As you venture further into the harsh dunes of Arrakis in Dune: Awakening, you’ll soon discover that survival isn’t merely a matter of water and guns, but the constant gathering of rare materials. Flour Sand is one of them, a white powder used in high-level crafting and required to create Silicone Blocks. Unlike Copper or Iron, which are metals, Flour Sand is not something that is mined from a rock or piles of ore—it takes some planning, some equipment, and some danger.
In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about finding Flour Sand, harvesting it effectively, and, most importantly, how to use it.
What Is Flour Sand And Why Do You Need It?
Flour Sand is a white, powdered mineral used for processing Silicone Blocks, a crucial component in many crafting recipes in the mid-to-late game. You’ll need a lot of it as you begin to craft more complex gear, buildings, and technologies.
However, you can’t just mine this stuff out of the wall. Flour Sand has to be harvested differently, which is not necessarily a safe process.
Where to Harvest Flour Sand?
Flour Sand does not appear to be visible in your starter region. You will need to exit Hagga Basin South and head into regions like Vermillius Gap in order to start collecting it.
Keep an eye out for the following:
- Areas of white, smoky sand that appear in clouds.
- Patches highlighted as Flour Sand patches when you open your Sandbike map.
- They are usually located on flat dunes, so from a distance, they become quite apparent.
You can harvest Flour Sand manually, but it’s painfully slow and hazardous. Sandworms are extremely sensitive to sound and motion in open sand, and manual harvesting of Flour Sand will attract them.
How to Harvest Flour Sand (Safely & Efficiently)
To efficiently harvest Flour Sand with a lower chance of being devoured whole, you’re going to require a specialised tool: the Static Compactor.
Complete the Second Trial of Aql
You must complete the Second Trial of Aql before you can have the Static Compactor. There is an award for completing the Second Trial of Aql in the form of a schematic to build the tool.
Create the Static Compactor
After obtaining the blueprint, gather the following resources:
- 10 Iron Ingots
- Can be smelted from Iron Ore nodes that are located throughout Vermillius Gap.
- 7 EMF Generators
Located in Moisture-Sealed Caves, a special type of cave system that appears all across Arrakis. These sites are heavily defended, so expect resistance when attempting to raid them. Now that you have gathered the components, build the Static Compactor in your base.
(Warning: The Static Compactor is loud. Its intense compression cycle will frequently attract sandworms. Always be ready to escape or have a sandworm diversion tactic ready.)
Once constructed, the Compactor allows you to harvest Flour Sand (and Spice) much more quickly, condensing it into tidy cubes that you can store and process at your leisure.
Alternate Ways of Obtaining Flour Sand
If you’re not quite ready to deal with troublesome worm-infested dunes yet, there are several other ways:
Pillage NPC Camps
In Vermillius Gap, NPC scavenger camps often contain Flour Sand—either as loot in containers or dropped by enemies when defeated. Larger camps usually yield better results, so gear up and bring backup if possible.
Buy It on the Exchange
Visit Harko Village or Arrakeen and access The Exchange, the trading network run by the player. Here, you will find Flour Sand for sale by other players for in-game currencies or materials. This is a fantastic shortcut if you are focused on crafting instead of farming.
What to Do with Flour Sand?
When you have a lot of Flour Sand, take it to a Chemical Refinery to convert it into Silicone Blocks. These blocks are used in many high-level recipes, especially for:
Electronics
- High-end gear and devices
- Specialised buildings
If you’re going to go into engineering or high-end crafting, a reliable source of Flour Sand is very important.
Final Tips
- Always travel prepared: Venturing into Flour Sand zones is risky—stock up on water, healing items, and carry minimal noise gear.
- Craft early, craft smart: Get that Static Compactor as soon as you unlock the schematic to make your life significantly easier.
- Don’t ignore caves and camps: EMF Generators are a bottleneck resource—grab them every chance you get.
Flour Sand appears to be a challenging resource to farm, but with proper equipment and your character’s understanding of the game, it can help you generate Silicone Blocks in a very short time. You can create it by manually harvesting the Flour Sand or exchanging it at the Exchange, but conquering this resource can ultimately take you further into domesticating the harsh world of Dune: Awakening.
