Croda launches dielectric ester base oil for EV fluids

Croda International Plc has launched a new dielectric ester base oil Xenitron™ 3221that can be used in battery cooling and electric vehicle (EV) transmission fluids to improve safety, stability, and performance.

Xenitron 3221 is a fluid that exhibits excellent thermal properties to optimise cooling performance in systems where direct cooling of electrical components is required. The fluid is suitable for blending into Poly Alpha Olefin (PAO; a 100% synthetic base oil) and mineral oil formulations, helping the formulator achieve superior stability, safety and performance.

Bethan Warren, Lead Applications Scientist at Croda Energy Technologies said, “The advantages of immersion cooling versus cold plate cooling have been overlooked within the industry.  There has been uncertainty around the benefits, and sometimes the safety of direct immersion systems. However, this study alongside others in the industry has shown that immersion cooling with well-designed dielectric fluids can improve safety by minimising hot spots and can provide other benefits such as better cell temperature homogeneity. They can even allow faster charging times due to more efficient heat removal. Our understanding of how fluid properties impact cooling in these systems is accelerating the development of novel materials that can be used in next-generation fluids for direct immersion cooling of electronic systems.”

Yew Chin Law, Business Director for Energy Technologies, Asia said, “Whilst we’ve demonstrated the efficacy of selected ester fluids in an immersion cooling system, we’re now looking to work with formulators and engineers on next-generation EV fluids. Esters can provide performance benefits when used as a component in the final formulation, lifting the performance of Group III and PAO dielectric fluids.”