Chemours Opteon™ 2P50: A Low GWP Dielectric Fluid for Immersion Cooling


08/03/2023


A global chemistry company, Chemours, has recently made significant progress in creating and producing Opteon™ 2P50, a novel heat-transfer fluid for two-phase immersion cooling (2-PIC). The exclusive fluid is undergoing final tests for production capability, and is expected to be commercially available by 2025, subject to appropriate regulatory approvals. Opteon™ 2P50 is a unique hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) dielectric fluid that is designed to satisfy the increasing need for high-performance products that have low environmental impact and support circularity. Opteon™ 2P50 has no ozone depletion potential (ODP) and much lower global warming potential (GWP) than existing fluids.
 
Chemours’ launch of Opteon™ 2P50 is an important move to position the company to address a growing challenge caused by a new era of data transmission that requires faster computing, AI capabilities, and other advanced applications—all of which rely on technologies that need higher cooling capacities. Chemours’ new 2-PIC fluid enables energy-efficient cooling and high-performance computing for a wide range of thermal management applications.
 
“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 Natalia Duchini, Senior Director, Global Technology at Chemours.
 
“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.”
 
Data centers are responsible for about 1% of carbon emissions and 1 to 1.5% of electricity use globally. Most data centers, over 95%, use conventional air- and water-cooling technologies. 2-PIC is the most efficient, cost effective, and sustainable option for cooling data centers compared to traditional air-cooled ones in terms of water and energy use.
 
By immersing electronic equipment directly in a dielectric fluid, they can be cooled safely and effectively, without the danger of hardware damage. Customer tests of Chemours Opteon™ 2P50 have shown excellent performance. 2-PIC can cut data center cooling energy use by more than 90% and almost eliminate water use, reducing operating costs. Moreover, 2-PIC simplified cooling structure supports reduced capital costs by enabling up to a 60% reduction in the physical data center size, while providing optimal cooling capabilities to support next-generation high-performance computing applications. The possibility to recover and reuse the two-phase immersion fluid also creates a clear path to a circular economy.
 
“We’re working to create more than just an incremental improvement,” said Duchini. “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.”
 
Chemours Opteon™ 2P50 fluid for 2-PIC is consistent with the shift to lower global warming potential (GWP) products. Chemours Opteon™ products have a strong sustainability profile, and outstanding performance properties across a wide range of applications, whether they are used in immersion cooling applications, industrial cooling, or throughout the entire cold chain.