Phanta recipe: N-Methylol Base, Reducing Agent and temperature

Phanta is made from N-Methylol Base and Reducing Agent, both from a Chemical Supplies (Restricted) box. Remove the base’s Stabilizing Agent with Acidic Solution first, add Reducing Agent at about three quarters of the N-Methylol volume, and heat on an upgraded Heating Plate at 120–129 °C until the scanner shows no N-Methylol left. Phanta breaks down above 130 °C. Each Phanta Pill uses 0.5 ml of dry Phanta and has a base value of 12.

What the game confirms

The Chemistry Manual says only that the recipe is “a closely guarded secret”. The item texts and tooltips give these facts:

• N-Methylol Base is “a common precursor for Phanta”.
• The base contains a Stabilizing Agent that protects it but also prevents the reaction; it must be removed.
• A substance that donates electrons turns the base into Phanta. The Bottle of Reducing Agent’s text: “Donates electrons to another substance”.
• The reaction needs heat beyond a stock Heating Plate. A plate with no modules stops at 99 °C; one Chemical Equipment Module raises the limit to 160 °C.
• Phanta degrades above 130 °C.

Amounts and the acid step are not stated in the game. The steps below are the procedure two independent guides published and agree on.

Supplies

Item	Source
Chemical Supplies (Restricted)	Retired Chemist; Security Department Evidence Lockers and Medical Bay Supply Crates (50% each); Revolution Raider customers. Contraband.
Unpacked contents	2 Bottles of N-Methylol Base and 1 Bottle of Reducing Agent
Acidic and Basic Solution	Chemical Supplies (Common)
Water Filter and Water Pitcher	Water Trading starter kit or the Water Trader
Heating Plate with at least one Chemical Equipment Module	Retired Chemist (250 per module)

Opening crates needs department keycards; see keycards and crates.

Procedure

1. Combine both N-Methylol bottles in one clean container and scan it with the Composition Spectrometer.
2. Remove the Stabilizing Agent: add Acidic Solution until the scan shows no Stabilizing Agent. Heat does not remove it; the acid turns it into debris.
3. Filter the debris by pouring through a Water Pitcher with a Water Filter. Neutralize the leftover acid with Basic Solution at about 1:1.
4. Add Reducing Agent at about 75% of the N-Methylol volume. Example: 1,000 µl of N-Methylol needs about 750 µl of Reducing Agent.
5. Heat to 120–129 °C on the upgraded plate until the scan shows no N-Methylol. Power Up Gaming and Gamerblurb start the window at 110 °C; everyone agrees 130 °C is the limit.
6. Clear remaining contaminants: How To Video Game adds a little water and one Water Purification Tablet, then waits for the chlorine reading to reach zero.
7. Dry the batch overnight in the Evaporator, or boil off water on the plate below 130 °C.
8. Finish in the Chem Finisher: select Phanta Pill and press Output for each 0.5 ml.

Purity and yield

Both procedures report Near Pharma to Pharma results rather than Lab Pure. The heavy metal and other contaminants inside each restricted bottle vary, so scan the bottles and your acid and base before mixing, and keep the Chem Finisher’s contamination low with modules (12% with none, 0% with four). How To Video Game reports roughly 45 pills per restricted box; treat that as an observed figure, because it depends on the bottle contents.

Use the purity planner with your scanned extract purity to see which grade a batch will reach.

Risk

Phanta and its restricted supplies are contraband. Keep them in a Smuggler’s Bay, sell to Black Market (half evidence) or Revolution (one third) customers where possible, and watch the Trafficking (Narcotics) line on your Security Record. See inspections and investigations.