15

CORROSION AND CONTAMINATION CONTROL

FOR MISSION CRITICAL FACILITIES

Christopher O. Muller
Muller Consulting, Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States of America

15.1 INTRODUCTION Continuing trends toward increasingly compact electronic

datacom equipment makes gaseous contamination a signifi-
Data Center \ ’dāt‐ə (’dat‐, ’dät‐) ’sent‐ər \ (circa 1990) n cant data center operations and reliability concern. Higher
(i) a facility used to house computer systems and associated power densities within air‐cooled equipment require extremely
components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. efficient heat sinks and large volumes of air movement, increas-
It generally includes redundant or backup power supplies, ing the airborne contaminant exposure. The uses of lead‐free
redundant data communications connections, environmental solders and finishes used to assemble electronic datacom
controls (e.g., air conditioning, fire suppression), and security equipment also bring additional corrosion vulnerabilities.
devices; (ii) a facility used for housing a large amount of com- When monitoring indicates that data center air quality
puter and communications equipment maintained by an organ- does not fall within specified corrosion limits, and other
ization for the purpose of handling the data necessary for its environmental factors have been ruled out (i.e., temperature,
operations; (iii) a secure location for web hosting servers humidity.), gas‐phase air filtration should be used. This
designed to assure that the servers and the data housed on them would include air being introduced into the data center from
are protected from environmental hazards and security the outside for ventilation and/or pressurization as well as all
breaches; (iv) a collection of mainframe data storage or pro- the air being recirculated within the data center. The opti-
cessing equipment at a single site; (v) areas within a building mized control of particulate contamination should also be
housing data storage and processing equipment. incorporated into the overall air handling system design.
Data centers operating in areas with elevated levels of Data centers operating in areas with lower pollution lev-
ambient pollution can experience hardware failures due to els may also have a requirement to apply enhanced air clean-
changes in electronic equipment mandated by several ing for both gaseous and particulate contaminants especially
“lead‐free” regulations that affect the manufacturing of when large amounts of outside air are being used for “free
electronics, including IT and datacom equipment. The cooling” and results in increased contaminant levels in the
European Union directive “on the Restriction of the use of data center. As a minimum, the air in the data center should
certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic be recirculated through combination gas‐phase/particulate
equipment” (RoHS) was only the first of many lead‐free air filters to remove these contaminants as well as contami-
regulations that have been passed. These regulations have nants generated within the data center in order to maintain
resulted in an increased sensitivity of printed circuit boards levels within specified limits.
(PCBs), surface‐mounted components, hard disk drives, General design requirements for the optimum control of
computer workstations, servers, and other devices to the gaseous and particulate contamination in data centers include
effects of corrosive airborne contaminants. As a result, sealing and pressurizing the space to prevent infiltration of
there is an increasing requirement for air quality monitor- contaminants, tightening controls on temperature and
ing in data centers. humidity, improving the air distribution throughout the data

Data Center Handbook: Plan, Design, Build, and Operations of a Smart Data Center, Second Edition. Edited by Hwaiyu Geng.
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2021 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

239
240 COrrosion And Contamination Control For Mission Critical Facilities

center, and application of gas‐phase and particulate filtration TABLE 15.1 ISA classification of reactive environments
to fresh (outside) air systems, recirculating air systems, and G1 G2 G3 GX
computer room air conditioners. Severity level Mild Moderate Harsh Severe
The best possible control of airborne pollutants would
allow for separate sections in the mechanical system for par- Copper reactivity
level (Å)a <300 <1,000 <2,000 ≥2,000
ticulate and gaseous contaminant control. However, physical
limitations placed on mechanical systems, such as restric- Silver reactivity
tions in size and pressure drop, and constant budgetary con- level (Å)a <200 <1,000 <2,000 ≥2,000
straints require new types of chemical filtration products. a
Measured in angstroms after 1 month’s exposure. Source: ISA.
This document will discuss application of gas‐phase air
and particulate filtration for the data center environment,
with primary emphasis on the former. General aspects of air ceptible to corrosion failures and are expected to be
filtration technology will be presented with descriptions of much more susceptible than traditional hot air solder
chemical filter media, filters, and air cleaning systems and leveling (HASL) coatings. The use of these two coat-
where these may be employed within the data center envi- ings may make the PCB the weak link regarding the
ronment to provide for enhanced air cleaning. sensitivities of the electronic devices to corrosion.
2. None of the coatings can be considered immune from
failure in an ISA Class G3 environment.
15.2 DATA CENTER ENVIRONMENTAL 3. The gold and silver coatings could not be expected to
ASSESSMENT survive a mid to high Class G2 environment based on
these test results.
A simple quantitative method to determine the airborne
corrosivity in a data center environment is by “reactive According to a leading world authority on RoHS, ERA
monitoring” as first described in ISA Standard 71.04‐1985 Technology, “Recent research has shown that PCBs made
Environmental Conditions for Process Measurement and using lead‐free materials can be more susceptible to corro-
Control Systems: Airborne Contaminants. Copper coupons sion than their tin/lead counterparts”. Experts are working
are exposed to the environment for a period of time and diligently to address these concerns, but they cannot be
quantitatively analyzed using electrolytic (cathodic, coulo- addressed overnight.
metric) reduction to determine corrosion film thickness and The Reliability and Failure Analysis group at ERA
chemistry. Silver coupons should be included with copper Technology has diagnosed failures in electronic devices due
coupons to gain a complete accounting of the types and to interaction with low levels of gaseous sulfides—failures
nature of the corrosive chemical species in the environment. that caused both a financial impact to the manufacturers and
For example, sulfur dioxide alone will corrode only silver to safety issues with their customers. Recent work showed that
form Ag2S (silver sulfide), whereas sulfur dioxide and corrosion could occur even with measured hydrogen sulfide
hydrogen sulfide in combination will corrode both copper levels as low as 0.2 μg/m3 (0.14 ppb). Another reference
and silver forming their respective sulfides. describes the formation of a 200‐Å thick layer of silver
sulfide in 100 hours at a concentration of just 100 μg/m3
[72 ppb].
15.2.1 ISA1 Standard 71.04‐2013
ANSI/ISA‐71.04‐2013 classifies several levels of environ-
15.2.2 Corrosive Gases
mental severity for electrical and electronic systems: G1,
G2, G3, and GX, providing a measure of the corrosion There are three types of gases that can be considered as
potential of an environment. G1 is benign and GX is open‐ prime candidates in the corrosion of data center electronics:
ended and the most severe (Table 15.1). acidic gases such as hydrogen sulfide, sulfur and nitrogen
In a study performed by Rockwell Automation looking at oxides, chlorine, and hydrogen fluoride; caustic gases, such
lead‐free finishes, four alternate PCB finishes were sub- as ammonia; and oxidizing gases, such as ozone. Of these,
jected to an accelerated mixed flowing gas corrosion test. the acidic gases are of particular concern. For instance, it
Important findings can be summarized as follows: takes only 10 ppb (28.98 μg/m3) of chlorine to inflict the
same amount of damage as 25,000 ppb (17.40 mg/m3) of
1. The electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG) and ammonia.
immersion silver (ImmAg) surface finishes failed Each site may have different combinations and concen-
early in the testing. These coatings are the most sus- tration levels of corrosive gaseous contaminants. Performance
degradation can occur rapidly or over many years, depend-
1
International Society of Automation (www.isa.org). ing on the specific conditions at a site. Descriptions of
 15.3 GUIDELINES AND LIMITS FOR GASEOUS CONTAMINANTS 241

p­ ollutants common to urban and suburban locations in which 15.2.2.5 Photochemical Species
most data centers are located and a discussion of their contri-
The atmosphere contains a wide variety of unstable, reac-
butions to IT equipment performance degradation follow.
tive species that are formed by the reaction of sunlight
with moisture and other atmospheric constituents. Some
15.2.2.1 Sulfur Oxides have lifetimes measured in fractions of a second as they
participate in rapid chain reactions. In addition to ozone
Oxidized forms of sulfur (SO2, SO3) are generated as
(O3), a list of examples would include the hydroxyl radical
combustion products of fossil fuels and from motor vehicle
as well as radicals of hydrocarbons, oxygenated hydrocar-
emissions. Low parts per billion levels of sulfur oxides can
bons, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and water. Ozone can
cause reactive metals to be less reactive and thus retard cor-
function as a catalyst in sulfide and chloride corrosion
rosion. At higher levels, however, they will attack certain
of metals.
types of metals. The reaction with metals normally occurs
when these gases dissolve in water to form sulfurous and
sulfuric acid acids (H2SO3 and H2SO4). 15.2.2.6 Strong Oxidants
This includes ozone plus certain chlorinated gases (chlorine,
15.2.2.2 Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) chlorine dioxide). Ozone is an unstable form of oxygen that
Some common sources of reactive gas compounds (NO, is formed from diatomic oxygen by electrical discharge or
NO2, N2O4) are formed as combustion products of fossil by solar radiation in the atmosphere. These gases are
fuels and have a critical role in the formation of ozone in the powerful oxidizing agents. Photochemical oxidation—the
atmosphere. They are also believed to have a catalytic effect combined effect of oxidants and ultraviolet light (sunlight)—
on the corrosion of base metals caused by chlorides and is particularly potent.
sulfides. In the presence of moisture, some of these gases Sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and sand
form nitric acid (HNO3) that, in turn, attacks most common active chlorine compounds (Cl2, HCl, ClO2) have all been
metals. shown to cause significant corrosion in electrical and elec-
tronic equipment at concentrations of just a few parts per
billion in air. Even at levels that are not noticed by or harm-
15.2.2.3 Active Sulfur Compounds ful to humans, these gases can be deadly to electronic
Active sulfur compound refers to hydrogen sulfide (H2S), equipment.
elemental sulfur (S), and organic sulfur compounds such as
mercaptans (R‐SH). When present at low ppb levels, they
rapidly attack copper, silver, aluminum, and iron alloys. The 15.3 GUIDELINES AND LIMITS FOR GASEOUS
presence of moisture and small amounts of inorganic CONTAMINANTS
chlorine compounds and/or nitrogen oxides greatly
accelerate sulfide corrosion. Note, however, that attack still Established gaseous composition environmental limits,
occurs in low relative humidity environments. Active sulfurs listed in Table 15.2, have been published in standards such
rank with inorganic chlorides as the predominant cause of as ISA 71.04, IEC 60721‐3‐3, Telcordia GR‐63‐CORE, and
electronic equipment corrosion. IT equipment manufacturers’ own internal standards. These
limits serve as requirements and guides for specifying data
center environmental cleanliness, but they are not useful for
15.2.2.4 Inorganic Chlorine Compounds
surveying the corrosivity or predicting the failure rates of
This group includes chlorine (Cl2), chlorine dioxide (ClO2), hardware in the data center environment for two reasons.
hydrogen chloride (HCl), etc., and reactivity will depend First, gaseous composition determination is not an easy
upon the specific gas composition. In the presence of task. Second, predicting the rate of corrosion from gaseous
moisture, these gases generate chloride ions that, in turn, contamination composition is not a straightforward
attack most copper, tin, silver, and iron alloys. These exercise.
reactions are significant even when the gases are present at An additional complication to determine corrosivity is
low ppb levels. At higher concentrations, many materials are the synergy between gases. For example, it has been demon-
oxidized by exposure to chlorinated gases. Particular care strated that hydrogen sulfide alone is relatively not corrosive
must be given to equipment that is exposed to atmospheres to silver when compared to the combination of hydrogen
which contain chlorinated contaminants. Sources of chloride sulfide and nitrous oxide, which is very corrosive to silver.
ions, such as seawater, cooling tower vapors, and cleaning Correspondingly, neither sulfur dioxide nor nitrous oxide
compounds, etc., should be considered when classifying alone is corrosive to copper, but together they attack copper
data center environments. at a very fast rate.
242 COrrosion And Contamination Control For Mission Critical Facilities

