such as shields and Hazard Protection Units, used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Sodium Nitrate	Present in all star systems, mined from yellow crystal minerals, identified with the Analysis Visor	Efficiently recharges defensive technologies such as shields and Hazard Protection Units, used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Solanium	Requires the Haz-Mat Gauntlet Exosuit upgrade, allowing you to harvest Solanium from Solar Vines on volcanic planets	Used in crafting, refining, and cooking recipes
	Somnal Dust	Can be obtained from Derelict Freighters during Expedition 7: Leviathan	Used alongside Liquid Sun and Ancestral Memories to craft the Whalesong Flute, which is used to summon the Leviathan
	Star Bulb	Requires the Haz-Mat Gauntlet Exosuit upgrade, allowing you to harvest Star Bulb from Star Bramble on lush planets	Used in crafting, refining, and cooking recipes
	Sulphurine	Present in all star systems, particularly on scorched and desert planets, extracted from environment with Atmosphere Harvesters, found in some flora	Used in one crafting recipe (Thermic Condensate) and numerous refining recipes
	Tainted Metal	Found in Derelict Freighter space encounters, traded with Guild Envoys and Scrap dealers in exchange for Crew Manifest and Captain’s Log data	Used as a trading item with Scrap Dealers, can be refined into Nanite Clusters
	Tritium	Present in all star systems, can be mined from asteroids in orbit, sometimes found as Tritium Hyperclusters	Recharges the Pulse Engine on your Starship, used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Uranium	Acquired from Metal ‘Fingers’ resource nodes or as a secondary item in mineral deposits on irradiated planets	Recharges the Launch Thrusters on Starships, used in numerous crafting and refining recipes
	Viscous Fluids	Commonly acquired from Damaged Machinery, found on most planets scattered through the landscape	Can be refined into Living Slime