Data center coolants: ThermaGraph™ graphene cooling fluids
ThermaGraph™ is our line of graphene coolants for data center cooling. Each product is graphene at a low loading, 0.05–0.20 wt%, in a carrier fluid matched to how your servers are cooled: ThermaGraph™ in deionized water, a liquid cooling fluid for data centers running indoor closed loops, and ThermaGraph-D™ in white mineral oil, a graphene immersion cooling fluid for single-phase tanks. For the basics of the material, see what is graphene.
It's for data center operators, cooling engineers and integrators who want to test a new fill in a system they already run, using their own baseline data. Patent pending. Made in the USA in Charlotte, NC.
Patent pendingMade in the USA0.05–0.20 wt% grapheneClosed loop + immersion
Cold plates, CDUs or rear-door heat exchangers?
Use ThermaGraph™, the water-loop coolant for indoor CDU, direct-to-chip (D2C) and rear-door loops.
Servers submerged in a single-phase tank?
Use ThermaGraph-D™, the graphene-enhanced dielectric for single-phase immersion of live boards.
These are two separate products. Don't mix them, and don't use one in place of the other.
Where ThermaGraph™ fits in your cooling system
ThermaGraph™ works on the fluid side. It doesn't change your hardware. It replaces the liquid that carries heat away from it. In a liquid-cooled data center, heat moves from the chip into a cold plate or an immersion tank, into the coolant, through a coolant distribution unit (CDU) or heat exchanger, and out to the facility water and heat-rejection plant. Our products go into the part of that path closest to the servers.
- Water loops: CDU, direct-to-chip and rear-door heat exchangers
- Use ThermaGraph™, graphene in deionized water. It's for indoor, conditioned technology cooling loops in closed copper systems where freeze protection isn't specified. If the loop holds glycol, it's drained first. ThermaGraph™ is a new fill, not a top-off.
- Single-phase immersion tanks
- Use ThermaGraph-D™, graphene in Drakeol white mineral oil, formulated as a dielectric for boards that sit directly in the fluid.
- Not a fit for ThermaGraph™ today
- Loops that need freeze protection (they should stay on a glycol fluid), outdoor or unconditioned loops, and two-phase boiling systems, which need a different product discussion and a different TDS.
- Coatings are a different approach
- Some cooling products work on surfaces instead, as coatings on coils, cold plates or heat exchangers. ThermaGraph™ isn't a coating and doesn't treat surfaces. It changes the fluid inside the equipment you already run.
New to these terms? See the cooling glossary below, or read Graphene coolants for AI data centers: what lab tests show and what they don't.
ThermaGraph™ for closed-loop liquid cooling
A graphene nanofluid in deionized water, with no glycol, for indoor CDU, direct-to-chip (D2C) and rear-door loops. Same copper, same pumps, new fill.
- Carrier
- Deionized water. No glycol and no freeze package.
- Graphene loading
- 0.05–0.20 wt%, stated on the certificate of analysis (COA). It's kept low on purpose, because sludge isn't a feature.
- Heat transfer
- +6% to +18% higher convective heat transfer coefficient (HTC) than a glycol baseline, in our internal pumped-loop tests.
- Thermal conductivity
- Measured against DowFrost LC25 on the signed lab sheet. Water's thermal conductivity is already above LC25's; the graphene is additional.
- Where it fits
- Indoor, conditioned technology cooling systems (TCS/DECS) only, in closed copper loops where freeze protection isn't specified. Its freeze point is 0 °C.
- What it isn't
- Not a freeze fluid, not a dielectric and not a top-off. It's electrically conductive, so never use it to immerse live boards. If your loop holds inhibited propylene glycol such as DowFrost LC25, drain it first.
- Materials
- Corrosion coupons go in with every pilot. It isn't a substitute for LC25's inhibitor package until the coupon results come back.
