Chemours Develops Sustainable Cooling Fluid for Computing and EV Technology

Global chemistry company Chemours has developed a sustainable, cost-effective heat-transfer fluid for two-phase immersion cooling, used in computing and electric vehicle technologies. The new fluid technology, Opteon 2P50, offers zero ozone depletion potential and lower global warming potential compared to incumbent working fluid.

Two-phase immersion cooling acts as a more sustainable alternative to traditional air and water cooling, which is most widely used for data centers at present. The technology includes immersing computer components in a non-conductive fluid in order to remove waste heat. In an age of increased demand for fast computing and AI capabilities, elevated cooling capacities will be needed. Further, two-phase immersion can be used to stabilize the temperatures of electric vehicle components and extend their battery lifetime.

Data centers currently account for 1% of global carbon emissions and about 1.5% of global electricity consumption. Data centers can also use up to 5 million gallons of water a day in the traditional cooling process. Opteon 2P50 can reduce data center cooling energy consumption by over 90% while also eliminating water use and reducing operational costs. The two-phase immersion fluid can also be reclaimed and reused, contributing to a circular economy in the computing sector.

“We’re working to create more than just an incremental improvement,” said Natalia Duchini, Senior Director of Global Technology at Chemours. “Our vision is to set a new industry standard with the performance and thermal stability of Opteon 2P50. In addition to playing a critical role in enabling 2-PIC technologies through enhanced thermal management performance, this new solution from Chemours will enable businesses and entire industries to reduce their physical footprint and environmental impact.”

According to a Persistence Market Research report, demand for the liquid cooling market is expected to grow to $31 billion from 2022 to 2032. Using green data centers helps manage costs and efficiency while reducing the carbon footprint of energy-intensive technologies such as cryptocurrency mining, AI accelerators, and 5G applications.

Chemours’ new proprietary fluid is in the final testing stages for manufacturing capability and, pending regulatory approvals, is set for commercialization by 2025.

“Two-phase immersion cooling represents a tremendous unmet market need and Chemours is excited to be entering this space and investing in the present and future needs in such a significant way,” said Duchini. “We’ve innovated a next-generation fluid that meets or exceeds our customers’ most critical criteria for performance and efficiency. Moreover, by putting the power of our chemistry to work, it also ensures sustainability in an evolving environmental landscape.”