SpaceCraft Sulphuric Acid: Recipe, Chemical Factory and Sources (2026)
You make SpaceCraft sulphuric acid in the Chemical Factory: 1 Water and 1 Sulfur give 2 Sulphuric Acid in 9 seconds. Alternatively, you collect it ready-made from Vitriol Geysers and Vitriol Pools.
This guide shows the recipe, every documented sulfur source and what you need the acid for. The values come from spacecraft.tools (v0.5.25674) and our SpaceCraft database.
๐งช Making SpaceCraft sulphuric acid: the recipe
| Ingredients | Result | Duration | Station |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1ร Water, 1ร Sulfur | 2ร Sulphuric Acid | 9 s | Chemical Factory |
| 2ร Sulphuric Acid | 1ร Water, 1ร Sulfur | 9 s | Chemical Factory |
You unlock the Chemical Factory itself with the Plumbing permit (2,500 credits). According to spacecraft.tools, discovering Sulphuric Acid unlocks both recipes. That matches player reports from the Steam community saying that scanning a Vitriol Geyser opens the recipe.
The second recipe is the reverse: if you have too much acid and too little Sulfur, you split it back into Water and Sulfur. You get Water from Water Geysers with the Simple Hose Pump, or later automatically through the Liquid Extractor. All other recipes are in the Chemical Factory guide.
โ๏ธ Where does the Sulfur come from?
According to our database, there are four documented routes:
| Source | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sulphuric Stone | Node, tier 1 | gives Sulfur, rich in pyrite and vanadium per its description |
| Sulfur Deposit | Deposit, tier 1 | enough ore to supply a factory per its description |
| Pyrite in the Smelter | Processing | 1 Pyrite gives 4 Sulfur |
| Cinnabar in the Chemical Factory | Processing | 1 Cinnabar gives 4 Mercury and 4 Sulfur |
Sulphuric Stone is the easiest start because it's already tier 1. For a permanent factory, a Sulfur Deposit with an Extractor is better, because it keeps producing without you.
You get Pyrite from Pyrite Formations (tier 3) or a Pyrite Deposit. At 4 Sulfur per Pyrite it pays off if you're tapping a pyrite source anyway. Pyrite is also required by the Mining Bureau quest MB#01: Integration Protocol, together with coal and Silicate. The Crystallizer can also make Pyrite from 200 Sulfur. That's a detour, not an extra sulfur source. Cinnabar mainly pays off if you need mercury too. More in the mercury guide.
Don't mix things up: according to the game data, Azurite Stone is a copper carbonate crystal and hematite an iron oxide. Neither gives Sulfur. How to track down and identify sources is explained in the guide to finding resources.
๐ฆ Collecting sulphuric acid without the recipe
Two sources give the acid directly:
- Vitriol Geyser (tier 2): according to its description, a periodic, reliable and renewable source.
- Vitriol Pool: according to its description, a seemingly unlimited source.
According to the developer blog on liquids, you scan a geyser first, wait for the eruption and catch the liquid in the jet with the hose pump. For pools there's the Liquid Extractor from the Liquid Logistics permit (3,000 credits), which extracts automatically. Note that every tank and every Cistern holds only one type of liquid.
๐ Bottling and storage
In the Bottling Plant you bottle Sulphuric Acid:
| Ingredients | Result | Station |
|---|---|---|
| 1ร Stainless Bottle, 10ร Sulphuric Acid | 1ร Sulphuric Acid Bottle | Bottling Plant |
That's not a business. The bottle has a base value of 39.40 credits, which is exactly 10 units of acid at 0.54 credits each plus the empty bottle at 34 credits. The advantage is storage: 10 units of loose acid take 10 SU, the bottle only 5 SU. Shuttles can also only carry liquids in bottles.
๐ญ Building a small acid chain
- Put an Extractor on a Sulfur Deposit and link it to the Chemical Factory by drone.
- Place a Cistern for Water next to the Chemical Factory and fill it from a geyser or Liquid Extractor.
- Build a second Cistern for the acid. Since Community Update #1, Cisterns can be filtered to one liquid, so nothing ends up in the wrong tank.
- Send the acid straight into the follow-up recipes, such as fertilizer or batteries, instead of hoarding it.
๐ก What do you need SpaceCraft sulphuric acid for?
| Product | Ingredients | Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Battery | 20ร Sulphuric Acid, 1ร Stainless Plate, 1ร Graphite Crystal, 1ร Vanadium Ingot | Chemical Battery permit |
| 10ร Acidic Fertilizer | 5ร Sulphuric Acid, 10ร Xenic Protein | Lab study Plain Pulp I |
| 10ร Neutral Fertilizer | 5ร Sulphuric Acid, 10ร Lime | Science level 4 (Xenic Adaptation) |
The Chemical Battery is the biggest consumer at 20 units each. The Vanadium Ingot for it is covered in the vanadium guide. The two fertilizers need 5 units per batch each and belong to the Xenic Farm. More on Acidic Fertilizer is in the Xenic Protein guide.
โ FAQ: SpaceCraft sulphuric acid
Do I absolutely need a Chemical Factory?
No. You can also collect the acid at Vitriol Geysers or Vitriol Pools.
Why don't I have the recipe?
It opens when you discover Sulphuric Acid. Scan a Vitriol Geyser or collect the acid once.
Where do I get Sulfur permanently?
Best from a Sulfur Deposit with an Extractor. Sulphuric Stone is enough to start.
Is bottling worth it?
Not for selling, but for storage and shuttle transport.
Can I run out of acid even though I have Sulfur?
Yes, if the Water runs out. The Chemical Factory needs both ingredients at once. So check the Water Cistern's level first before you go looking for Sulfur.
As of October 2026, SpaceCraft Early Access v0.5.25674. Checked against spacecraft.tools (recipes, unlocks, values), our SpaceCraft database (sources, descriptions), the developer blog "Feature Focus 1" on liquids and reports from the Steam community. The patch notes up to Major Update #1 don't change these recipes.
