Corrosion Prevention in Cooling Loops

Reliable Operation and Long Service Life of Liquid Cooling Systems

Corrosion in liquid cooling loops occurs when the heat transfer fluid causes chemical, electrochemical, or abrasive degradation of wetted surfaces. It is one of the most common causes of performance degradation, increased maintenance requirements, and system failures in liquid cooling systems.

Typical consequences of corrosion include:

Reduced flow rates
Clogged filters
Damaged pump and valve components
Leaks caused by material loss in pipes or reservoirs

In applications using high-purity process coolants, corrosion is synonymous with contamination and poses a significant risk to both processes and products.

What Causes Corrosion in Liquid Cooling Systems?

Corrosion occurs when the coolant interacts chemically or electrochemically with materials inside the cooling loop.

Factors that can increase corrosion risk include:

Incompatible wetted materials
Dissimilar metals within the same cooling circuit
Incorrect coolant chemistry
Oxygen or contaminants in the fluid
Elevated temperatures
Excessive or localized fluid velocity

Common forms include general corrosion, pitting, galvanic corrosion and erosion corrosion.

Designing Cooling Loops for Corrosion Protection

Corrosion prevention should be considered during the design of the complete liquid cooling circuit.

Material Compatibility

Metals such as stainless steel, aluminum and copper alloys can all be used in cooling systems, but their compatibility depends on the coolant and other materials within the loop.

Where dissimilar metals are used, galvanic corrosion risk should be evaluated.

Coolant Selection

The heat transfer fluid must provide the required thermal performance while remaining compatible with wetted materials.

Depending on the application, cooling systems may use water, inhibited water-glycol mixtures or dielectric fluids. Corrosion inhibitors can provide additional protection where required.

Flow Management

Coolant velocity affects both heat transfer and long-term material performance.

Excessive velocity, turbulence, sharp bends and sudden changes in flow area can contribute to erosion corrosion. In susceptible areas of the cooling loop, fluid velocities above approximately 1–2 m/s should generally be avoided.

Reliable Liquid Cooling System Design

Effective liquid cooling requires more than selecting a pump or coolant. Heat load, flow rate, pressure, coolant chemistry, wetted materials and system geometry must work together.

Tark Thermal Solutions develops liquid cooling solutions around the thermal, mechanical and fluid requirements of each application, helping engineers achieve reliable heat removal while reducing the risk of corrosion and component degradation.

Explore Liquid Cooling Solutions

For a more detailed technical discussion of material compatibility, galvanic corrosion, erosion and coolant selection, read our Corrosion Prevention in Cooling Loops Application Note