Swedish chemical company Perstorp has released a new biodegradable fluid for data center immersion cooling systems.
The company says Synmerse DC is a synthetic fluid that offers increased safety and efficiency, reducing the power needed by cooling systems.
Immersion cooling involves dunking servers in large tanks of fluid to keep them running efficiently.
Perstorp says it has developed the fluid in collaboration with leading chip manufacturers and OEMs to ensure it is compatible with the latest hardware and immersion cooling systems but did not name any of the companies involved.
Valentina Serra-Holm, VP for engineered fluids at Perstorp, said: “With our extensive experience in the engineered fluids sector, we have an established record of innovating solutions that provide our customers with a competitive edge, enabling them to be at the forefront of their industry.
“This has enabled us to develop a solution that not only meets today’s requirements but is also designed to address the future needs of cooling systems in data centers.”
The company has not detailed the composition of the fluid, other than to reveal it is completely free of harmful PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, which can cause damage to the environment because they do not degrade.
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Cooling fluid for servers is a growing market for oil companies
PFAS-based cooling fluids have traditionally been used in two-phase immersion cooling, but with legislation emerging around the world to ban their use, manufacturers are looking to more sustainable solutions based on vegetable oils, mineral oils, fluorocarbons, and hydrocarbons.
Liquid cooling has grown in popularity in recent years as the AI boom has driven a rapid increase in rack density. This means traditional air-based systems are often not efficient enough to effectively chill the most powerful servers.
Oil companies such as Shell, Castrol, ExxonMobil, ENEOS, and SK Enmove are among the businesses bringing immersion cooling fluids to market. US food giant Cargill and chemical firm Chemours have also launched fluids.
Perstorp is owned by Malaysian oil and gas company Petronas - which has launched its own cooling fluid and has partnered with Iceotope.