TABLE 15.2 Published gaseous contaminant limits for IT equipment

Manufacturer’s internal
Gas IEC 60721‐3‐3 GR‐63‐CORE ISA S71.04
standard

10 μg/m3 55 μg/m3 4 μg/m3 3.2 μg/m3

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) (3.61273 × 10–13 lb/in3) (1.987 × 10–12 lb/in3) (1.44509 × 10–13 lb/in3) (1.15607 × 10–13 lb/in3)
7 ppb 40 ppb 3 ppb 2.3 ppb

100 μg/m3 131 μg/m3 26 μg/m3 100 μg/m3

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) (3.61273 × 10–12 lb/in3) (4.73268 × 10–12 lb/in3) (9.3931 × 10–13 lb/in3) (3.61273 × 10–12 lb/in3)
38 ppb 50 ppb 10 ppb 38 ppb

100 μg/m3 7 μg/m3 1.5 μg/m3

Hydrogen chloride (HCl) (3.61273 × 10–12 lb/in3) (2.52891 × 10–13 lb/in3) — (5.41909 × 10–14 lb/in3)
67 ppb 5 ppba 1 ppb

100 μg/m3 14 μg/m3 3 μg/m3

Chlorine (Cl2) (3.61273 × 10–12 lb/in3) (5.05782 × 10–13 lb/in3) (1.08382 × 10–13 lb/in3) —
34 ppb 5 ppb* 1 ppb

140 μg/m3
Nitrogen oxides (NOX) — 700 ppb 50 ppb
(5.05782 × 10–12 lb/in3)

10 μg/m3 245 μg/m3 4 μg/m3 98 μg/m3

Ozone (O3) (3.61273 × 10–13 lb/in3) (8.85119 × 10–12 lb/in3) (1.44509 × 10–13 lb/in3) (3.54047 × 10–12 lb/in3)
5 ppb 125 ppb 2 ppb 50 ppb

300 μg/m3 348 μg/m3 348 μg/m3 115 μg/m3

Ammonia (NH3) (1.08382 × 10–11 lb/in3) (1.25723 × 10–11 lb/in3) (1.25723 × 10–11 lb/in3) (4.15464 × 10–12 lb/in3)
430 ppb 500 ppb 500 ppb 165 ppb
5,000 μg/m3
Volatile organics (CXHX) — (1.80636 × 10–10 lb/in3) — —
1,200 ppb
a
Total HCl and Cl2. Source: IEC, ISA, Telecordia.

Although Table 15.2 can be used to provide some indica- failure rates, but effective control of environmental pollutants
tion of the possible harmful effects of several common con- requires the use of an air cleaning strategy optimized for
taminants, the data center environment needs a single set of both particulate and chemical removal.
limits, which will require considerable study and research.
As the industry works toward a single set of limits, caveats
15.4.1 Particulate Filtration
or exceptions to generally accepted limits will exist. These
exceptions will improve as the interactions of concentration, The control of particulates can be a considered a “mature”
composition, and the thermal environment combine and air cleaning application based on the number of technologies
become better understood along with their effects on the in everyday use and the relative ease of applying these
datacom equipment. technologies for a specific application. ASHRAE Technical
Committee 9.9 has published recommended particulate
­filtration requirements for data centers.
15.4 AIR CLEANING TECHNOLOGIES
15.4.2 Gas‐Phase Air Filtration
Increasingly, enhanced air cleaning is being used in data
centers to provide and maintain acceptable air quality with Just as there are many options available for the control of
many options available for the control of particulate particulate pollutants, there are nearly as many options for
pollutants, and nearly as many options for the control of the control of gaseous pollutants. The problem is that for
gaseous pollutants. Employing the proper level and type(s) most data center designers this type of air cleaning is not as
of air filtration can effectively reduce airborne contaminants well understood and is not as easily applied. Also, most
to well below specified levels and minimize equipment ventilation systems and computer room air conditioners/
 15.5 CONTAMINATION CONTROL FOR DATA CENTERS 243

The optimum control of airborne pollutants would allow

for separate sections in the mechanical system for particu-
late and gaseous contaminant control. If this is not practical
from a design or cost standpoint, air cleaning may be inte-
grated directly into the fresh air systems or CRAC units or
applied as stand‐alone systems. Again, because most of
these air handling systems already have particulate filtration
as part of their standard design, the manufacturers would
have to be consulted to determine what limitations there
might be for the addition of gas‐phase air filters. Most of
these concerns would center on the additional static pres-
sure from these filters.
Particulate Chemical Particulate
The following sections will describe some basic steps for
prefilter filter final filter the optimization and application of enhanced air cleaning for
the data center environment.
FIGURE 15.1 Schematic of an enhanced air cleaning system.
Source: Courtesy of Purafil, Inc.
15.5.1 Basic Design Requirements
computer room air handlers/(CRACs/CRAHs) are not Before one considers adding enhanced air cleaning for either
designed to readily accommodate this type of air cleaning particulate or gas‐phase contamination in a data center, there
technology.2 are specific mechanical design requirements which must be
Gas‐phase air filters employing one or more granular understood and considered.
adsorbent media, used in combination with particulate fil-
ters, have proven to be very effective for the control of pol-
lutants (Fig. 15.1). This “one‐two punch” allows for the 15.5.1.1 Room Air Pressurization
maximization of both particulate control and gaseous pollut- In order to prevent contaminated air from infiltrating the
ant control within the same system. Physical limitations data center, all critical areas must be maintained at a slight
placed on these systems, such as restrictions in size and pres- positive pressure. This can be achieved by pressurizing the
sure drop, and constant budgetary constraints have spurred room to ~0.02–0.04 iwg (inch of water gage) (5–10 Pa) by
the development of new types of, and delivery systems for, introducing ventilation (outdoor) air at a rate of 3–6 air
gas‐phase air filtration products. Foremost among these are changes per hour (5–10% of the gross room volume per
filters using a monolithic extruded carbon composite media minute).
(ECC) and an adsorbent‐loaded nonwoven fiber media
(ALNF).
15.5.1.2 Room Air Recirculation
Air cleaning systems can be designed that can function as
15.5 CONTAMINATION CONTROL FOR DATA pressurization‐only systems or as pressurization and recir-
CENTERS culation systems. Depending upon how well the data
center environment is sealed, the amount of pedestrian
There is no one standard for data center design, thus the traffic into and out of the space, and the level of other
application of air cleaning in a data center may involve internally generated contaminants, pressurization only
several different technologies depending on whether the air may be enough to provide an acceptable level of contami-
handling system uses outdoor air to provide for ventilation, nation control.
pressurization, and/or free cooling, or whether computer The general recommendation is the recirculation of tem-
room air conditioning (CRAC) units are used as 100% pered air through an air cleaning unit if:
­recirculating air systems.
1. The room is not properly sealed.
2. The space has high pedestrian traffic.
2
Though they serve the same purpose, i.e., to provide precise temperature 3. Sources of internally generated contaminants have
and humidity control, there is a fundamental difference between a CRAC been identified and source control is not practical.
and CRAH. A CRAC includes an internal compressor, using the direct 4. The CRAC units or negative pressure ductwork are
expansion of refrigerant to remove heat from the data center. A CRAH
includes only fans and a cooling coil, often using chilled water to remove
located outside the data center environment.
heat from the data center. Although this document generically refers to 5. One or more of the walls of the data center are outside
CRAC units, the same design considerations can be applied for CRAHs. walls.
244 COrrosion And Contamination Control For Mission Critical Facilities

The rate of room air recirculation will be determined by the 15.5.1.4 Proper Sealing of Protected Space
type of equipment used and the construction parameters of
Without a tightly sealed room, it will be very difficult to
the data center. Typical recommendations call for 6–12 air
control the four points mentioned above. It is essential that
changes per hour (approximately 10–20% of the gross room
the critical space(s) be protected by proper sealing. Actions
volume per minute).
taken to accomplish this include the use of airlock entries/
exits, sealing around doors and windows, door jambs
15.5.1.3 Temperature and Humidity Control should fit tightly or door sweeps should be used, closing
and sealing all holes, cracks, wall and ceiling joints and
The corrosive potential of any environment increases dra-
cable, pipe, and utility penetrations with a fireproof vapor‐
matically with increasing relative humidity. Rapid changes
retarding material. Care should be taken to assure that any
in relative humidity can result in localized areas of conden-
space above a drop ceiling or below a raised floor is sealed
sation and, ultimately, in corrosive failure.
properly.
ASHRAE Technical Committee 9.9 published Thermal
Guidelines for Data Processing Environments which
extended the temperature–humidity envelope to provide 15.5.2 Advanced Design Requirements
greater flexibility in data center facility operations, particu-
15.5.2.1 Particulate Control
larly with the goal of reducing energy consumption.
For high reliability, TC 9.9 recommends that data centers Filtration is an effective means of addressing airborne par-
be operated in the ranges shown in Table 15.3. These guide- ticulate in the data center environment. It is important that all
lines have been agreed to by all major IT manufacturers and air handlers serving the data center have the appropriate par-
are for legacy IT equipment. A downside of expanding the ticulate filters to ensure appropriate conditions are main-
temperature–humidity envelope is the reliability risk from tained within the room, in this case to meet the cleanliness
higher levels of gaseous and particulate contamination enter- level of ISO Class 8. The necessary efficiency is dependent
ing the data center. Lack of humidity control is creating a on the design and application of the air handlers.
controversy. Unfortunately, decisions are being based more In‐room process cooling with recirculation is the recom-
on financial concerns than engineering considerations. mended method of controlling the data center environment.