ThermaGraph™ vs. DowFrost LC25
| Property | ThermaGraph™ | DowFrost LC25 |
|---|---|---|
| Job | Indoor CDU / D2C / rear-door water loop. Graphene nanofluid. | Specified PG25 for technology cooling loops |
| Carrier | Deionized water. No glycol. No freeze package. | 25% inhibited propylene glycol |
| Freeze | 0 °C. Indoor / conditioned TCS only. | PG25 freeze protection to −10 °C (Dow) |
| Heat transfer | +6% to +18% HTC vs glycol baseline (internal loop tests). | Baseline in the same geometry |
| Thermal k | Versus LC25 on the signed lab sheet. Water's k is already above LC25; graphene is additional. | 0.485 W/m·K at 50 °C (Dow published) |
| Loading | 0.05–0.20 wt% graphene (COA). | — |
| Materials | Coupons with every pilot. Not a substitute for LC25 inhibitors until coupons return. | Specified inhibitor package for copper |
| Electrical | Conductive (aqueous). Not a dielectric. Do not immerse live boards. | Conductive glycol loop fluid |
| Best application | Indoor closed copper loops where freeze is not specified. | Loops that require PG25 freeze protection |
DowFrost LC25 values are Dow published data. ThermaGraph™ values come from our internal tests and aren't a specification until the signed lab sheet.
ThermaGraph-D™ for single-phase immersion cooling
A graphene-enhanced dielectric for single-phase immersion, where the boards sit directly in the fluid. The carrier is Drakeol white mineral oil (CAS 8042-47-5). It's made for tanks, not glycol loops or cold plates.
- Carrier
- Drakeol white mineral oil, CAS 8042-47-5. Not water, not glycol. The grade is selected per order (typically Drakeol 10 NF through Drakeol 35 USP) and shown on the COA.
- Graphene loading
- 0.05–0.20 wt%, stated on the COA. Low enough to protect pumps, filters and breakdown voltage (BDV).
- Electrical
- Formulated as a dielectric. BDV and conductivity are reported on the signed technical data sheet (TDS) for each lot. Don't energize boards until the lot's electricals are on the signed sheet.
- Heat transfer
- Measured against the unfilled dielectric on the signed lab sheet, at the same temperature with the same method.
- Viscosity and flash point
- Lot-specific. Mineral-oil grades are typically thicker than Castrol ON DC 15 (7.5 cSt at 40 °C). Drakeol 35 has a flash point (COC) of about 240 °C.
- Stability
- Months of visible suspension. Particle count and filter ΔP are tracked in the 30-day protocol.
- Materials
- Coupons (copper, soldermask and elastomers) go in with every pilot.
- Where it fits
- Single-phase tanks for HPC, edge and immersed servers, where ΔT is the constraint. Two-phase boiling systems need a different product discussion and a different TDS.
ThermaGraph-D™ vs. Castrol ON DC 15 / DC 20
| Property | ThermaGraph-D™ | Castrol ON DC 15 / DC 20 |
|---|---|---|
| Job | Single-phase immersion of live boards. Graphene-enhanced Drakeol. | Specified synthetic dielectric for single-phase tanks |
| Heat transfer | Versus the unfilled dielectric on the signed lab sheet: same T, same method. | Baseline unfilled fluid in the same tank |
| Electrical | Formulated as a dielectric. BDV and conductivity on the signed TDS only. | Castrol publishes conductivity <35–50 pS/m and BDV >25 kV on DC 15 |
| Loading | 0.05–0.20 wt% graphene (COA). | Unfilled base fluid |
| Viscosity / flash | Lot-specific. Mineral-oil grades are typically thicker than DC 15 (7.5 cSt at 40 °C). Drakeol 35 flash COC ~240 °C. | KV 7.5 mm²/s at 40 °C; flash COC 166 °C (Castrol PDS) |
| Stability | Months of visible suspension; particle count + filter ΔP in the 30-day protocol. | Specified long-term stability |
| Materials | Coupons (copper, soldermask, elastomers) with every pilot. No Castrol-package claim until coupons return. | Castrol: compatible with most commercial elastomers |
| Best application | Single-phase tanks (HPC, edge, dunked servers) where ΔT is the constraint. | Single-phase immersion tanks. Proven, widely specified. |
Castrol ON values are Castrol published data (conductivity in pS/m). Drakeol is a Calumet / Penreco trademark, named here as the carrier. ThermaGraph-D™ values aren't a specification until the signed lab sheet.
