Carbon Nano-Conductors: common inputs in, rare conductor pressure out
The Circuit-Belt Rescue Recipe
If your mid-game is bottlenecked on conductors – the rare materials that feed circuits, modules, and advanced manufacturing – the v1.1.1.0 Carbon Nano-Conductors alternate recipe is the patch’s quietest win.
It is the second of the two new alternates shipped on July 22 (the other being De-Energized Matter), and it directly attacks the most common mid-game wall: conductor scarcity.
Carbon Nano-Conductors lets you produce a conductor-tier item from carbon-heavy common inputs instead of rare exotic conductors. Research it the moment it appears if your conductor line is your bottleneck. It does not remove the need for rare conductors entirely – it gives you a supplementary source that smooths demand spikes and lets rare conductor output go to the recipes that truly need it.
Unlock Location
The recipe lives in the Matter / Advanced Materials branch of the research tree, same tier as De-Energized Matter. Expect to see it after:
- Basic carbon processing
- The first conductor recipe (the one you are probably already using)
- A mid-tier Matter research node
If you are planning your research sequence, our Research Order Guide has the recommended order; the Nano-Conductor node slots in comfortably right after your second exotic gas node.
The Recipe
Inputs (Common, not rare)
| Input | Source |
|---|---|
| Carbon (primary) | Your existing carbon line – see Chemical Processing Guide |
| Refined gas or alloy (secondary) | Check the in-game recipe card; typically a product you already make in bulk |
| Power | Standard converter draw |
Output
- Carbon Nano-Conductors, usable wherever the base conductor item is an input
- Rate: approximately matches one assembler’s conductor demand, so one converter feeds roughly one assembler
The exact secondary input differs depending on which alternate branch you have unlocked. Verify the card in-game before re-plumbing. A common mistake is assuming the secondary is Nitrox (from the v1.1 changes) when your save’s recipe card asks for something else.
Factory Redesign: Before vs After
Before (v1.1.0 style)
Rare conductor source (limited)
→ circuits
→ modules / advanced items
→ everything stalls when rare source runs dry
After (v1.1.1.0 with Nano-Conductors)
Carbon line ──► Nano-Conductor converter ──► circuits (bulk, always-on)
Rare conductor source ──► high-tier recipes only (modules, MK3 gear)
The key move: dedicate your rare conductors to the recipes that have no alternative, and feed the bulk circuit demand from Carbon Nano-Conductors. This is the same “tier your resources” philosophy as the Resource Processing Tree, applied at the conductor tier.
Ratio Check
A practical starting ratio:
- 1 Nano-Conductor converter per assembler making circuits
- Keep rare conductor output flowing to modules and MK2/MK3 components only
- Buffer the Nano-Conductor output in a Storage Network so circuit assemblers never idle
Monitor for 30 minutes of runtime. If the circuit line backs up, your carbon feed is the constraint – add carbon, not more converters.
Carbon Nano-Conductors is the anti-bottleneck recipe. It converts your most abundant material (carbon) into your most annoying shortage (conductors). It will not replace rare conductors in high-tier recipes, but it will unstick your circuit production and let your rare conductor stockpile stretch much further. If you are mid-game and circuits are your wall, this is the v1.1.1.0 feature for you.