TABLE 15.3 Temperature and humidity recommendations for data centers

Equipment environmental specifications
Product operationsb,c Product power offc,d
Dry‐bulb Maximum Maximum rate Dry‐bulb Relative Maximum
temperature Humidity range, dew point Maximum of charge temperature humidity dew point
Classesa (°C)e,g noncondensingh,i (°C) elevationm (°C/h)f (°C) (%) (°C)

Recommended (Applies to all A classes; individual data centers can choose to expand this range based upon the analysis described in this
document)

A1–A4 18–27 5.5°C DP to 60%

RH and 15°C DP

Allowable

A1 15–32 20–80% RH 17 3,050 5/20 5–45 8–80 27

A2 10–35 20–80% RH 21 3,050 5/20 5–45 8–80 27

A3 5–40 −12°C DP and 24 3,050 5/20 5–45 8–85 27

8–85% RH

A4 5–45 −12°C DP and 24 3,050 5/20 5–45 8–90 27

8–90% RH

B 5–35 8–80% RH 28 3,050 NA 5–45 8–80 29

C 5–40 8–80% RH 28 3,050 NA 5–45 8–80 29

Note: Please visit original document for superscript symbols for footnotes. Source: ASHRAE 2016 Thermal Guidelines
 15.5 CONTAMINATION CONTROL FOR DATA CENTERS 245

Air from the hardware areas is passed through the CRAC

units where it is filtered and cooled, and then introduced into
the subfloor plenum. The plenum is pressurized, and the
conditioned air is forced into the room through perforated
tiles and then travels back to the CRAC unit for recondition-
ing. The airflow patterns and design associated with a typi-
cal computer room air handler have a much higher rate of air
change than do typical comfort cooling air conditioners.
This means that the air is much cleaner than in an office
environment. Proper filtration can thus accomplish a great
deal of particulate arrestance.
Any air being introduced into the data center for ventila-
tion or positive pressurization should first pass through high‐
efficiency filtration. Ideally, air from sources outside the
building should be filtered using high‐efficiency particulate
air (HEPA) filtration rated at 99.97% efficiency or greater at
a particle size of 0.3 μm.
It is also important that the filters used are properly
sized for the air handlers. For instance, gaps around the
filter panels can allow air to bypass the filter as it passes
through the CRAC unit. Any gaps or openings should be
taped, gasketed, or filled using appropriate materials, such FIGURE 15.2 ALNF filters. Source: Courtesy of Purafil, Inc.
as stainless‐steel panels or custom filter assemblies. The
filtration requirements for CRAC units and the air coming ECC filters (Fig. 15.3) are also being used in CRAC units
into the data center are described in an article written by to provide control of low‐to‐moderate levels of gaseous con-
ASHRAE Technical Committee 9.9 on contamination lim- tamination. Standard 2 and 4 in (50 and 100 mm) filters are
its for data centers and an ASHRAE white paper on gase- available, but do not provide particulate filtration. If this is
ous and particulate contamination guidelines for data required, a 2 in (50 mm) particulate filter can be supplied in
centers. front of a 2 in (50 mm) ECC filter as a packaged unit.

15.5.2.2 Gaseous Contamination Control Makeup (Outdoor, Fresh) Air Handlers

If ventilation and/or pressurization air is being supplied by
Assuming a data center’s HVAC system is already equipped an existing makeup air handler, chemical filtration may be
with adequate particulate filtration, gaseous air cleaning can
be used in conjunction with the existing air handling sys-
tems. Gas‐phase air filters or filtration systems employing
one or more adsorbent and/or chemisorbent media can effec-
tively reduce gaseous contaminants to well below specified
levels. Properly applied gaseous air cleaning also has the
potential for energy savings.

Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC) Units

Almost all CRAC units already have particulate filtration
built in that can be retrofitted to use ALNF combination par-
ticulate and chemical filters (Fig. 15.2). With this type of fil-
ter, one can maintain the same level of particulate filtration
while adding the chemical filtration required for the control
of low levels of gaseous contamination. The pressure drops of
these filters are slightly higher than the particulate filters they
replace, but still well below the maximum terminal pressure
drop. Most CRAC units use standard 1–4 in (25–100 mm)
­filters, however, the majority employ “non‐­standard” or pro-
prietary sizes. FIGURE 15.3 ECC filters. Source: Courtesy of Purafil, Inc.
246 COrrosion And Contamination Control For Mission Critical Facilities

low‐to‐moderate levels of gaseous contaminants. This type

of system can offer a wide range of particulate prefilters,
chemical filters (media modules, ECC, ALNF), and par-
ticulate final filters to accommodate specific airflow
requirements within the ­primary outside air handling sys-
tem. A secondary unit can be used for recirculation in
mechanical or equipment rooms.

Positive Pressurization Unit

A positive pressurization unit (PPU, Fig. 15.6) is designed to
filter low‐to‐moderate concentrations of outside air contami-
nants. It is used to supply cleaned pressurization air to the
critical space(s) and contains a particulate prefilter, two
FIGURE 15.4 Bulk media modules. Source: Christpher O. Muller.
stages of 4 in (100 mm) ECC filters or media modules, a 90%
particulate final filter, a blower section, and an adjustable
damper for control of pressurization air into the air handling
added as a retrofit using ECC filters or ALNF filters, depend-
system or directly into the data center.
ing on the capabilities of the air handler and the require-
ments for air cleaning. If this is not a practical solution, then
Recirculating Air Handler
one should consider integrating a separate air cleaning sec-
A recirculating air unit (RAU, Fig. 15.7) is an in‐room, self‐
tion onto the existing makeup air handler(s) incorporating
contained unit used to provide increased amounts of recir-
ECC filters, ALNF filters, or refillable or disposable bulk
culation air to areas with low‐to‐moderate gaseous
media modules (Fig. 15.4). If additional air is required for
contaminant levels. In data center applications, recirculat-
pressurization, a stand‐alone air cleaning system may be
ing air handlers (RAHs) would contain a prefilter, two
required incorporating ECC filters, modules, or bulk‐fill
stages of 4 in (100 mm) ECC filters or media modules, a
media in deep beds.
blower section, and a 90% final filter. These units are used
Side Access System
A side access system (SAS, Fig. 15.5) is designed to
remove both particulate and gaseous pollutants from out-
door (makeup) air for corrosion control. The SAS should
be designed such that a positive seal is created to prevent
air bypass and enhance filtration efficiency. When outdoor
air is being delivered either directly to the data center or
indirectly through a mechanical room, the SAS can be
used as powered or non‐powered units designed to control

FIGURE 15.5 Side access system installed at a bank data center. FIGURE 15.6 Positive pressurization unit. Source: Courtesy of
Source: Courtesy of Purafil, Inc. Purafil, Inc.
 15.5 CONTAMINATION CONTROL FOR DATA CENTERS 247

Under‐Floor Air Filtration

The latest innovation for the application of gas‐phase air
filtration is the use of ECC filters under the perforated
panels on the cold aisles in raised floor systems. The filter
is placed in a customized “tray” under the perforated panel
and fits the dimensions of the existing access floor grid.
Gasketing around the filter assembly assures that 100% of
the air being delivered into the data center goes through
the ECC filter for total gaseous contaminant control.
Sealing the subfloor plenum will also help to maximize
the amount of air going through the under‐floor ECC fil-
ters and ultimately the amount of clean air being delivered
to data center.
There are many types of commercially available floors
that offer a wide range of structural strength and loading
capabilities, depending on component construction and the
FIGURE 15.7 Recirculating air system. Source: Courtesy of
Purafil, Inc. materials used. The general types of raised floors include
stringerless, stringered, and structural platforms. For instal-
lation of the ECC filter into a raised floor system, the string-
to further filter and polish room air in order to maintain very ered floor system is most applicable. The ECC may also be
low contaminant levels. used with structural platforms, but there are more restric-
tions in their application.
Deep Bed Scrubber A stringered raised floor (Fig. 15.9) generally consists of
A deep bed scrubber (DBS, Fig. 15.8) is designed for areas a vertical array of steel pedestal assemblies (each assembly
where higher levels of contaminant gases are present and is comprised of a steel base plate, tubular upright, and a
other systems cannot economically provide the filtration head) uniformly spaced on two‐foot centers and mechani-
required to meet air quality standards. The DBS provides cally fastened to the concrete floor.
protection against environmentally induced corrosion and is Gas‐phase air filtration can be applied in several loca-
designed to provide clean pressurization air to the data center tions within and outside the data center environment
environment. Specific contaminant removal efficiencies can (Fig. 15.10). Filters can be added to existing air handling
be met using up to three different chemical filtration media. equipment given proper design considerations or sup-
The DBS is designed to be compatible with the PSA (Purafil plied as stand‐alone pressurization and/or recirculation
Side Access) or CA (Corrosive Air) system when require- equipment.
ment require pressurization with recirculation.

