Incorporating microcapsules into data center walls could aid in managing server temperatures during power or cooling failures. Alexium International Group, a chemistry firm, has provided US data center developers with its phase change material (mPCM) solutions, which act as an integrated thermal buffer for the facility. – Alexium.
BASF, a chemical company, created mPCMs which convert common materials such as wallboard, plaster, aerated concrete, ceiling cassettes, and architectural coatings into latent thermal mass, according to Alexium. These microcapsules contain a unique core surrounded by a cross-linked shell, small enough to be incorporated into the building material without altering installation processes.
As the room air temperature rises above the melting point of the mPCM, its core melts and takes in heat; when the area cools down, it reverts back to a solid state and relinquishes the heat. Alexium is not promoting this as a cooling solution for data centers. In the end, it lacks the ability to eliminate heat, it merely retains it.
The text suggests that the company’s mPCM-based coatings could prove beneficial in a data hall during a cooling system failure. These coatings can absorb extra heat produced by servers until backup systems are activated and repairs are made. The company produces wall coatings that incorporate microcapsules, offering three distinct capsule melting point choices to accommodate different situations.
On December 27th, it obtained the technology by acquiring Microtek Laboratories. It claims that a 15mm board filled with its capsules at a density of 3 kg/sqm can provide the same heat-storage capacity as approximately 9cm of concrete. The capsules seem to have been tested for 10,000 thermal cycles, which is comparable to 30 years of everyday use, without any significant alteration in performance. “The data center sector is inquiring about building materials – how can active temperature control solutions assist in reducing peak energy consumption during drastic daily temperature variations?” remarked Billy Blackburn, CEO and managing director of Alexium. “Alexium’s lineup of PCMs have been devised to tackle these issues and are now integrated for worldwide production and distribution.
