Beyond Automotive Cooling: Exploring the Diverse Applications of Industrial Coolants

The coolant industry is evolving from traditional ethylene glycol-based products toward organic acid and hybrid formulations designed for longer service life and improved environmental performance. Wide-temperature-range coolants designed for extreme climates, together with low-viscosity products developed to meet lightweight system requirements, are driving further technological advancement across the industry.

At the same time, coolant applications are rapidly expanding beyond automotive engines into emerging areas such as battery thermal management and server cooling.

Classification by Base Fluid

Ethylene Glycol-Based Coolants:
Ethylene glycol is used as the primary antifreeze component and is currently the most widely used type on the market, accounting for more than 90% of market share. Ethylene glycol features a high boiling point (197.4°C), low volatility, moderate viscosity with relatively little variation across temperatures, and good thermal stability.

Propylene Glycol-Based Coolants:
These products use propylene glycol as the base fluid. Propylene glycol offers lower toxicity and better environmental performance and is widely used in regions such as Europe. It also performs well in terms of heat transfer, resistance to cavitation corrosion, and rubber compatibility, although its freezing-point adjustment range is somewhat narrower and its cost is higher.

Performance Across Different Application Scenarios

Conventional Passenger & Commercial Vehicles:
Coolant regulates temperature as it circulates through the cooling system, using efficient heat exchange to help maintain the engine within its optimal operating temperature range.

Industrial Manufacturing & Metalworking:
In machining applications, metalworking fluids such as cutting fluids and grinding fluids provide multiple functions, including cooling, lubrication, rust prevention, and cleaning. In chemical production, polymer processing, and other industrial applications, coolants serve as heat-transfer fluids for process temperature control.

As chip power consumption moves beyond the kilowatt level, conventional air cooling is approaching its physical limits. Liquid cooling technology uses liquid media to dissipate heat from electronic equipment and is primarily applied in high-power environments such as data centers and AI servers.

In these applications, cooling fluids can be divided into two main categories according to the cooling technology used:

Cold Plate Cooling:
The coolant flows through cold plates and indirectly removes heat from heat-generating components. Electrical insulation requirements are relatively lower, while thermal conductivity and fluidity are more important. Deionized water and aqueous ethylene glycol/propylene glycol solutions are commonly used options.

Immersion Cooling:
Servers are directly immersed in the cooling fluid. The fluid must therefore provide electrical insulation, chemical stability, and material compatibility. Typical cooling media include mineral oils, silicone oils, synthetic oils, and fluorinated fluids.