FIGURE 15.9 Raised access floor system. Source: Courtesy of

FIGURE 15.8 Deep bed scrubber. Source: Courtesy of Purafil, Inc. Purafil, Inc.
248 COrrosion And Contamination Control For Mission Critical Facilities

SAS,
Key: Corrosion Classification Coupon – CCC Outside air DBS
Environmental Reactivity Monitor – ERM
Cold air
Extruded Carbon Composite Filter – ECC
Adsorbent-Loaded Nonwoven Fiber Filter – ALNF Hot air ECC, ALNF
Side Access System – SAS
Recirculating Air Unit – RAU CCC Makeup
Positive Pressurization Unit – PPU
Deep-Bed Scrubber – DBS
air unit

Server rack Server rack

ERM, CCC

ALNF, ECC
ERM, CCC CCC
CRAC
unit
RAU,
PPU

FIGURE 15.10 Data center schematic with possible locations of enhanced air cleaning and corrosion monitoring systems. Source: Courtesy
of Purafil, Inc.

15.5.2.3 Air-Side Economizers in data centers, and the increasing interest in the use of air‐
side economizers for “free cooling,” data centers located in
An economizer is a mechanical device used to reduce energy
regions with poor ambient air quality will struggle to main-
consumption. Economizers recycle energy produced within
tain an environment conducive for the protection of sensitive
a system or leverage environmental temperature differences
electronic equipment. ECC filters and/or ALNF filters can
to achieve efficiency improvements. The primary concern in
be easily applied in these systems to address this serious
this approach to data center cooling is that outside air con-
contamination issue.
taminants—both particulate and gas‐phase—will have a
negative impact on electronics.
Research performed by Lawrence Berkley National 15.6 TESTING FOR FILTRATION
Laboratory stated “The pollutant of primary concern, EFFECTIVENESS AND FILTER LIFE
when introducing particulate matter to the data center
environment, is fine particulate matter that could cause Once enhanced air cleaning has been specified and installed,
conductor bridging,” The study also concluded that one must be able to determine the effectiveness of the par-
“. . .filtration systems in most data centers do just fine in ticulate and gas‐phase air filters. One must also be able to
keeping contaminants out.” However, this was referenc- replace the filters on a timely basis so as not to compromise
ing particulate filtration and not the use of gas‐phase air the data center environment.
filtration to address the potential damage to electronic
equipment from the introduction of unwanted gaseous
15.6.1 Particulate Contamination Monitoring
contaminants.
Air‐side economizers typically include filters with a min- Filtration effectiveness can be measured using real‐time
imum ASHRAE‐rated particulate removal efficiency of 40% particle counters in the data center. Excess particle counts
(MERV 9) to reduce the amount of particulate matter or con- or concentrations can indicate filter failure, filter bypass,
taminants that are brought into the data center space. and/or internal sources of particle generation, e.g., CRAC
However, in areas with high ambient particulate levels, belt dust, tin whiskers. Particle monitoring in a data center
ASHRAE 60–90% (MERV 11–13) filter may be required. is generally needed daily; it is usually done only when there
Some references have been found describing the use of is a notable problem that could be caused by particulate
gas‐phase air filter in economizers, especially since the contamination.
advent of RoHS and other “lead‐free” regulation. However, Particulate filters have specified initial and final pres-
with the increasing pressure to reduce energy consumption sure drops at rated air flows and differential pressure
 15.7 DESIGN/APPLICATION OF DATA CENTER AIR CLEANING 249

gauges can be used to observe filter life and set alarm lim-
its. Timely replacement of prefilters, primary and final fil-
ters not only protects the electronic equipment but also
maintains optimum performance of the air handling
equipment.

15.6.2 Gaseous Contamination Monitoring

The primary role of gas‐phase air filters and filtration sys-
tems in the data center is to prevent corrosion from forming
on sensitive electronic equipment. Therefore, the best
measure of their effectiveness would be to use either pas-
sive Corrosion Classification Coupons (CCCs, Fig. 15.11)
or real‐time environmental reliability monitors (ERMs)
FIGURE 15.12 ERM. Source: Courtesy of Purafil, Inc.
such as the OnGuard® Smart (Fig. 15.12) to monitor the
copper and silver corrosion rates. Copper and silver cou-
pons and their use are described in in a white paper pub-
While proper operation and maintenance of the particu-
lished by ASHRAE Technical Committee 9.9 titled “2011
late and gas‐phase filtration system may require monitoring
Gaseous and Particulate Contamination Guideline for Data
at various locations within and outside the data center,
Centers”.
ASHRAE specifically recommends monitoring at the pri-
CCCs can be placed upstream and downstream of the
mary locations of concern, which are in front of the com-
gas‐phase air filters to gauge the efficiency of the systems
puter racks at one‐quarter and three‐quarter height of the
for reducing total corrosion and against individual corro-
floor.
sion species and to determine when filter replacement is
required. They can also be placed throughout the data
center to provide ongoing verification of environmental
15.7 DESIGN/APPLICATION OF DATA CENTER
specifications. ERMs can be placed in the controlled
AIR CLEANING
environment and on or in server cabinets to provide real‐
time data on corrosion rates and the effectiveness of vari-
15.7.1 Basic Data Center Designs
ous gaseous contaminant control strategies—whether
they involve the use of gas‐phase air filtration or not There are no universal specifications for data center design.
(Fig. 15.12). However, for the purposes of this design guide, data centers
can be categorized into three basic types: closed systems,
ventilation air without no pressurization, and ventilation air
with pressurization. A brief discussion of each type will fol-
low with specific details pertaining to the application and
use of enhanced air cleaning for chemical contamination
control.
Datacom equipment rooms can be conditioned with a
wide variety of systems, including packaged CRAC units
and central station air‐handling systems. Air‐handling and
refrigeration equipment may be located either inside or out-
side datacom equipment rooms. A common ventilation
Corrosion classification coupon scheme uses CRAC units set on a raised‐access floor with
Company vents in the ceiling or top parts of the walls for exhaust hot‐
Address
air removal.
Room/area I.D.
Date in Time in: a.m. p.m.
Date out Time out: a.m. p.m.
Coupon # Tracking #
15.7.1.1 Closed Systems
Serial #
Preservation
The HVAC systems for many small data centers and server
Industrial ERM CIF
rooms are designed to be operated as 100% recirculation
systems meaning that there is no outside ventilation (or
makeup) air being delivered to the space. All the air is con-
FIGURE 15.11 CCC. Source: Courtesy of Purafil, Inc. tinuously recirculated (typically) through CRAC units or
250 COrrosion And Contamination Control For Mission Critical Facilities

FIGURE 15.13 ALNF filter installed in a CRAC unit. Source:

Courtesy of Purafil, Inc. FIGURE 15.14 RAU installed in a data center room. Source:
Courtesy of Purafil, Inc.

other types of precision air conditioning designed to protect offices, regardless of size, utilize central systems. With these
the datacom equipment, not people. ALNF filters that are systems there are opportunities for the use of ECC filters,
available in various sizes or 2 in or 4 in ECC filters may be ALNF filters, or bulk media modules (Fig. 15.15) for pri-
added to these systems to provide continuous cleaning of the mary control of chemical contaminants. Often the size and
air (Fig. 15.13). Stand‐alone recirculation systems can be location of these air handling units will dictate which type of
used to provide local filtration (Fig. 15.14) if contamination chemical filter can be applied.
cannot be adequately controlled otherwise. Where the data center is not maintained under a posi-
tive pressure, installation of ALNF filters or ECC filters in
the CRAC units may be required to further reduce con-
15.7.1.2 Outside Air: No Pressurization
tamination (corrosion) levels to within manufacturers’
Outside air is introduced to the data center space for one of guidelines or specifications. Consideration should be
the following four reasons: to meet and maintain indoor air given to providing additional outdoor (ventilation) air to
quality requirements, to pressurize the space to keep con- prevent infiltration of contaminants either through the cen-
taminants out, as makeup air for smoke purge, or to conserve tral HVAC system or using positive pressurization units
energy when outside air conditions are conducive to free (PPUs). To provide clean pressurization air in locations
cooling. with high levels of outdoor contaminants, deep‐bed bulk
Some larger datacom facilities use central station air han- media air filtration systems (DBSs) may be required
dling units. Specifically, many telecommunications central (Fig. 15.16).

FIGURE 15.15 SAS installed on outdoor air intake. Source: Courtesy of Purafil, Inc.
 15.7 DESIGN/APPLICATION OF DATA CENTER AIR CLEANING 251

