Firms Partner on Liquid Cooling for Servers
Chemours and 2CRSi have formed a partnership to accelerate the deployment of two-phase liquid cooling for high-density servers and IT equipment. The collaboration follows the successful qualification of Chemours' Opteon fluid in 2CRSi's server technology, aiming to drive innovation in data center thermal management.
- Two-phase immersion cooling, the technology central to the collaboration, involves submerging server components in a non-conductive (dielectric) fluid. This fluid boils on the surface of hot components, and the vapor passively transfers heat to a condenser, where it turns back into a liquid, creating a highly efficient, pump-free cooling cycle. - The specified fluid, Chemours' Opteon 2P50, is a hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) with a boiling point of around 50°C (122°F), zero ozone depletion potential, and a global warming potential (GWP) of just 10. - The move away from traditional air cooling is necessitated by rising rack power densities, which have surged from a standard 5-15 kW to over 40-60 kW for AI-focused racks, with some designs now exceeding 100 kW. - Data center cooling typically accounts for 30-40% of total energy consumption. Chemours claims its two-phase immersion cooling solutions can slash cooling energy use by over 90% and cut water consumption by 99% compared to conventional air-cooled systems. - Strasbourg-based 2CRSi has established itself as a key designer of high-performance servers for the AI and HPC markets, reporting a 31% year-over-year revenue increase to €220.8 million for the fiscal year ending in June 2025. - A key advantage of this cooling method is the ability to increase hardware density, which can reduce the physical footprint of a data center by as much as 60%. - This partnership has already resulted in the successful qualification of the Opteon fluid in 2CRSi's existing server lines, with a specific focus on commercializing ultra-high-density models like the Atlas 1.8GG 2PIC to support next-generation AI chips. - The market for data center liquid cooling is projected to expand significantly, from a valuation of approximately $4.18 billion in 2024 to an estimated $13.2 billion by 2029, underscoring the technology's growing importance.
