More than Holding Parts Together: Adhesives' Expanding Role in Data Centers

Data centers and their proliferation, driven largely by artificial intelligence (AI) anticipation, have become a hot topic. It is estimated that global data center capacity will double by 2030, adding 100 GW of new data centers and representing an infrastructure investment of close to $3 trillion.¹ While "not in my backyard" resistance is likely to blunt some of the planned installations, these facilities are still expected to drive significant growth in adhesive usage.

Optimizing Thermal Management

Much of the more noticeable volume will be in construction and infrastructure adhesives, sealants, and related chemistries like admixes and coatings. The stealthier growth, which may only be noticed by specialty adhesive suppliers, is happening outside of the centers but will ultimately drive their performance. One of the reasons this growth is less noticeable is because it is happening drop by drop.

Computer scientists and planners know that data transfer via copper wire cannot meet data demands. Many of us have traditionally known the solution to this transfer issue as fiber optics, but the technology has become known more accurately as photonics. Implementation requires electronic signals to be converted to light and back again. Each point of connection or transfer has specific needs for electrical conductivity or light transmission, as well as dealing with some of the inefficiencies of such connections.

Thermal management as a result of energy lost to heat, light shielding to prevent interference, and high clarity and precise alignment for optical connections will continue the trend of asking adhesives to do more than just hold two parts together. The applications are not new, but the volume related to these massive data centers certainly is.

Relevant Adhesive Chemistries

Data center-related adhesive applications range from potting to ferrule bonding to light path connections. Reactive adhesives dominate the use landscape, with epoxy-based materials enjoying the biggest share; estimates range from 75-90% of the space by volume, incorporating both single- and plural-component systems.

Epoxies are favored for performance features such as temperature resistance, shrinkage control, and mechanical strength. In addition, the ability to incorporate a variety of fillers or modify for color and clarity make epoxies versatile backbones.

Light-curing adhesives (primarily free-radical acrylic based) are popular for speed of cure and resistance to yellowing. They are used for applications such as fiber connections, prism alignment, and lens bonding, among others. While some formulations have secondary cure capability, access to line-of-sight light paths is usually necessary for effective employment of this adhesive type. Used as light cure only, this type of adhesive provides the added advantages of fully curing in seconds, having little thermal impact on components, and consuming less energy compared to single-component epoxies.

Silicones are useful for applications requiring high flexibility and/or stability over a broad temperature range. Data center uses include strain relief, impact absorption/protection, and isolation from stress over thermal cycles.

Anaerobic adhesives find use in their traditional role as thread adhesive/sealants and retaining slip fit metal connections. Cyanoacrylates also find use as temporary fixturing adhesives and excellent plastic and elastomer bonders for strain relief and less critical assemblies.

Multi-Faceted Growth Opportunities

Customers will keep pushing to achieve greater adhesive performance that is only tangentially related to holding parts together. For data centers and photonics technologies, making electrically conductive epoxies more conductive, radiating heat away from sensitive components with more thermal conductivity while maintaining electrical isolation, and making assemblies more durable by helping them manage the stresses of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatches are only a few of the known requirements.

Liquid cooling of circuits will drive new demands for sealing and fluid resistance. Flame retardancy, similar to the needs of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, is likely to find a home in data centers as well.

Even without the expected growth of AI, our dependence on data and computing power is only going to increase. Adhesives and sealants are in a strong position to help facilitate not only the successful construction of much-needed infrastructure but also the optimized implementation of these next-generation technologies.

To learn more, reach out to the author at jswope@chemquest.com or visit chemquest.com.