according to ANSI/ISA‐71.04‐2013. This is a primary

requirement for all applications.
Confirm that basic design requirements have been
addressed. Assure that temperature and humidity are within
design specifications. Air leaks into room are sealed: ade-
quate sealing for doors, windows, walls, ceilings, and floors.
Internal sources of contamination have been eliminated.
Install ALNF filters or ECC filters in CRAC units.
These will be used to replace the existing particulate filters.
The number of filters and their exact sizes (not nominal
dimension) will be required as most are nonstandard sizes
proprietary to the CRAC manufacturer. A combination 30%
(MERV 6–8) (4 in, 100 mm) ALNF filter will be typically
used. If ECC filters are used, use a 2 in deep filter in tandem
FIGURE 15.16 DBS installed on roof of building to provide clean with a 2 in (50 mm) particulate filter on the downstream side
pressurization air to data center. Source: Courtesy of Purafil, Inc. to maintain the required level of particulate filtration.
If outdoor air is being delivered to the data center, add
gas‐phase air filters to the makeup (fresh) air units if pos-
15.7.1.3 Outside Air: With Pressurization
sible or install a (powered) air filtration system. ECC filters,
Datacom facilities are typically pressurized to prevent infil- ALNF filters, or bulk media modules may be used depend-
tration of air and pollutants through the building envelope. ing on the system design, available pressure drop, and size/
An airlock entry is recommended for a datacom equipment weight restrictions.
room door that opens directly to the outside. Excess pres- If additional outdoor air is required for pressurization,
surization with outdoor air should be avoided, as it makes PPUs or powered air filtration systems can be used depend-
swinging doors harder to use and wastes energy through ing on the layout of data center and any mechanical/equip-
increased fan energy and coil loads. Variable‐speed outdoor ment rooms. If contaminant levels are extremely high, ISA
air systems, controlled by differential pressure controllers, Class GX, or if active sulfur and/or inorganic chlorine are
can ramp up to minimize infiltration and should be part of present, bulk‐fill PPUs, SASs, or deep‐bed scrubbers may be
the HVAC control system. considered.
In systems using CRAC units, it may be advantageous to If data center has no outdoor air or if cleaning the out-
introduce outside air through a dedicated HVAC system serv- door is not possible, install stand‐alone air cleaning
ing all areas. This dedicated system will often provide pres- units to provide clean recirculation air. It is preferable to
surization control and control the humidity in the datacom apply several smaller units as opposed to fewer larger
equipment room based on dew point, allowing the primary units to provide for more complete coverage of the data
system serving the space to provide sensible‐only cooling. center and assure clean air is being distributed through-
Chemical contaminants can be removed from the outdoor out. Bulk‐fill recirculation units may be used for high
air using ECC filters, ALNF filters, or bulk media modules contaminant levels.
may be used in the makeup air handlers. Additional air clean- It is very important that after each step of the contamina-
ing (as necessary) can be applied in the CRAC units and/or tion control process, the data center environment must be
with individual recirculation units. Most often chemical fil- assessed using CCCs or ERMs to assure that contaminants
tration in the makeup air handlers and the CRAC units is are being reduced and controlled and that corrosion rates are
required for optimum contamination control. If additional below the specifications established for that particular data
amounts of outside air are required to maintain adequate center. In most cases this will be the ISA Class G1 level of
pressurization, the use of PPUs or DBSs may be considered. <300 Å/30 days for copper and <200 Å/30 days silver corro-
sion as described in the ASHRAE guidelines and in manu-
facturers’ warrant requirements. Ongoing monitoring is
15.7.2 Contamination Control Process Flow
essential to guarantee the risk to electronic equipment has
Although each data center will be different in terms of con- been eliminated.
struction, layout, size, HVAC system components, etc., the A flow chart for the process of monitoring and control-
fundamental steps one takes to establish the risk potential of ling corrosive chemical contaminants in a data center is pro-
the data center environment toward the datacom equipment vided in Section 15.10.3
in use are relatively straightforward. NOTE: Even with the steps taken above, it is still possible
Assess data center environment with CCCs and/or to experience corrosion‐related failures especially if the
ERMs. Establish the severity levels for copper and silver environmental conditions in the data center were particularly
252 COrrosion And Contamination Control For Mission Critical Facilities

severe (ISA Class G3, GX) prior to any corrective actions. the IT/datacom equipment manufacturers’ site planning
Providing a benign environment for electronic equipment guides or environmental specifications. The length of
(ISA Class G1) will not reverse any corrosive damage that time that these levels of cleanliness can be provided is a
may have already occurred but will serve to extend the life of function of the total contaminant load, air cleaning sys-
those devices that would have failed without these actions tem design, and filters/equipment employed. Factors that
being taken. may cause the data center environment to exceed these
classifications include critical space(s) not being properly
sealed, high pedestrian traffic, high levels of internally
15.8 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION generated contaminants, the air conditioning system and/
or negative pressure ductwork being located outside the
Electronic equipment used in data centers are protected protected space, and air filtration system being under-
against the potential threats posed by fire, power, shock, sized. In properly sealing a room, often the spaces beneath
humidity, temperature, and (to a degree) particulate contami- raised floors and/or the space above dropped ceilings are
nation. Unfortunately, the potential damage to this equip- neglected. These areas are critical, especially when they
ment caused by the corrosive effects of gaseous contaminants are used as supply and return plenums. Long forgotten
has still not been fully recognized or addressed. cable penetrations, floor drains, cracks in the walls and
Recognizing the severity of the problem, the world’s ceiling, etc., can cause infiltration of contaminated air.
leading manufacturers of computer systems jointly pub- The solution is to seal all penetrations, supply an adequate
lished a white paper titled “2011 Gaseous and Particulate amount and distribution of supply and recirculation air,
Contamination Guideline for Data Centers”. That, along provide clean outdoor air to achieve positive pressure,
with the ASHRAE Handbook on “Particulate and Gaseous and balance the system.
Contamination in Datacom Environments” summarizes the With the increasing pressure to reduce energy consump-
acceptable levels of data center contamination as shown in tion in data centers, and the increasing use of air‐side econo-
Table 15.4. mizers, data centers located in regions with poor ambient air
Enhanced air filtration systems for data centers should quality will struggle to maintain efficient operations without
be designed to the ASHRAE guidelines as described or to the application of enhanced air cleaning. This means increas-
ing particulate filter efficiencies to at least ASHRAE 85%
TABLE 15.4 Particulate and gaseous contamination and the addition of gas‐phase air filtration designed to con-
guidelines for data centers trol specific contaminants of concern.
Data centers must be kept clean to ISO 14644‐1 Class 8. This
The issue and potential problem of corrosion in data cent-
level of cleanliness can generally be achieved by an appropriate ers has been presented (ASHRAE 2009a;). The problem needs
filtration scheme as outlined here: to be addressed by monitoring of the environment and removal
of contaminants where needed. Ultimately, the s­uccessful
1. The room air may be continuously filtered with MERV 8 implementation of a contamination control ­program requires:
filters as recommended by ANSI/ASHRAE Standard
127‐2012, Method of Testing for Rating Computer and Data
Processing Room Unitary Air Conditioners (ASHRAE 1. Knowledge and understanding that corrosion of elec-
2012). tronic equipment is a serious problem.
2. Air entering a data center may be filtered with MERV 11 or 2. Commitment to a monitoring program to detect the
MERV 13 filters as recommended by ASHRAE handbook potential for IT equipment failure before this
titled “Particulate and Gaseous Contamination in Datacom equipment is damaged and costly shutdowns occur.
Environments”. 3. Commitment to an integrated contamination control
Sources of dust inside data centers should be reduced. Every system.
effort should be made to filter out dust that has deliquescent 4. Commitment to take corrective action whenever
relative humidity greater than the maximum allowable relative necessary.
humidity in the data center.
The gaseous contamination should be within the ANSI/
ISA‐71.04‐2013 severity level G1‐Mild that meets: 15.9 APPENDIX 1: ADDITIONAL DATA CENTER
SERVICES
1. A copper reactivity rate of less than 300 Å/month, and
2. A silver reactivity rate of less than 200 Å/month.
Many companies can, upon the request of the data center
For data centers with higher gaseous contamination levels, owner/operator, provide any or all the following services.
gas‐phase filtration of the inlet air and the air in the data center These services should be considered if air quality/equipment
is highly recommended.
reliability problems are discovered and/or are ongoing in the
Source: Christpher O. Muller. data center environment.
 15.10 APPENDIX 2: DATA CENTER HISTORY 253

15.9.1 Assessment 15.10 APPENDIX 2: DATA CENTER HISTORY

• Perform data center environment survey with CCCs,
Data centers have their roots in the huge computer rooms
ERMs to determine compliance with ISA Standard
of the early ages of the computing industry. Early com-
71.04‐2013. A detailed analysis and interpretation of all
puter systems were complex to operate and maintain and
data obtained should be provided along with recom-
required a special environment in which to operate. Many
mendations for reducing corrosion rates (if warranted).
cables were necessary to connect all the components and
• Perform system TAB (Test, Adjust, Balance) by check- methods to accommodate and organize these were devised,
ing and adjusting all data center environmental systems such as standard racks to mount equipment, elevated
to produce the design objectives. Testing to determine floors, and cable trays (installed overhead or under the
the quantitative performance of air handling equip- elevated floor). Also, old computers required a great deal
ment, adjustment of equipment to proportion airflows of power, and had to be cooled to avoid overheating.
to specified design quantities, and balancing to regulate Security was important, computers were expensive and
the specified airflow rate at the terminal equipment. were often used for military purposes. Basic design guide-
• Measure airflow through raised access floor along the lines for controlling access to the computer room were
length of the cold and hot aisles. Repair access flooring therefore devised.
as required. During the boom of the microcomputer industry, and
• Install room pressure sensor and monitor to verify especially during the 1980s, computers started to be deployed
minimum pressure differential of +0.05–0.10 iwg everywhere, in many cases with little or no care about oper-
(12.5–25.0 Pa) is being maintained inside the data ating requirements. However, as information technology
center. (IT) operations started to grow in complexity, companies
grew aware of the need to control IT resources. With the
advent of client‐server computing, during the 1990s, micro-
15.9.2 Control
computers (now called “servers”) started to find their places
• Seal around all doors leading into/out of the data center. in the old computer rooms. The availability of inexpensive
This includes adding sweeps at the bottom of the doors, networking equipment, coupled with new standards for net-
gasketing around the doorframe, etc. Put automatic work cabling, made it possible to use a hierarchical design
door closers on any doors. that put the servers in a specific room inside the company.
• Seal around all wall penetrations including areas are The use of the term “data center,” as applied to specially
under raised floors or above drop ceilings. Seal around designed computer rooms, started to gain popular recogni-
windows. tion about this time.
• Install as needed and maintain chemical filtration for The boom of data centers came during the dot‐com bub-
CRAC/CRAH units. ble. Companies needed fast Internet connectivity and non-
stop operation to deploy systems and establish a presence
• Install as needed and maintain chemical filtration for
on the Internet. Installing such equipment was not viable for
makeup (outside) air handlers, air‐side economizers,
many smaller companies. Many companies started building
RAHs, pressurization air handlers, and/or raised floor
very large facilities, called Internet data centers (IDCs),
systems.
which provide businesses with a range of solutions for sys-
tems deployment and operation. New technologies and
15.9.3 Testing practices were designed to handle the scale and the opera-
tional requirements of such large‐scale operations. These
• Continuous monitoring of the data center environment
practices eventually migrated toward the private data cent-
with ERMs and/or CCCs and certification of ISA
ers and were adopted largely because of their practical
Severity Level.
results.
• Perform airborne particle counts and certify to ISO Today, data center design, construction, and operation are
class. well‐known disciplines. Standard documents from accred-
• Develop a temperature and humidity profile for the data ited professional groups, such as the Telecommunications
center. Industry Association (TIA), specify the requirements for
data center design. Well‐known operational metrics for data
All work performed would be typically performed as part of center availability can be used to evaluate the business
a fee‐based service contract issued by the provider. All impact of a disruption. There is still a lot of development
warrantees and guarantees for the work performed would be being done in operation practice, and in environmentally
based on negotiations between the service provider and the friendly data center design. Data centers are typically expen-
data center owner/operator. sive to build and maintain.
254 COrrosion And Contamination Control For Mission Critical Facilities

