Alongside mining the raw materials needed to make power in Factorio, there are a lot of others materials that you need to ensure your factory runs smoothly and effectively. One such material is Sulfuric Acid. Sulfuric acid is a liquid that is needed to make batteries and to create processing units. Once you move onto nuclear power generation, sulfuric acid is used in the mining of raw uranium.
Being able to make sulfuric acid is not an easy task so have a read of this guide and then have a go yourself.
Where Does Sulfuric Acid Come From in Factorio?
Sulfuric Acid is produced when you feed water, iron plates, and sulfur into a chemical plant.
Sourcing the water is pretty self-explanatory, but where do you get the sulfur from? Sulfur is a by-product produced during the processing of crude oil. As crude oil is burnt in an oil refinery, it produces petroleum gas. Any residue that is left behind from the gas is man-made sulfur.
As for those iron plates, the last ingredient in sulfuric acid, it’s fairly easy. If you have been playing for a little while now, you already know that iron plates are made by smelting iron ore in a furnace.
Building a Chemical Plant in Factorio
Chemical Plants are one of the first buildings you will need to make in the game. They are one of the many “effects” produced from Oil processing research, which is a beginning level science.
Aside from crude oil, any liquid you need is made through the chemical plant. They do require a fair number of items to build, but they are readily available even in low-level games. You will need electronic circuits, iron gear wheels, pipes, and steel plates.
Once you have your chemical plant constructed, you’ll be able to create sulfur (and thus sulfuric acid) much more easily.
How to Make Batteries and Processing Units with Sulfuric Acid in Factorio
As mentioned at the beginning of this guide, sulfuric is used to make batteries and processing units. Both of these are very important and you will find yourself making them mid-way through the game.
Batteries
These are used in some pretty key items during mid to late levels. Items such as the High-tech science pack which is used for late-game research and Accumulators that are needed when attempting to produce solar power. To make them you are going to need your sulfuric acid as well as some copper plate and some steel plate.
They have their own research on the tech tree:
You need batteries to use: Accumulator, Battery MK1, Flying Robot Frame, High Tech Science Pack, Laser Turret, Personal Roboport.
Battery research is needed to research: Battery Equipment, Electric Energy Accumulators, Laser Turrets, Robotics.
Processing units
There are so many things you need processing units for later on in the game. You need to have Advanced Electronics 2 to be able to make them, and they are the third level of circuits. To make processing units, you are going to need some advanced circuits and some electronic circuits, as well as the sulfuric acid.
Advanced Electronics 2 is a mid-way research on the tech tree:
You need processing units to use: Atomic Bomb, Battery MK2, Discharge Defense, Efficiency Module 2, Efficiency Module 3, Energy Shield MK2, Exoskeleton, Portable Fusion Reactor, High Level Science Pack, Personal Laser Defence, Personal Roboport MK2, Power Armour, Power Armour MK2, Productivity Module 2, Productivity Module 3, Rocket Control Unit, Rocket Silo, Satellite, Speed Module 2, Speed Module 3.
Advanced Electronics 2 research is needed to research: Efficient Transmission, Rocket Silo.
We hope that this look at sulfuric acid and its uses in Factorio has given you some idea of how it works and ideas on how to progress to the next level. Make sure you check out our other Factorio guides for more help with the game.
