With the development of data centers to accommodate advanced computing capacities and AI systems, it is inevitable that focus shifts towards power consumption, cooling mechanisms, and the dependability of hardware components. A matter that is often overlooked should be considered in the conversation: zinc whiskers.
Although the danger isn’t novel, it’s important to reassess due to heightened airflow and other factors present in modern facilities. Zinc whiskers are tiny, electrically conductive crystalline strands that can emerge from zinc surfaces treated with electroplating. In data centers, the most well-documented source is the underside of older elevated-floor tiles.
Although cable trays, pedestals, stringers, electrical hardware, and other zinc-plated pieces can also be vulnerable, the danger emerges when fibers separate, become airborne, and are transported by the cooling air stream. Once inside equipment, they have the ability to settle on circuit boards and other components, which can potentially lead to the formation of unintended conductive paths, signal disturbances, and equipment failures..
Related: Intel Layoffs Illustrate That Data Center Employees Are Not Exempt From Corporate Job Reductions. The Concealed Danger within Hereditary Structures. Identifying whiskers can be challenging without proper examination methods, and their growth might only become noticeable over extended periods, ranging from months to years.