15.10.1 Requirements for Modern Data Centers 15.10.2 Data Center Classification
IT operations are a crucial aspect of most organizational The TIA‐942: Data Center Standards Overview4 describes
operations. One of the main concerns is business continuity; the requirements for the data center infrastructure. The
companies rely on their information systems to run their ­simplest is a Rated 1 data center, which is basically a server
operations. If a system becomes unavailable, company oper- room,5 following basic guidelines for the installation of
ations may be impaired or stopped completely. It is neces- computer systems. The most stringent level is a Rated 4 data
sary to provide a reliable infrastructure for IT operations, in center, which is designed to host mission critical computer
order to minimize any chance of disruption. Information systems, with fully redundant subsystems and compartmen-
security is also a concern, and for this reason a data center talized security zones controlled by biometric access con-
has to offer a secure environment which minimizes the trols methods. Another consideration is the placement of the
chances of a security breach. A data center must therefore data center in a subterranean context, for data security as
keep high standards for assuring the integrity and functional- well as environmental considerations such as cooling
ity of its hosted computer environment. This is accomplished requirements. The rated levels describe the availability of
through redundancy of both fiber optic cables and power, data from the hardware at a location—the higher the rating
which includes emergency backup power generation. the greater the accessibility. The levels are:
Telcordia GR‐3160, NEBS Requirements for
Telecommunications Data Center Equipment and Spaces,3
provides guidelines for data center spaces within telecom- Rated
munications networks, and environmental requirements for level Requirements
the equipment intended for installation in those spaces. 1 • Single nonredundant distribution path serving the IT
These criteria were developed jointly by Telcordia and equipment
industry representatives. They may be applied to data center • Nonredundant capacity components
spaces housing data processing or IT. The equipment may be • Basic site infrastructure guaranteeing 99.671%
used to: availability
2 • Fulfills all Rated 1 requirements
• Operate and manage a carrier’s telecommunication • Redundant site infrastructure capacity components
network guaranteeing 99.741% availability
• Provide data center‐based applications directly to the 3 • Fulfills all Rated 1 and Tier 2 requirements
carrier’s customers • Multiple independent distribution paths serving the
• Provide hosted applications for a third party to provide IT equipment
services to their customers • All IT equipment must be dual‐powered and fully
compatible with the topology of a site’s architecture
• Provide a combination of these and similar data center
• Concurrently maintainable site infrastructure
applications. guaranteeing 99.982% availability

Effective data center operation requires a balanced invest- 4 • Fulfills all Rated 1, 2, and 3 requirements
• All cooling equipment is independently dual‐
ment in both the facility and the housed equipment. The first
powered, including chillers and Heating, Ventilating
step is to establish a baseline facility environment suitable and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems
for equipment installation. Standardization and modularity • Fault‐tolerant site infrastructure with electrical
can yield savings and efficiencies in the design and construc- power storage and distribution facilities
tion of telecommunications data centers. guaranteeing 99.995% availability
Standardization means integrated building and equipment
engineering. Modularity has the benefits of scalability and
easier growth, even when planning forecasts are less than
15.10.3 Physical Layout
optimal. For these reasons, telecommunications data centers
should be planned in repetitive building blocks of equip- A data center can occupy one room of a building, one or
ment, and associated power and support (conditioning) more floors, or an entire building. Most of the equipment is
equipment when practical. The use of dedicated centralized often in the form of servers mounted in 19‐in rack cabinets,
systems requires more accurate forecasts of future needs to which are usually placed in single rows forming corridors
prevent expensive over construction, or perhaps worse— between them. This allows people access to the front and
under construction that fails to meet future needs.
4
http://www.adc.com/Attachment/1270711929361/102264AE.pdf.
5
A server room is a room that houses mainly computer servers. In IT
3
http://telecom‐info.telcordia.com/site‐cgi/ido/docs.cgi?ID=SEARCH&D circles, the term is generally used for smaller arrangements of servers;
OCUMENT=GR‐3160&. larger groups of servers are housed in data centers.
 15.10 APPENDIX 2: DATA CENTER HISTORY 255

rear of each cabinet. Servers differ greatly in size from 1U

Data center corrosion
servers6 to large freestanding storage silos which occupy control process flow
many tiles on the floor. Some equipment such as mainframe
computers and storage devices are often as big as the racks Assess data center
environment with CCCs
themselves and are placed alongside them. Very large data and/or ERMs.
centers may use shipping containers packed with 1,000 or
more servers each; when repairs or upgrades are needed, Assure that data center
Are both
whole containers are replaced (rather than repairing individ- Cu and Ag envelope is well sealed,
temperature and humidity are
ual servers). corrosion rates No within specifications, internal
at ISA-71.04
Local building codes may govern the minimum ceiling Class G1? sources of contamination are
eliminated.
heights.
The physical environment of a data center is rigorously
controlled:
Yes Are both
Cu and Ag
• For earlier thermal guidelines, the purpose of the rec- corrosion rates
at ISA-71.04
ommended envelope was to give guidance to data Yes Class G1?
Continuous monitoring
center operators on maintaining high reliability and with CCCs and/or ERMs
operating their data centers in the most energy‐efficient No
manner. This envelope was created for general use Add ALNF or ECC chemical
across all types of businesses and conditions. However, filters to CRAC units.
different environmental envelopes may be more appro-
priate for different business values and climate condi-
tions. Therefore, to allow for the potential to operate in Are both
Cu and Ag
a different envelope that might provide even greater corrosion rates
Yes
energy savings, ASHRAE’s third whitepaper on ther- at ISA-71.04
Class G1?
mal guidelines7 provided general guidance on server
metrics that will assist data center operators in creating
No
a different operating envelope that matches their busi-
ness values. Each of these metrics is fully described,
with more details to be provided in the fourth edition of Is outdoor air
the “Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Add chemical filtration being
to makeup (outdoor) air Yes introduced into
Environments”8 Datacom Book. Any choice outside of handling system. the data center
the recommended region will be a balance between the envrionment?
additional energy savings of the cooling system versus
the deleterious effects that may be created in reliability,
Are both No
acoustics, or performance. Cu and Ag
Install recircualtion
A flow chart (Fig. 15.17) is provided to help guide the Yes corrosion rates No chemical filtration unit(s)
at ISA-71.04 in data center.
user through the appropriate evaluation steps. Many of Class G1?
these server metrics center around simple graphs that
describe the trends. However, the use of these metrics is Are both
Cu and Ag
intended for those that plan to go beyond the recom- Yes corrosion rates
mended envelope for additional energy savings. To do at ISA-71.04
Class G1?
this properly requires significant additional analysis in
each of the metric areas to understand the total cost‐of‐
ownership impact of operating beyond the recom- No

mended envelope. Install additional recirculation

unit(s) and/or add PPUs or DBSs.

6
The size of a piece of rack‐mounted equipment is frequently described as
Are both
a number in “U.” For example, one rack unit is often referred to as “1U”, Cu and Ag
two rack units as “2U” and so on. Yes corrosion rates
7
http://tc99.ashraetcs.org/documents/ASHRAE%20Whitepaper%20‐%20 at ISA-71.04
Class G1?
2011%20Thermal%20Guidelines%20for%20Data%20Processing%20
Environments.pdf.
8
https://www.techstreet.com/ashrae/standards/thermal‐guidelines‐for‐data‐
processing‐environments‐4th‐ed?product_id=1909403. FIGURE 15.17 Data center corrosion control process flow.
256 COrrosion And Contamination Control For Mission Critical Facilities

The intent of outlining the process herein is to dem- recommending under raised floor cabling for security
onstrate a methodology and provide general guid- reasons and to consider the addition of cooling sys-
ance. This paper contains generic server equipment tems above the racks in case this enhancement is nec-
metrics and does not necessarily represent the char- essary. Smaller/less expensive data centers without
acteristics of any particular piece of IT equipment. raised flooring may use antistatic tiles for a flooring
For specific equipment information, contact the IT surface. Computer cabinets are often organized into a
manufacturer. hot aisle arrangement to maximize airflow
The other major change in the environmental specifica- efficiency.
tion is in the data center classes. Previously there were
two classes applying to IT equipment used in data 15.10.4 Applications
center applications: Classes 1 and 2. The new environ-
mental guidelines have more data center classes to The main purpose of a data center is running the applications
accommodate different applications and priorities of IT that handle the core business and operational data of the
equipment operation. This is critical because a single organization. Such systems may be proprietary and devel-
data center class forces a single optimization whereas oped internally by the organization or bought from enter-
each data center needs to be optimized based on the prise software vendors. Such common applications are ERP
operator’s own criteria (e.g., fulltime economizer use and CRM systems.
versus maximum reliability). A data center may be concerned with just operations
• Today’s data centers try to use economizer cooling, architecture or it may provide other services as well.
where outside air is used to keep the data center Often these applications will be composed of multiple
cool. Washington State now has a few data centers hosts, each running a single component. Common compo-
that cool all the servers using outside air 11 months nents of such applications are databases, file servers, appli-
out of the year. They do not use chillers/air condi- cation servers, middleware, and various others.
tioners, which creates potential energy savings in Data centers are also used for offsite backups. Companies
the millions. may subscribe to backup services provided by a data center.
This is often used in conjunction with backup tapes. Backups
• Backup power consists of one or more uninterruptible
can be taken of servers locally on to tapes; however, tapes
power supplies and/or diesel generators.
stored on site pose a security threat and are also susceptible
• To prevent single points of failure, all elements of the to fire and flooding. Larger companies may also send their
electrical systems, including backup system, are typi- backups off site for added security. This can be done by
cally fully duplicated, and critical servers are connected backing up to a data center. Encrypted backups can be sent
to both the “A‐side” and “B‐side” power feeds. This over the Internet to another data center where they can be
arrangement is often made to achieve N + 1 Redundancy stored securely.
in the systems. Static switches are sometimes used to For disaster recovery, several large hardware vendors
ensure instantaneous switchover from one supply to the have developed mobile solutions that can be installed and
other in the event of a power failure. made operational in very short time. Vendors such as Cisco
• Data centers typically have raised flooring made up of Systems, Sun Microsystems, IBM, and HP have developed
2 × 2 ft (60 × 60 cm) removable square tiles. The trend is systems that could be used for this purpose.
toward 31–39 in2 (80–100 cm2) void to cater for better
and uniform air distribution. These provide a plenum
for air to circulate below the floor, as part of the air
15.11 APPENDIX 3: REACTIVITY MONITORING
conditioning system, as well as providing space for
DATA EXAMPLES: SAMPLE CORROSION
power cabling.
MONITORING REPORT
Telcordia GR‐2930, NEBS: Raised Floor Generic
Requirements for Network and Data Centers,9 pre- World Data Center, Inc.
sents generic engineering requirements for raised Corrosion Monitoring Report
floors that fall within the strict NEBS guidelines. Report for data collected Date 1 – Date 2
Data cabling is typically routed through overhead
cable trays in modern data centers. But some are still
15.11.1 Executive Summary
9
https://telecom‐info.telcordia.com/site‐cgi/ido/docs.cgi?ID=SEARCH& Seven copper/silver CCCs were placed at World Data Center,
DOCUMENT=GR‐2930&. Inc. (Anytown, USA) to provide an assessment of the air
 15.11 APPENDIX 3: REACTIVITY MONITORING DATA EXAMPLES: SAMPLE CORROSION MONITORING REPORT 257

