Why Supercomputers and Military Electronics Can't Do Without TUW-770, the "Extreme-Temperature All-Rounder" Fluorocarbon Fluid

2026-10-05

In a supercomputer cabinet, a single CPU may draw more than 500 W, and dozens of chips in one cabinet run at full load at the same time, giving a total power density 5 to 10 times that of an ordinary data center. Military electronics are even more extreme: a computer inside a tank must work in a cabin from -40°C to +85°C, and electronics inside a missile must withstand aerodynamic heating above 125°C.

These scenarios share one thing in common: extremely high requirements on cooling reliability, where overheating means mission failure or even loss of the equipment. Conventional cooling media will either freeze, boil or chemically decompose under such extreme conditions. TUW-770 perfluorocarbon fluid is designed for scenarios in which nothing may go wrong.

1. What Positioning TUW-770 Occupies

1.1 A Perfluorocarbon Fluid Positioned Against FC-770

TUW-770 is benchmarked against 3M Fluorinert FC-770 and belongs to the perfluorocarbon (PFC) family. Its positioning is not the best cost-performance ratio, but stable reliability across an extreme temperature range and harsh chemical environments.

1.2 Why PFC Instead of HFE

As a perfluorocarbon fluid, TUW-770 has a pour point as low as -127°C and a boiling point of 95°C at atmospheric pressure, covering the entire liquid-phase working range from extreme cold start to high-temperature full load. Why not use hydrofluoroether? Because although HFE has a low GWP, it is inferior to PFC in extremely wide temperature ranges and long-term high-temperature stability. Military and supercomputing customers are willing to pay a premium for absolute reliability.

2. Core Advantages of PFC in Extreme Scenarios

Table 1 Core performance of PFC in extreme scenarios

Property	TUW-770 performance	Why it matters
Chemical inertness	Reacts with almost no material; compatible with most metals, plastics and elastomers	No corrosion of chips, solder joints or seals in long-term contact
Temperature adaptability	Pour point -127°C, boiling point 95°C, stable liquid over a wide range	Works from cold start to high-temperature full load
Electrical insulation	Dielectric strength >40 kV (0.1 inch gap), dielectric constant 1.9, resistivity >3×10¹⁴ ohm·cm	Direct contact with live components without short-circuit risk
Thermal stability	Strong carbon-fluorine bonds, calculated critical temperature 238°C, no decomposition at sustained high temperature	No performance degradation after years of continuous operation
Safety	No flash point, non-flammable, ODP=0	Very low fire risk around high-power equipment

3. Application in Supercomputers

3.1 Direct Contact Cooling: A Shorter Heat Transfer Path

Many of the top supercomputers on the TOP500 list use direct contact cooling, in which CPUs and accelerator cards are immersed directly in the cooling fluid. This approach offers the shortest heat transfer path and eliminates local hot spots that air cooling cannot address.

3.2 Immersion Heat Transfer for Chips, Power Modules and Memory

The role of TUW-770 in supercomputers: direct immersion heat exchange for CPUs and GPUs, where heat from the chip surface is carried away by the liquid; heat dissipation for power modules (VRM), eliminating local hot spots on the MOSFETs that supply the graphics card; cooling of server memory and network cards, the corners that air cooling cannot reach at high density.

In terms of data, TUW-770 has a thermal conductivity of 0.063 W/(m·°C) and a specific heat of 1038 J/(kg·°C); combined with a kinematic viscosity of only 0.79 cSt and a low surface tension of 14.8 dynes/cm, it quickly penetrates the fine gaps between chips and heat sinks and removes local hot spots as well. A supercomputer runs at full load 365 days a year, and the cooling medium must not fail midway. The thermal stability and chemical inertness of PFC are a necessity here, not a bonus.

4. Application in Military Electronics

4.1 Four Types of Extreme Environments Facing Military Electronics

The working environment of military electronics is far harsher than that of commercial products: cabin temperatures of -40°C to +85°C with severe vibration in tanks and armored vehicles; rapid switching from high-altitude cold to aerodynamic heating in airborne equipment; high salt fog and high humidity for shipborne equipment; dust, moisture and salt fog protection for field communication vehicles.

4.2 The Cooling Medium Itself Must Not Become a Failure Source

The wide temperature range and chemical inertness of TUW-770 mean that, in these environments, the cooling medium itself will not become a failure source. A device may fail because a chip or a sensor has failed, but never because the coolant froze or the coolant corroded the piping. The extremely low pour point of -127°C ensures reliable cold-start operation, and the absence of a flash point provides a safety margin in high-temperature and battle-damage scenarios.

5. Extended Applications in Semiconductor Equipment

Beyond supercomputing and military applications, TUW-770 is also used for: constant-temperature cooling of semiconductor etch tools and ion implanters (for higher temperature requirements, see TUW-3283 and TUW-40); cooling of high-voltage transformers and high-power power electronic devices; high- and low-temperature media for thermal shock test baths; heat dissipation for power amplifiers in radar and RF equipment. With a stable liquid phase at a 95°C boiling point and a low surface tension of 14.8 dynes/cm, it is also suitable for drying and cleaning precision components, and can be recycled through distillation.

6. A Balanced View of PFC Limitations

Two limitations of PFC fluids should be stated frankly:

6.1 Higher GWP and Discontinued Overseas Models

First, GWP is relatively high. The global warming potential of perfluorocarbon fluids is typically an order of magnitude higher than that of hydrofluoroethers. Some overseas PFC models have already been discontinued or had output restricted. If your application has strict carbon emission requirements, HFE alternatives should be evaluated.

6.2 Higher Price, but Reliability Comes First

Second, the price is higher. Raw materials and manufacturing costs for PFC exceed those of HFE. But for scenarios such as supercomputing and military applications, the cost of the medium accounts for a very small share of the whole system, and reliability comes first.

7. The Value of Domestic TUW-770

Against the background of tightening supply of overseas FC-770, the value of domestic TUW-770 lies in: stable supply, produced domestically and unaffected by overseas discontinuation; short lead times, deliverable in weeks without waiting months for sea freight; fast technical service response, with local teams able to support on site; controllable cost, with import intermediaries removed.

For long-cycle military projects and supercomputing center construction, it is advisable to evaluate domestic substitution early and establish dual supply sources. Shenzhen Huayi Brothers focuses on the supply of electronic fluorinated fluids and fluorine-containing functional liquids, providing customers with product documentation, sample testing and application discussions. For sample testing, please contact us.

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