Test results so far
+6% to +18%
Higher convective heat transfer coefficient for ThermaGraph™ in water vs a glycol baseline, in internal pumped-loop tests. Lab data, not field data.
20 to 58 kW
Saved per 1 MW of data center load, in a modeled 1 MW plant at PUE 1.30 (conservative to optimistic case). Modeled, not measured.
The heat transfer result comes from our internal pumped-loop lab tests against a glycol baseline. The kW figure comes from an engineering model, not a field installation. ThermaGraph-D™ heat transfer is reported against the unfilled dielectric on each signed lab sheet.
Video series: Data Centers, Explained
Short, plain-English explainers on how data centers work and how they are cooled. Pick an episode to play it here; the next one starts automatically. Episode 8 covers what graphene is and why it matters for cooling.
How it works
1. Graphene in a carrier fluid
We disperse graphene at 0.05–0.20 wt% in the carrier your system calls for: deionized water for closed loops, or Drakeol white mineral oil for immersion tanks. The loading is kept low on purpose to protect pumps and filters, and, in immersion, breakdown voltage.
2. A new fill in the system you have
ThermaGraph™ fills the same closed loop, with the same copper and the same pumps, after any glycol is drained. ThermaGraph-D™ fills a single-phase tank in place of the unfilled dielectric. The fluid still carries heat from the hardware to your CDU or heat exchanger; the graphene is there to raise heat transfer.
3. Measured on the fluid we ship
We run hot-metal, pumped-loop and passive-convection tests on the carrier we actually ship. Thermal conductivity, viscosity, method and temperature, plus breakdown voltage and conductivity for ThermaGraph-D™, go on the signed TDS / lab sheet.
How a 30-day pilot works
Every evaluation starts with a 30-day sample in your own system. You keep the data.
Closed loop (ThermaGraph™)
- If the loop holds LC25, drain it first.
- Baseline ΔT, pump power, thermal conductivity, viscosity and particle count.
- Fill, then repeat the measurements at 7, 14 and 30 days.
- Inspect corrosion coupons and filters.
- We work out ROI after we price the dose against your kWh.
Immersion tank (ThermaGraph-D™)
- Baseline BDV, conductivity, thermal conductivity, viscosity, ΔT and particle count.
- Dose, then repeat at 7, 14 and 30 days.
- Inspect coupons (copper, soldermask, elastomers) and filters.
- Don't energize boards until the lot's electricals are on the signed sheet.
Download the one-pagers
Each one-pager puts the product side by side with the fluid it's meant to replace.
Cooling glossary
Short definitions of the terms used on this page.
- CDU (coolant distribution unit)
- Pumps, controls and a heat exchanger that separate the liquid loop serving the IT equipment from the facility water, and set its flow and temperature.
- TCS (technology cooling system)
- The liquid loop between the CDU and the IT equipment: cold plates, manifolds and rear-door coils.
- Facility water
- The building-side loop that takes heat from the CDUs to chillers, dry coolers or cooling towers.
- Direct-to-chip (D2C)
- Cold plates mounted on processors and other hot components, with coolant flowing through them.
- Rear-door heat exchanger
- A liquid-cooled coil on the back of a rack. Server exhaust air passes through it and the liquid carries the heat away.
- Single-phase immersion
- Servers submerged in a dielectric liquid that stays liquid while it carries heat to a heat exchanger.
- Two-phase immersion
- A fluid that boils on hot components and condenses above them. It is a different system from single-phase immersion.
- PG25
- A mix of 25% propylene glycol and 75% water, often with corrosion inhibitors, used where a loop needs freeze protection.
- Thermal conductivity (k)
- How well a fluid conducts heat when it is not moving, in W/m·K. It is a property of the fluid alone.
- Heat transfer coefficient (HTC)
- How much heat moves between a surface and a flowing fluid, per unit area and per degree of temperature difference, in W/m²·K. It depends on the fluid, the flow and the geometry, so it is measured in a pumped loop.
- ΔT
- A temperature difference, for example between the coolant entering and leaving a cold plate.