outside and inside the data center. All CCCs were analyzed In the context of electronic equipment, corrosion is
via electrolytic reduction to identify and quantify corrosive defined as the deterioration of a base metal resulting from a
contaminants to which the coupons had been exposed. The reaction with its environment. More specifically, corrosive
electrolytic reduction analysis shows the presence of high gases and water vapor coming into contact with a base metal
contaminant concentrations. result in the buildup of various chemical reaction products.
Analysis results indicate that the air outside the data As the chemical reactions continue, these corrosion prod-
center would be classified as GX – SEVERE according to ucts can form insulating layers on circuits which can lead to
ASHRAE TC 9.9 ANSI / ISA Standard S71.04 which sig- thermal failure or short‐circuits. Pitting and metal loss can
nificantly exceeds the recommended severity level of also occur.
G1 – MILD. The air inside the data center would be clas-
sified, as G3 – HARSH which, on average, also exceeds
15.11.2.1 Corrosive Gases
the recommended severity level for these environments.
The presence of oxidized forms of sulfur and active sulfur Three types of gases are the prime suspects in the corrosion
compounds was detected, and it is estimated that the con- of electronics: acidic gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, sulfur
centrations in air would be 10–100 parts per billion (ppb) and nitrogen oxides, chlorine, and hydrogen fluoride; caus-
and >10 ppb, respectively, for these two sulfur species. tic gases, such as ammonia; and oxidizing gases, such as
It is also suspected that there are significant levels of ozone. Of the gases that can cause corrosion, the acidic gases
nitrogen oxides and ozone present in the ambient are typically the most harmful.
(­outdoor) environment. Each site may have different combinations and concen-
Oxidized forms of sulfur include sulfur dioxide (SO2) tration levels of corrosive gaseous contaminants and perfor-
and sulfur trioxide (SO3). Active sulfur compounds include mance degradation can occur rapidly or over many years,
elemental sulfur, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), organic sulfur depending on the concentration levels and combinations
compounds (e.g., mercaptans), as well as sulfuric and sul- present at a site. The following paragraphs describe how
furous acids. These contaminants will cause corrosion‐ various pollutants contribute to equipment performance
related problems should adequate control measures not be degradation.
put in place. Active sulfur compounds (H2S). This group includes
The active sulfur contamination (as Cu2S) detected on all hydrogen sulfide (H2S), elemental sulfur (S), and organic
CCCs placed both outside and inside the data center indi- sulfur compounds such as the mercaptans (RSH). When pre-
cates a SEVERE risk potential if steps are not taken to reduce sent at low parts per billion levels, they rapidly attack cop-
and maintain lower levels of these contaminants in the data per, silver, aluminum, and iron alloys. The presence of
center. moisture and small amounts of inorganic chlorine com-
It is recommended that reactivity monitoring be pounds and/or nitrogen oxides greatly accelerate sulfide cor-
­continued—either with CCCs or a real‐time environmen- rosion. Note, however, that attack still occurs in low relative
tal reliability monitor (ERM)—to provide a continuous humidity environments. Active sulfurs rank as one of the
environmental assessment of the data center air quality predominant causes of atmospheric corrosion in datacom
and to assure that chemical contamination is being main- equipment.
tained at acceptable levels. Sulfur oxides. Oxidized forms of sulfur (SO2, SO3) are
generated as combustion products of sulfur‐bearing fossil
fuels. Low parts per billion levels of sulfur oxides can pas-
15.11.2 Background
sivate reactive metals and thus retard corrosion. At higher
Corrosion of metals is a chemical reaction caused primarily levels, however, they will attack certain types of metals. The
by attack of gaseous contaminants and is accelerated by heat reaction with metals normally occurs when these gases dis-
and moisture. Rapid shifts in either temperature or humidity solve in water to form sulfurous and sulfuric acid.
cause small portions of circuits to fall below the dew point Nitrogen oxides (NOX). NOX compounds (NO, NO2,
temperature, thereby facilitating condensation of contami- N2O4) are formed as combustion products of fossil fuels and
nants. Relative humidity above 50% accelerates corrosion have a critical role in the formation of ozone in the atmos-
by forming conductive solutions on a small scale on elec- phere. They are also believed to have a catalytic effect on
tronic components. Microscopic pools of condensation then corrosion of base metals by chlorides and sulfides. In the
absorb contaminant gases to become electrolytes where presence of moisture, some of these gases form nitric acid
crystal growth and electroplating occur. Above 80% RH, that, in turn, attacks most common metals.
electronic corrosive damage will occur regardless of the Inorganic chlorine compounds. This group includes
­levels of contamination. chlorine (Cl2), chlorine dioxide (ClO2), hydrogen chloride
258 COrrosion And Contamination Control For Mission Critical Facilities

(HCl), etc., and reactivity will depend upon the specific gas these gases can be deadly to electronic equipment. Most of
composition. In the presence of moisture, these gases gener- the odor threshold levels are much higher than the levels at
ate chloride ions that react readily with copper, tin, silver, which corrosive damage will occur.
and iron alloys. These reactions are significant even when
the gases are present at low parts per billion levels. At higher
15.11.2.2 Environmental Classifications
concentrations, many materials are oxidized by exposure to
chlorinated gases. Particular care must be given to equip- Table 15.5 lists a standard classification scheme that
ment that is exposed to atmospheres which contain chlorin- directly correlates corrosion rates to environmental clas-
ated contaminants. Sources of chloride ions, such as sifications. These classifications are being refined based
bleaching operations, sea water, cooling tower vapors, and on the results of testing and the specific needs of this mar-
cleaning compounds, etc., should be considered when clas- ket. Typical uses of reactivity monitoring in data centers
sifying data center environments. have been for the characterization of outdoor air used for
Hydrogen fluoride (HF). This compound is a member of ventilation and pressurization, the identification of “hot
the halogen family and reacts like inorganic chloride spots” within a facility, and the effectiveness of various
compounds. preventive measures. Reactivity monitoring is being used
Ammonia and derivatives. Reduced forms of nitrogen for the purpose of developing the cause‐and‐effect rela-
(ammonia (NH3), amines, ammonium ions (NH4+)) occur tionship between gaseous pollutants and the damage it
mainly in fertilizer plants, agricultural applications, and may cause within data centers to sensitive electronic
chemical plants. Copper and copper alloys are particularly equipment.
susceptible to corrosion in ammonia environments. Generally speaking, the silver and copper corrosion
Photochemical species. The atmosphere contains a rates should be class G1 or better unless otherwise agreed
wide variety of unstable, reactive species that are formed upon. The individual corrosion films quantified using
by the reaction of sunlight with moisture and other atmos- reactivity monitoring may be used to further characterize
pheric constituents. Some have lifetimes measured in frac- the environment and to determine the proper control strat-
tions of a second as they participate in rapid chain reactions. egies. Based upon these recommended control levels and
In addition to ozone (O3), a list of examples would include test results from laboratory and field‐exposed silver cou-
the hydroxyl radical as well as radicals of hydrocarbons, pons, acceptance criteria relevant to these applications
oxygenated hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, have been determined.
and water. Because of the transient nature of most of these These criteria consider total corrosion as well as the
species, their primary effect is on outdoor installations and relative contribution of each individual corrosion film.
enclosures.
Strong oxidants. This includes ozone plus certain chlo-
rinated gases (chlorine, chlorine dioxide). These gases are TABLE 15.5 Classification of reactive environments
powerful oxidizing agents. Ozone can function as a catalyst G1 G2 G3 GX
in sulfide and chloride corrosion of metals. Photochemical Severity level Mild Moderate Harsh Severe
oxidation—the combined effect of oxidants and ultraviolet
Copper reactivity level <300 <1,000 <2,000 ≥2,000
light (sunlight)—is particularly potent.
(in angstroms)a
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and active
chlorine compounds (Cl2, HCl, ClO2) have all been shown to Silver reactivity level <200 <1,000 <2,000 ≥2,000
(in angstroms)a
cause significant corrosion in electrical and electronic equip-
ment at concentrations of just a few parts per billion in air. a
Normalized to a 30‐day exposure. See ANSI/ISA‐71.04‐2013 Annex C,
Even at levels that are not noticed by or harmful to humans, item numbers C.2, C.3.

