Dow launches coolant care network for data centres

Dow has launched the Dow Coolant Care Network to manage liquid cooling in data centres. The service is aimed at operators using direct-to-chip liquid-cooled systems.

The network combines fluid supply, testing, data analysis, technical interpretation and mitigation support for users of DOWFROST LC and DOWFROST HD heat transfer fluids. It is designed to bring those services into a single framework for data centre owners and operators.

Liquid cooling has become more prominent as operators build facilities for artificial intelligence, cloud computing and denser computing workloads. These systems place greater demands on cooling infrastructure, while operators also face a patchwork of testing methods, service arrangements and monitoring practices across primary and secondary cooling loops.

Dow's new offering links customers with approved service providers and third-party laboratories qualified for DOWFROST heat transfer fluids. Those external providers will carry out sampling and testing, while Dow will review the results, interpret the data, make recommendations and set escalation protocols.

The arrangement is intended to provide a more consistent process across markets and operating environments. It also positions Dow as an intermediary between laboratories, field service providers and end users.

How it works

The network includes routine and advanced fluid testing through Dow-approved external laboratories, centralised review of test data through Dow systems, analysis from technical specialists, and in-field support for sampling and mitigation through approved service providers.

The approach addresses a practical issue in liquid cooling operations: responsibility for coolant performance often sits across several parties, making fault diagnosis and maintenance decisions harder to manage. By placing test review and technical guidance within one structure, Dow is seeking to reduce that fragmentation.

The move also reflects a broader shift in the data centre market towards closer oversight of fluid condition over the life of cooling systems. Operators are increasingly focused on preventive maintenance and more regular monitoring as direct liquid cooling moves from specialist deployments into wider use.

Chuck Carn, Data Centre Growth Platform Director at Dow, said customers were looking for a simpler operating model.

"As data centers become the backbone of the digital economy, liquid cooling systems have become the critical enablers of AI," said Chuck Carn, Data Centre Growth Platform Director, Dow. "Customers are looking for solutions that simplify complexity while delivering confidence, consistency, and expert guidance. This coordinated approach allows Dow to go beyond providing materials to offering a network of providers that can deliver seamless and reliable performance backed by the expert team at Dow designing the technology behind DOWFROST Heat Transfer Fluids."

Market push

For Dow, the launch extends its role in the data centre cooling market from supplying heat transfer fluids to providing a service layer around their use. This forms part of a strategy to help customers move from issue-based responses to longer-term fluid management.

That matters because coolant quality can affect uptime, maintenance intervals and system reliability in facilities where thermal management has become more complex. In direct-to-chip systems, fluids circulate close to processors and other high-heat-load components, making testing and interpretation a more routine operational concern.

Dow pointed to its long history in heat transfer fluid chemistry as part of the rationale for building the network. The model is intended to support data centre operators with both day-to-day oversight and mitigation when testing identifies problems.

Dow also described the network as globally scalable, building on early engagement in North America and expanding into Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific.

The regional expansion underlines how demand for liquid cooling support is spreading beyond early adopters. As data centre developers expand facilities for AI-related workloads, suppliers across the cooling chain are moving to offer more integrated service models rather than standalone products.

Dow reported sales of about USD $40 billion in 2025 and said it operates manufacturing sites in 29 countries with approximately 34,600 employees.