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Beyond Cooling: How Super Therm Improves Data Centre Performance Through Surface Engineering

Cool Surfaces | Environmental | Industry | Insulation Coatings | Thermal Info

Artificial intelligence, cloud computing and high-density servers are transforming data centres into some of the world’s most energy-intensive facilities. Every watt consumed becomes heat. Every cooling unit generates vibration. Every generator, UPS and air handling system contributes to a complex operating environment where efficiency, reliability and uptime are everything.

Traditionally these challenges have been addressed individually. Cooling systems remove heat. Acoustic treatments reduce noise. Corrosion protection extends asset life. Electromagnetic shielding protects sensitive equipment.

But what if a single engineered surface could contribute to all of them?

Super Therm was developed as a high-performance ceramic coating to reduce heat transfer, yet decades of field performance and independent testing show it delivers far more than thermal insulation alone. It provides measurable improvements in vibration damping, airborne sound reduction, condensation management and electromagnetic shielding, making it a valuable addition to modern data centre infrastructure.

Thermal Management Starts at the Surface

Every degree of heat entering a data centre through the roof, walls or mechanical plant increases the demand on cooling equipment.

Super Therm blocks 96.1% of total solar heat while dramatically slowing heat transfer through the building envelope. Roofs, plant rooms and equipment enclosures absorb less solar energy, reducing heat entering the facility before mechanical cooling even begins.

Lower heat gain translates into reduced cooling loads, lower operating costs and greater resilience during periods of extreme summer temperatures.

For facilities operating 24 hours a day, every reduction in cooling demand contributes to long-term operational savings.

Quiet Equipment Starts with Reduced Vibration

Mechanical noise doesn’t begin in the air. It begins with vibration.

CRAH units, CRAC systems, chillers, generators, pumps and ductwork all create continuous vibration that excites metal panels into resonance. Those vibrating surfaces then radiate sound throughout the building.

Independent ASTM E756 testing measured Super Therm’s vibration damping performance using the internationally recognised Oberst cantilever beam method.

The results demonstrated Material Loss Factors (MLF) between 0.134 and 0.224 across seven resonant frequencies. Values above approximately 0.1 are generally regarded as effective vibration damping, with Super Therm exceeding that benchmark throughout the entire test range.

Rather than simply absorbing noise after it is produced, Super Therm helps reduce vibration at its source by dissipating vibrational energy before it becomes radiated sound.

For continuously operating mechanical systems, that means quieter plant, reduced panel resonance and lower vibration-induced stress.

Improved Airborne Sound Reduction

Controlling vibration is only one part of the acoustic story.

Mechanical rooms, generator enclosures and equipment spaces must also prevent airborne noise travelling into occupied areas or beyond site boundaries.

Independent ASTM E90 and ASTM E413 testing demonstrated that wall assemblies coated with Super Therm achieved improved Sound Transmission Class (STC) performance.

Testing showed STC increasing from 38 to 41 as coating coverage increased, confirming that Super Therm contributes to reducing airborne sound transmission through complete wall assemblies.

For data centres, this can help reduce noise transfer between plant rooms, control rooms, office spaces and surrounding properties while complementing conventional acoustic design.

Helping Protect Equipment Through Thermal Stability

Rapid heating and cooling continually expands and contracts metal surfaces.

Over years of continuous operation, thermal cycling contributes to fatigue, movement and mechanical stress throughout equipment housings and building structures.

By slowing heat transfer and moderating surface temperature fluctuations, Super Therm helps reduce thermal cycling across coated substrates.

The result is a more thermally stable surface that contributes to improved durability and longer service life.

Condensation Control Where It Begins

Condensation remains one of the hidden risks within critical infrastructure.

When surface temperatures fall below the dew point, moisture forms directly on metal surfaces, creating conditions that can contribute to corrosion, electrical faults and maintenance issues.

Because Super Therm slows heat transfer through the substrate, coated surfaces remain closer to ambient temperatures for longer periods. By helping keep the surface above the dew point, the coating assists in reducing condensation where it starts: at the surface itself.

This makes it particularly valuable for chilled pipework, equipment housings and environments where humidity is carefully controlled.

An Additional Layer of EMF Attenuation

Modern data centres contain high concentrations of transformers, UPS systems, switchgear, battery storage and high-current electrical infrastructure.

Independent testing has also demonstrated that Super Therm provides measurable attenuation of electromagnetic fields, adding another functional benefit to its already broad performance profile.

While dedicated electromagnetic shielding remains essential where certified RF protection is required, Super Therm provides an additional layer of shielding that complements overall facility performance.

One Coating. Multiple Operational Benefits.

Rather than installing separate products to address heat, acoustics, condensation and asset protection, Super Therm contributes to multiple performance objectives simultaneously.

Its benefits include:

  • Reducing solar heat gain
  • Lowering cooling demand
  • Slowing heat transfer
  • Damping vibration
  • Reducing panel resonance
  • Improving airborne sound transmission
  • Assisting condensation management
  • Moderating thermal cycling
  • Supporting corrosion protection within compatible coating systems
  • Providing measurable EMF attenuation

The Future of Data Centres Is Surface Performance

The next generation of data centres will require more than larger cooling systems.

As computing density increases and energy costs continue to rise, every surface within a facility becomes an opportunity to improve performance.

Super Therm demonstrates how one engineered ceramic coating can contribute across multiple disciplines—thermal management, acoustics, condensation control, vibration damping and electromagnetic attenuation—while protecting the building envelope itself.

Instead of viewing coatings as simple weather protection, engineers can now consider them as functional surface technologies that actively improve the efficiency, durability and resilience of critical infrastructure.


Reference

NEOtech Coatings – Super Therm Sound Reduction by 68%
Explains Super Therm’s independently tested acoustic performance, including vibration damping, airborne sound reduction and practical applications across commercial and industrial infrastructure.

VTEC Laboratories – ASTM E756 Vibration Damping Performance
Independent ASTM E756 testing demonstrated effective vibration damping with Material Loss Factors ranging from 0.134 to 0.224 across seven resonant frequencies, confirming Super Therm’s ability to dissipate vibration energy in metal panels and enclosures.

VTEC Laboratories – ASTM E90 / ASTM E413 Airborne Sound Transmission Testing
Independent laboratory testing demonstrated improvements in Sound Transmission Class (STC) from 38 to 41 in coated wall assemblies, confirming Super Therm’s contribution to reducing airborne sound transmission.


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