Coloray Expands Research on Nanofluid for AI Liquid Cooling, Pursues Development of High-Efficiency Thermal Materials

Coloray (900310) is conducting research on nanofluid-based liquid cooling technology to address the heat generation issues of artificial intelligence (AI) servers and data centers. As improvements in AI computing performance make high-efficiency thermal management technology increasingly important, the company is exploring the potential for next-generation cooling technologies utilizing nanomaterials.

According to Coloray on August 3, the company is carrying out research into nanofluid-based thermal management technology aimed at improving cooling efficiency for high-performance electronic devices, such as AI servers and data centers.

Nanofluid refers to a liquid in which nanoparticles, thousands of times smaller than a human hair, are dispersed in a coolant such as water. Because it may transfer heat more effectively than conventional coolants, nanofluid is attracting attention as one of the key materials for next-generation liquid cooling technology, particularly for AI servers and data centers.

According to the company, nanoparticles undergo “Brownian motion,” continuously colliding and moving irregularly within the liquid as they interact with surrounding molecules. This process helps distribute heat more evenly throughout the liquid, rather than allowing it to concentrate locally—a factor currently being studied as a potential method for enhancing cooling performance.

The Coloray research and development team analyzed the performance of a mixed nanofluid that combines nano-alumina and plate-like zinc oxide. The company’s internal research results indicated that this composition tends to improve heat transfer performance compared to cases using nano-alumina alone.

Nano-alumina, which has a spherical particle structure, helps reduce friction within the fluid and decreases flow resistance, while plate-like zinc oxide serves as a conduit for heat transfer. The company believes that by using the two materials together, it is possible to take advantage of the unique strengths of each and thereby enhance heat transfer efficiency.

As the AI data center market grows rapidly, there is also a rising interest in liquid cooling technology. The industry outlook is that as AI semiconductors become more powerful, heat generation will increase, and traditional air-cooling methods alone will have limitations in maintaining cooling efficiency—so the adoption of liquid cooling technology is expected to continue to expand.

Based on its existing nanomaterial research and development capabilities, Coloray plans to continue developing related technologies. At the same time, the company will collaborate with universities and research institutes to further study improvements in the long-term stability and performance of nanofluid materials.

A company official stated, “As AI technology advances, the importance of heat management technology is growing,” adding, “We are continuously researching thermal management technologies using nanomaterials and intend to expand potential applications across a variety of industries going forward.”

With the liquid cooling market for AI data centers on the rise, Coloray is pursuing new growth opportunities in the field of next-generation high-efficiency cooling materials through its nanofluid-based thermal management technology research.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.