South Korea's Wareflu Develops Liquid Metal Coolant, Boosting Efficiency by 40%

en.Wedoany.com Reported - South Korean startup Wareflu (웨어플루) has developed a specialized fluid for immersion cooling of AI servers using liquid metal technology, aiming to solve the heat dissipation challenges posed by next-generation AI accelerators with power densities exceeding 100kW per rack.

Behind the generative AI boom led by ChatGPT, the unprecedented heat generation issues of AI servers have become a focal point in the industry. Traditional air or water cooling methods are no longer sufficient, and "immersion cooling," which involves submerging entire servers in a special solution, is seen as a solution. However, creating a fluid that is both non-conductive and highly thermally conductive was once a contradiction in chemical engineering. Wareflu's answer is "liquid metal."

Wareflu was founded in 2022 by Professor Park Sung-jun (박성준) of Sungkyunkwan University based on laboratory research. The company's name signifies the creation of liquid metal that flows flexibly like a water balloon. In its early stages, the company primarily developed flexible, movable healthcare sensor components based on liquid metal. After receiving advice from the global investment community, the company pivoted to applying liquid metal technology to heat control in AI data centers. Park stated that recognition from major tech companies in Silicon Valley and elsewhere of the thermal conductivity potential of liquid metal prompted this business shift.

The main technical challenge was that conductive metal particles mixed in the cooling fluid could cause short circuits in servers. Wareflu resolved this by coating the surface of liquid metal particles with an ultra-thin oxide film (glass film) just a few nanometers thick. This glass film remains insulating, blocking electrical current, while internal heat is rapidly conducted outward through the particles acting as bridges in the fluid. Park explained that the glass-coated metal particles serve as bridges in the fluid, quickly transporting internal heat to the outside.

Compared to existing products from global chemical giants, Wareflu's technology offers unique competitiveness. Existing companies mix solid particles (fillers) into the fluid to improve thermal conductivity, which increases fluid viscosity and thus raises pump drive power consumption in data centers. Wareflu's material, because the particles themselves are "liquid" metal, does not increase fluid viscosity. Park emphasized that existing solid fillers make the fluid viscous, leading to a counterproductive situation where more circulation pump power is consumed for cooling; Wareflu's fluid maintains the same circulation power, and even by conservative estimates, cooling efficiency can be improved by over 40% compared to current levels.

The "flash point above 250 degrees Celsius" restriction in South Korea's domestic data center air conditioning regulations is considered a barrier to market entry. Regulatory authorities impose mandatory restrictions citing fire risk, but some argue this undermines the fluid's heat transfer efficiency design based on molecular structure. The fastest-growing immersion cooling market, the United States, has no such restrictions. Park stated that the fluids used in immersion cooling are essentially non-conductive "non-polar oils," fundamentally eliminating the risk of fire caused by electrical short circuits, and no safety issues have arisen in long-term empirical evaluations with global leaders like US-based GRC. He called for regulatory easing to help domestic material and component startups survive in the global market.

Wareflu is currently conducting a Pre-A funding round, targeting completion by this summer. The funds raised will be used to build a pilot mass production facility meeting global standard specifications, establishing a fluid mass production system capable of immediate supply to global immersion cooling systems. In the future, the company plans to expand its product line to include high-performance cooling films and thermal pastes for mobile devices. Park outlined a vision, stating that the company will be reborn as the "unique cooling expert of the AI era," perfectly controlling heat dissipation across the entire hardware ecosystem. Industry insiders believe the immersion cooling market will experience explosive growth in 2028.