- PUE (power usage effectiveness)
- Total facility energy divided by the energy used by the IT equipment. A lower number means less overhead for cooling and power.
- BDV (breakdown voltage)
- The voltage at which a dielectric fluid stops insulating. It matters for immersion fluids that touch live boards.
- wt%
- Percent by weight. ThermaGraph™ fluids carry 0.05–0.20 wt% graphene.
- COA and TDS
- The certificate of analysis (measured values for a specific lot, including graphene loading) and the technical data sheet.
- Corrosion coupon
- A small metal or material sample placed in the loop or tank during a pilot and inspected afterward for corrosion or attack.
Frequently asked questions
ThermaGraph™ is graphene in deionized water for indoor closed loops: CDU, direct-to-chip and rear-door heat exchangers. It's electrically conductive. ThermaGraph-D™ is graphene in Drakeol white mineral oil, formulated as a dielectric for single-phase immersion of live boards. They're separate products and shouldn't be mixed.
No. ThermaGraph™ isn't a top-off into DowFrost LC25 or other inhibited propylene glycol. If the loop holds LC25, drain it first. It also isn't a substitute for LC25's inhibitor package until coupon results from your pilot come back.
No. It's deionized water with no glycol and no freeze package, so its freeze point is 0 °C. It's for indoor, conditioned technology cooling systems only. Loops that need PG25 freeze protection to −10 °C should stay on a glycol fluid.
It's formulated as a dielectric for single-phase immersion of live boards. Breakdown voltage and conductivity are reported on the signed TDS for each lot, and boards shouldn't be energized until that lot's electricals are on the signed sheet. Never immerse live boards in ThermaGraph™, the water-based product.
Request a 30-day sample. We baseline your system, fill or dose, and repeat the measurements at 7, 14 and 30 days, then inspect coupons and filters. You keep the data.
The graphene loading is kept low on purpose, 0.05–0.20 wt%, to protect pumps and filters, and in immersion tanks, breakdown voltage. In a 30-day pilot we measure particle count at baseline and at 7, 14 and 30 days, track filter ΔP in immersion tanks, and inspect the filters at the end.
For ThermaGraph-D™ we have seen months of visible suspension, and particle count and filter ΔP are tracked through the 30-day pilot. For ThermaGraph™, particle count is measured at baseline and at 7, 14 and 30 days in your own loop, so you can see how it behaves in your system.
Not yet. The +6% to +18% higher heat transfer coefficient for ThermaGraph™ (the water-loop coolant) against a glycol baseline comes from our internal pumped-loop lab tests. The 20 to 58 kW per 1 MW figure comes from an engineering model, not a field installation. ThermaGraph-D™ heat transfer is reported against the unfilled dielectric on each signed lab sheet. A 30-day pilot in your system is how you get field data, and you keep it.
ThermaGraph™ is a complete fill, graphene already dispersed in deionized water, not a top-off into DowFrost LC25 or other inhibited propylene glycol. If the loop holds LC25, drain it first. Loops that need freeze protection should stay on a glycol fluid.
No. ThermaGraph-D™ is made for single-phase tanks. Two-phase boiling systems need a different product discussion and a different TDS.
Request a 30-day sample
Tell us whether you run a closed loop or an immersion tank, and we'll set up a 30-day evaluation in your system. Call Frans Alkemade at (704) 659-3682 or send us a message.
ThermaGraph™ is one of our graphene products. It is made with the same graphene dispersion know-how we use for concrete and lubricants.
Spec sheet summary
- Form: graphene supplied pre-dispersed in a liquid carrier, never as dry flake or powder.
- Carrier options: ThermaGraph™: deionized water, no glycol. ThermaGraph-D™: white mineral oil (dielectric).
- Typical uses: ThermaGraph™ for indoor closed-loop liquid cooling; ThermaGraph-D™ for single-phase immersion cooling.
- Handling: liquid product. Follow the mixing, storage and safety instructions on the spec sheet and SDS supplied with each lot.
The full spec sheet and SDS are available on request. Request a quote, samples or a spec sheet / SDS.
Related reading: ThermaGraph vs ThermaGraph-D: water loop or immersion?
