Perstorp Unveils Synmerse™ DC: A Sustainable Cooling Solution for Next-Gen Data Centers
Perstorp, a leading specialty chemicals company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG), has launched its latest innovation, Synmerse™ DC—a high-performance immersion cooling fluid designed to meet the escalating cooling needs of modern data centers.
Perstorp, a leading specialty chemicals company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG), has launched its latest innovation, Synmerse™ DC—a high-performance immersion cooling fluid designed to meet the escalating cooling needs of modern data centers. Officially unveiled at Data Centre World Asia 2024 in Singapore, Synmerse™ DC aims to address the challenges posed by increasing computational density driven by cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and 5G applications.
The Growing Demand for Advanced Cooling Solutions
Data centers, which are essential for processing and storing vast amounts of digital information, face growing power and cooling demands due to the rise of advanced technologies. Traditional air-based cooling systems struggle to keep up with the higher thermal output from these applications.
In response, immersion cooling—where electronic components are submerged in specialized cooling fluids—has emerged as a superior solution for enhancing heat dissipation, improving energy efficiency, and reducing operational costs.
Synmerse™ DC: Performance, Safety, and Sustainability
Synmerse™ DC represents Perstorp’s first entry into the immersion cooling market for data centers, combining excellent thermal conductivity with a focus on safety and environmental sustainability. The key features of Synmerse™ DC include:
- Superior Heat Dissipation: Synmerse™ DC is engineered to have a high specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity coefficient, which improves its ability to absorb and dissipate heat. Its low viscosity minimizes resistance during fluid circulation, further enhancing heat dissipation efficiency.
- Enhanced Safety: With a flash point of 247°C and a fire point of 274°C, Synmerse™ DC ensures safer operations in high-pressure environments. It is compatible with most common server components, reducing the risk of fire and ensuring operational stability over the long term.
- Sustainability Focus: The product is made from a readily biodegradable synthetic fluid, compliant with OECD 301B standards. It is free of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), chemicals that are increasingly being banned worldwide due to their environmental and health risks. Additionally, Synmerse™ DC is not classified as hazardous under the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).
Collaboration with Industry Leaders
Perstorp’s Synmerse™ DC has been developed in collaboration with leading processor manufacturers, including Intel. At the 2024 launch event, the product was showcased alongside Intel’s SuperFluid cooling technology and the 5th Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processor. This collaboration highlights the role of Synmerse™ DC in supporting high-end AI chip demands, which require a thermal design power (TDP) exceeding 1500W per chip.
The cooling solution demonstrated how injecting air into the fluid via Intel’s SuperFluid technology reduces friction, enhancing liquid flow and cooling efficiency. This technological advancement enables next-generation data centers to handle the high-performance requirements of modern computational tasks while maintaining safe and reliable operations.
A Step Towards Sustainable Data Centers
Beyond performance, Synmerse™ DC aligns with Perstorp’s broader commitment to sustainability. The company has prioritized sourcing renewable, recyclable, and mass-balanced raw materials for the development of Synmerse™ DC. This reflects Perstorp’s goal of achieving Finite Material Neutrality, part of its long-term environmental strategy. By ensuring that the fluid is biodegradable, PFAS-free, and has a lower carbon footprint, Perstorp is positioning itself as a key player in the green transformation of the data center industry.
Looking Ahead
Perstorp’s introduction of Synmerse™ DC marks an important step in the evolution of data center cooling technology. As the demand for higher computational power grows, the need for efficient and sustainable cooling solutions becomes increasingly critical. Synmerse™ DC not only meets these performance and environmental challenges but also demonstrates Perstorp’s innovative approach to solving complex industrial problems.
With more collaborations expected in the future and a clear development roadmap in place, including advancements in ultra-low viscosity fluids and extended fluid life tests, Perstorp is set to lead the charge in building safer, greener, and more efficient data centers.
Conclusion
As data centers continue to evolve to accommodate more powerful technologies, the launch of Synmerse™ DC offers a timely and much-needed solution. Combining high thermal performance with safety and sustainability, Perstorp’s new immersion cooling fluid is poised to become a cornerstone technology in the next generation of data centers, paving the way for both technological advancements and environmental responsibility.
