This page details where you can find Carbon and Phosphorus in No Man’s Sky. We’ll cover the best sources for each of these key materials and how to find them on planets. We’ll also cover their primary uses in charging the Mining Beam module for the Multi-Tool.

How to Find Carbon, Condensed Carbon, and Phosphorus in No Man’s Sky¶

Mine Carbon from Flora¶

The main source of Carbon in No Man’s Sky is from most flora types on any planet. Carbon is a particularly abundant resource that can be found in trees, plants, and almost any other form of flora. All you need to extract the Carbon is the basic Mining Laser module on your Multi-Tool. This often comes as a default technology module on any Multi-Tool, so you should be ready to harvest vast quantities of Carbon early on in the game.

Mine Condensed Carbon from Carbon Crystals¶

If you want a more refined form of Carbon which provides more energy per piece when recharging Mining Laser modules, Condensed Carbon is a good option. You can find this in Carbon Crystals which are found on almost any planet, with the chemical element symbol of C+. You will need the Advanced Mining Laser upgrade for your Multi-Tool before you can mine these crystals.

Mine Rocks on Scorched Planets for Phosphorus¶

The main source for Phosphorus is from almost any rock on scorched planets. All you need to do is scout a planet by scanning it from your starship to check whether it has Phosphorus as one of the primary materials present on the planet. You can then use your Analysis Visor when you’re on the surface to inspect rocks and check whether Phosphorus is present.

How to Recharge the Mining Laser¶

The main use of Carbon, Condensed Carbon and Phosphorus is to recharge your Mining Laser, and its more advanced upgrade modules. You can do this from the quickslot menu by pressing , then navigating to the mining laser to select the material that you want to use to charge it. Regular Carbon has by far the most alternative uses outside of charging the Mining Laser, so you may want to use Condensed Carbon where possible, especially since it charges the equipment more efficiently.

Alternative uses for Carbon, Condensed Carbon, and Phosphorus¶

Other than recharging the Mining Laser, there are many uses for all three of the above ingredients. Carbon is used in a vast quantity of base building and decorative parts, while Condensed Carbon is more specialized for use in various crafted products, tech upgrade modules, but also some select base parts. Phosphorus is also used for various upgrade modules and some base parts, but nowhere near as many as regular Carbon.

Other Sources of Carbon, Condensed Carbon, and Phosphorus¶

In addition to extracting Carbon, Condensed Carbon, and Phosphorus from flora, minerals, or rocks, you can refine each of these elements from other materials. A full list of these are detailed in the tables below.

Refine Carbon¶

Refine Condensed Carbon¶

Refine Phosphorus¶