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This article is about materials of blocks. For tiers of tools and weapons, see Tiers. For materials of armor, see Armor materials.
This page describes content that exists only in outdated versions of Java Edition. 
The Materials mechanic was removed in 1.20. The properties formerly controlled by material are now properties of each block.

Materials in Minecraft classify blocks into different types, more or less indicating what the block is "made of".

Materials[]

The following materials exist in Minecraft. Each material gives certain properties to the block, although individual blocks may override them.

Material Map color​[n 1] Liquid? Solid?​[n 2] Solid blocking? Block movement? Can burn?​[n 3] Can replace?​[n 4] Piston​[n 5]
Air    None No No No No No Yes Replace
Amethyst    127,63,178 No Yes Yes Yes No No Pushed
Bamboo    143,119,72 No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Replace
Bamboo sapling    143,119,72 No Yes Yes No Yes No Replace
Barrier    None No Yes Yes Yes No No Blocked
Bubble column    64,64,255 Yes No No No No Yes Replace
Buildable glass    None No Yes Yes Yes No No Pushed
Cactus    0,124,0 No Yes No Yes No No Replace
Cake    None No Yes Yes Yes No No Replace
Clay    164,168,184 No Yes Yes Yes No No Pushed
Cloth decoration    199,199,199 No No No No Yes No Pushed
Decoration    None No No No No No No Replace
Dirt    151,109,77 No Yes Yes Yes No No Pushed
Egg    0,124,0 No Yes Yes Yes No No Replace
Explosive    255,0,0 No Yes No Yes Yes No Pushed
Fire    None No No No No No Yes Replace
Froglight    None No Yes Yes Yes No No Pushed
Frogspawn    64,64,255 No No No No No No Replace
Glass    None No Yes No Yes No No Pushed
Grass    127,178,56 No Yes Yes Yes No No Pushed
Heavy metal    167,167,167 No Yes Yes Yes No No Blocked
Ice    160,160,255 No Yes No Yes No No Pushed
Ice solid    160,160,255 No Yes Yes Yes No No Pushed
Lava    255,0,0 Yes No No No No Yes Replace
Leaves    0,124,0 No Yes No Yes Yes No Replace
Metal    167,167,167 No Yes Yes Yes No No Pushed
Moss    0,124,0 No Yes Yes Yes No No Replace
Nether wood    143,119,72 No Yes Yes Yes No No Pushed
Piston    112,112,112 No Yes Yes Yes No No Blocked
Plant    0,124,0 No No No No No No Replace
Portal    None No No No No No No Blocked
Powder snow    255,255,255 No No Yes No No No Pushed
Replaceable fireproof plant    0,124,0 No No No No No Yes Replace
Replaceable plant    0,124,0 No No No No Yes Yes Replace
Replaceable water plant    64,64,255 No No No No No Yes Replace
Sand    247,233,163 No Yes Yes Yes No No Pushed
Sculk    25,25,25 No Yes Yes Yes No No Pushed
Shulker shell    127,63,178 No Yes Yes Yes No No Pushed
Snow    255,255,255 No Yes Yes Yes No No Pushed
Sponge    229,229,51 No Yes Yes Yes No No Pushed
Stone    112,112,112 No Yes Yes Yes No No Pushed
Structural air    None No No No No No Yes Replace
Top snow    255,255,255 No No No No No Yes Replace
Vegetable    0,124,0 No Yes Yes Yes No No Replace
Water    64,64,255 Yes No No No No Yes Replace
Water plant    64,64,255 No No No No No No Replace
Web    199,199,199 No Yes No No No No Replace
Wood    143,119,72 No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Pushed
Wool    199,199,199 No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Pushed
  1. The default map base color of this material, but in fact most blocks do not use this default base color.
  2. If yes, block-dependent blocks can be placed on this block, and it is considered when spawning structures.
  3. Only used to determine if lava can set fire to blocks; not used for fire spreading.
  4. If yes, the player succeeds in placing some other block in the spot occupied by this block.
  5. If "pushed", the block is pushed by pistons. If "replace", the block is broken by pistons. If "blocked", the block prevents pistons from extending.

Blocks[]

Material Blocks
Air Air, cave air, void air, light block
Amethyst
Bamboo
Bamboo shoot Bamboo shoot
Barrier
Bubble column Bubble Column
Buildable glass
Cactus
Cake
Clay
Cloth decoration
Decoration
Dirt
Egg
Explosive
Fire FireSoul Fire
Froglight
Frogspawn
Glass Sea Lantern
Grass
Heavy metal
Ice
Ice solid
Lava
Leaves
Metal Command BlockRepeating Command BlockChain Command Block
Moss
Nether wood
Piston
Powder Snow
Plant
Portal Nether Portal
Replaceable plant
Replaceable fireproof plant
Replacable water plant
Sand
Sculk SculkSculk ShriekerSculk SensorSculk Vein
Shulker shell
Snow
Sponge
Stone Magma BlockPrismarineStonecutterPrismarine StairsPrismarine SlabPrismarine Wall
Structural air
Top snow
Vegetable
Water
Water plant
Web
Wood
Wool


Effects[]

Material properties are often used in place of specific block property checks, which can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior. Other times, material properties may simply serve as a default, but individual blocks can override this default value.

  • Endermen teleport depending on materials that block movement, not whether the block itself is solid. They choose a random destination and then seek downward until they find a block with a movement-blocking material.
  • Various things that spawn on the "surface" similarly check material movement-blocking to find the surface.
  • Paintings, Item frames, Banners, Signs, and Cakes are supported by any block with a solid material. This is why signs can be placed on each other without any visible connection. In addition, paintings and item frames can also be placed on the sides of the redstone comparator and repeater.
  • Player spawning checks for obstruction based on whether the material is solid or fluid, apart from banners, pressure plates, and signs.
  • Cactus break depending on the solidity of an adjacent block's material and whether the adjacent block is lava or whether the material of the upper block is liquid.
  • Farmland and dirt path turns to dirt if a solid-material block is placed on top, except fence gates. But moving pistons can be placed on farmland.
  • Water and lava spread and currents generally depend on whether the block's materials blocks movement, while placement from a bucket depends on whether the material is solid or replaceable, except end portal and end gateway.
  • When above a block with a replaceable material, the gravity-affected blocks can fall.
  • Only blocks with a solid-blocking material can be redstone conductors.
  • Iron golems can be spawned in air or liquid materials above a solid-blocking-material block whose collision box has a square upper surface by villagers.
  • When broken, ice becomes water if above a block with a liquid or movement-blocking material.
  • Lava checks for a flammable material nearby when attempting to start fires. The fire itself uses its own list of flammable materials, which is why fire can start next to a wood block without consuming the block.
  • Block with a movement-blocking material and a full cube collision causes suffocation.
  • Various tools check for materials to get breaking speeds.
  • Rain and snowfall fall through blocks that have a non-liquid material that does not block movement.
  • Dungeon, lake, and nether portal generation checks for solid materials, rather than solid blocks.
  • Note blocks check blocks or materials to determine some instruments. They check for a material of stone, sand, glass, and wood, with the resulting instrument being the base drum, snare, glass, and bass, respectively.
  • Doors and trapdoors often use wood and metal materials to differentiate between wood and iron doors and trapdoors.

See also[]

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