Helping data centres meet the demands of liquid cooling

How material innovation, precision fluid control and engineering expertise are supporting the next generation of data centre infrastructure.

Data centres are entering a new era of thermal demand.

As artificial intelligence, cloud computing and high-performance digital services continue to accelerate, operators are under increasing pressure to scale capacity while maintaining uptime, efficiency and reliability.

With higher rack densities and rising heat loads, traditional cooling approaches are being pushed to their limits. Liquid cooling is becoming a critical part of next-generation data centre infrastructure, helping operators manage more demanding thermal loads while supporting continuous performance.

But liquid cooling also brings new challenges. When cooling fluids move closer to critical IT equipment, system stability becomes essential. Material compatibility, corrosion resistance, fluid quality, flow stability and system visibility all play a role in protecting performance and reducing operational risk.

For data centre operators, OEMs, colocation providers, consultants and contractors, the challenge is no longer only about removing heat. It is about cooling with confidence: keeping systems stable, protecting critical components, meeting evolving industry expectations and ensuring infrastructure is ready for what comes next.

One critical part of this challenge is material choice.

Stainless steel has traditionally been the preferred material for liquid cooling applications due to its recognised durability and corrosion resistance. However, as liquid cooling systems become more widespread and sustainability requirements increase, IMI’s Climate Control sector evaluated whether another material could deliver comparable performance while also offering additional environmental and operational benefits.

This led to the systematic evaluation of IMI’s proprietary AMETAL® brass alloy for use in data centre cooling applications.

Together with RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, IMI tested AMETAL® under demanding conditions. The tests followed the ASTM D8040 methodology, recognised by both ASHRAE and OCP, and compared AMETAL® with stainless steel and other high-performance brass alloys.

Using propylene glycol-based heat transfer fluids, widely used in liquid-cooled data centre environments, the study simulated both demanding and real operating conditions, from 88°C with added salts and aeration to 4°C in a closed, deaerated system.¹

The results confirmed that even under extreme conditions, AMETAL® maintained corrosion rates far below industry thresholds: less than 8 µm per year at 88°C and under 3 µm per year at 4°C.¹ These results show that brass, when engineered with precision, can match the performance of stainless steel in terms of resilience and long-term reliability.

AMETAL® has also been specified in the OCP Modular TCS whitepaper. This reinforces IMI’s role in supporting industry-aligned solutions for demanding data centre cooling applications.

But reliable liquid cooling is not only about material performance.

As rack densities increase and system loads fluctuate, customers need cooling systems that can respond quickly, maintain stable flow, protect components and provide better visibility across the system. This is where IMI’s broader Climate Control expertise comes into play.

By combining precision fluid control, differential pressure stability, system visibility and fluid quality management, IMI helps customers manage complexity and reduce operational risk from plant room to rack.

Solutions such as smart valves like, TA-Smart support fast and accurate adaptation to flow fluctuations, while TA-Smart-Dp and TA-Sense-Dp provide system visibility and accurate differential pressure control. Alongside IMI’s pressure and water quality portfolio, these technologies help protect cooling performance, support uptime and improve long-term system resilience.

The sustainability story is also important. According to IMI’s third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations, AMETAL® alloys are manufactured using more than 90% recycled brass at IMI’s facility in Sweden, where operations are powered by renewable electricity certified in line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 2 guidance.² Based on these EPDs, products with a significant proportion of AMETAL® demonstrate up to 75% lower CO₂ emissions compared with comparable products on the market.³

The reliability of AMETAL® is well established. The alloy has been in use since the early 1960s, with more than one million valves manufactured from this material currently operating in demanding hydronic and glycol-based environments, including hyperscale facilities in Singapore and installations across Europe and the United States.

IMI Products such as TA-Smart, TA-Modulator and Simply Vento already use the alloy’s robust properties to support dependable operation, energy efficiency and long-term protection against corrosion.