TABLE 15.6 General reactivity monitoring acceptance criteria

Copper reactivity acceptance criteria Silver reactivity acceptance criteria
Copper corrosion reaction Silver corrosion reaction
products Corrosion film thickness products Corrosion film thickness
Copper sulfide, Cu2S 0 Å/30 days Silver chloride, AgCl 0 Å/30 days
Copper oxide, Cu2O <300 Å/30 days Silver sulfide, Ag2S <200 Å/30 days
Copper unknowns 0 Å/30 days Silver unknowns 0 Å/30 days
Total copper corrosion <300 Å/30 days Total silver corrosion <200 Å/30 days
 15.11 APPENDIX 3: REACTIVITY MONITORING DATA EXAMPLES: SAMPLE CORROSION MONITORING REPORT 259

The control specifications for the individual corrosion When both films are detected, as highlighted above, it
films are listed in Table 15.6. These specifications are more often than not indicates the presence of active sulfur
more general in their application than those listed above compounds such as elemental sulfur, hydrogen sulfide (H2S),
and are most often used for the characterization of an envi- organic sulfur compounds (e.g., mercaptans), and sulfuric
ronment prior to the implementation of pollutant control and sulfurous acids as well. When both films are present and
measures. the amount of Cu2S is greater than 50% of the total corro-
If the total corrosion AND each individual corrosion film sion, this is further evidence of the ­presence of active sulfur
meets the recommended criteria, the local environment in compounds in the subject environment.
which that particular coupon has been exposed meets the Active sulfur compounds include hydrogen sulfide, ele-
requirements of a Class G1 classification. ANY of the crite- mental sulfur, and organic sulfur compounds such as the
ria which are not met indicates that the local environment mercaptans. When present at low parts per billion levels,
may not be sufficiently well‐controlled to minimize the cor- they rapidly attack copper, silver, aluminum, and iron alloys.
rosion of sensitive electronic equipment due to the presence The presence of moisture and small amounts of inorganic
of ­gaseous pollutants. Steps should be taken to determine chlorine compounds greatly accelerates sulfide corrosion.
what problems exist and what corrective actions may be Note that corrosive attack still occurs in low relative humid-
appropriate. ity environments.
Chloride corrosion (AgCl) which was not detected on
any of the silver coupons would have indicated the pres-
15.11.3 Results and Discussion
ence of (an) inorganic chlorine compound(s), e.g., chlo-
As shown in Table 15.7 the total copper and silver corrosion rine (Cl2), chlorine dioxide (ClO2), and/or hydrogen
rates for all the CCCs placed in the data center at World Data chloride (HCl). High levels of chloride (halogen) contami-
Center, Inc. (Anytown, USA) exceed the generally recom- nation can also serve to effectively mask evidence of sul-
mended severity level of Class G1. fur contamination on the corresponding copper coupons
When interpreting the analysis results for the individual and can cause a large “unknown” copper corrosion film to
corrosion films, the detection of a silver sulfide (Ag2S) film appear.
without a corresponding copper sulfide (Cu2S) film indicates Chlorine contamination, whether as chlorine or hydrogen
the presence of oxidized forms of sulfur such as sulfur diox- chloride, is a most dangerous contaminant for metals. At
ide (SO2) and sulfur trioxide (SO3). All silver coupons elevated levels, many materials are oxidized by exposure to
showed evidence of sulfur oxide contamination. chlorinated gases.
Oxidized forms of sulfur are generated as combustion Based on these results, it is estimated that the active sul-
products of sulfur‐bearing fossil fuels. Low parts per billion fur concentration is >10 ppb and sulfur oxides are in the
levels of sulfur oxides can passivate reactive metals and thus range of 10–100 ppb. Further, the ratio of Cu2S to Ag2S
retard corrosion. At higher levels they attack certain types of indicates a high likelihood that significant levels of nitro-
metals, elastomers, and plastics. The reaction with metals gen oxides are also present in the local environment.
normally occurs when these gases dissolve in water to form Fluctuating humidity may also play a role in the high cop-
sulfurous and sulfuric acid. per corrosion rates.

TABLE 15.7 CCC monitoring results for World Data Center, Inc. (Anytown, USA)
Copper corrosion Silver corrosion
CCC panel # Location Cu2S Cu2O Cu‐unk Total AgCl Ag2S Ag‐unk Total Class ISA class
60127 Outdoor air 4,255 0 0 4,255 0 2,212 0 2,212 GX GX

60142 Office area 1,937 294 0 2,231 0 337 0 337 G2 GX

60126 Entrance to data center 934 112 130 1,176 0 1,590 0 1,590 G3 G3

60123 Mux (Maux) room 2,127 131 0 2,258 0 655 0 655 G2 GX

60125 Low density room 2,051 196 0 2,247 0 1,262 0 1,262 G3 GX

60128 Medium density room 1,142 246 0 1,388 0 542 0 542 G2 G3

60124 High density room 675 134 0 809 0 692 0 692 G2 G2
260 COrrosion And Contamination Control For Mission Critical Facilities

15.11.4 Conclusions Direct gas monitoring may be indicated in order to

determine the source(s) of the sulfur corrosion reported. This
The amount of corrosion forming over any given period is a
could help determine if these results were an anomaly, due to
primary indicator of how well‐controlled an environment
episodic events, or if there are some other gaseous contami-
may be. Where gas‐phase air filtration is used for the control
nants present which may have synergistic effects and need to
of gaseous pollutants, corrosion levels well within the gen-
be accounted for.
eral and specific acceptance criteria can be easily attained. It
is felt that if an environment exhibits reactivity rate of G1
(<300 Å/30 days for each copper and silver corrosion), there
is little else that can be done, economically, to improve the 15.12 APPENDIX 4: DATA CENTER CASE STUDY
environment.
As a minimum, the broad guidelines for applying chemi- 15.12.1 Sample ERM Monitoring Data
cal contamination control in data centers would be in all
A data center had experienced hardware failures due to cor-
makeup air units and all recirculation systems serving data
rosion and the owners wanted to improve to prevent future
storage and data processing areas. Makeup (fresh) air sys-
failures. Previous reactivity (corrosion) monitoring using
tems must typically be designed to control SOx, NOx, ozone,
CCCs had indicated elevated levels of sulfur contamination
volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and some site‐specific
(both as Cu2S and Ag2S) in the outdoor ventilation air and
contaminants such as chlorine. Chemical filtration in recircu-
in the data center itself (Fig. 15.18). The copper severity
lation systems should be able to remove a wide array of
level was generally G1; however, the corresponding silver
VOCs and acid gases.
severity level was a high G2 with an average silver corro-
The fact that the total amount of corrosion measured on
sion rate almost 4½ times higher than that of the copper.
this CCC is significantly higher than what is recommended
The owners wanted to bring the overall corrosion rate to a
for this type of application, and that the presence of sulfur
G1 level.
oxides and inorganic chlorine compounds has been con-
After a site visit and room survey, recommendations
firmed indicates that the outdoor (makeup) air should be
were made for improvements to the data center envelope
treated in order to prevent damage from corrosive chemical
(room sealing, pressurization, etc.) and for the addition
contaminants and adversely affecting exposed electronic
of enhanced air cleaning systems to control the gaseous
equipment in the data center.
contamination responsible for the elevated corrosion
The levels of active sulfur and sulfur oxide contamination
rates. A side access chemical filtration system (SAS) was
(as Cu2S and Ag2S, respectively) measured on ALL CCCs
installed to clean the outdoor ventilation air being deliv-
exposed at this location indicates a SEVERE risk potential
ered to the data center and four recirculating air filtration
for these types of contamination being introduced and dis-
systems (RAUs) were installed inside the data center to
tributed through the data center through the air handling
provide additional air cleaning along with increased
system. Special consideration should be given for continu-
recirculation.
ous monitoring of the air in these spaces.
The SAS and RAU systems were installed in December
World Data Center, Inc. should use chemical filtration
and turned on in January. There was a dramatic and immedi-
in the fresh (makeup) air units, and the air conditioning sys-
ate improvement in the 30‐day corrosion rates for silver
tems serving the data center in order to reduce and maintain
which indicated the sulfur contamination was being removed.
chemical contamination at acceptable levels. The detection
Improvements to the data center envelope in April resulting
of sulfur contamination is particularly problematic to elec-
in even lower corrosion rates.
trical and electronic equipment—even at very low levels and
Given the improvements made to the air quality in the
steps should be taken to reduce contaminant levels to those
data center and with the air cleaning systems in operation, a
which would not have effects on electronic equipment.
management decision was made in early June to turn off the
It is further recommended that reactivity monitoring
SAS to determine if this additional air cleaning was required.
be continued—either with CCCs or a real‐time environ-
Immediate and significant increases were observed in both
mental reliability monitor (ERM)—to provide a continuous
the copper and silver corrosion rates which led to the SAS
assessment air quality. While information on individual
being turned back on in July. Corrosion rates began to
contaminant species can be obtained using the CCCs, real‐
decline but it was determined by life analysis that the media
time reactivity monitoring can provide a more accurate
in both the SAS and RAUs were nearing exhaustion and all
assessment of the total corrosion being formed due to the
media was replaced in August. At the same time, ALNF fil-
presence of chemical contaminants. Reactivity monitoring
ters were added to one of the CRAC units. Corrosion rates
can also be used to measure the performance of the chemi-
again dropped considerably, and the data center environment
cal filter systems (if installed) and serve as a guide for media
achieved and maintained a mid‐to‐low G1 for both copper
replacement.
and silver.
 FURTHER READING 261

Data center ERM data

30-day incremental corrosion rates
700
Air cleaning systems Air cleaning systems
Media in outdoor air
turned on January 11 turned back on July 18
and recirculation units
spent February 2
600
Air cleaning systems Media changed
turned off June 2 August 23 All media
replaced
500 April 1
30-day corrosion rate (Å)

Room sealing ALNF filter installed in

completed CRAC units August 24
400 April 24

300 Class G1 - Copper

200 Class G1 - Silver

100

0
an

eb

ay

27 l
ug

ep

ay

l
ul
ar

pr

19 t
ov

ec

an

11 b
ar

pr
Ju

Ju
Ju

Ju
-O
-M

-J

-M

-J
A

A
-D
-J

-F

-S

-J

-F

M
-N
-A
2-

1-
4-

3-
30

29
9-

8-
15

14
22
12

7-

24

11

6-
17
12

Date
Copper corrosion Silver corrosion

FIGURE 15.18 Data center reactivity monitoring results. Source: Courtesy of Purafil, Inc.

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