Long-Term Materials Durability in Immersion Cooling

Overview

PREP Researcher associate will continue to conduct research on failure analysis and degradation
mechanism study of polymer exposed to accelerated laboratory testing environments and operation
conditions. Understanding the degradation mechanism of polymeric components used in immersion
cooling during services is critical to the development and assurance of AI physical Infrastructure. In this
study, non-destructive and destructive techniques will be developed for the failure analysis and
degradation mechanism of polymeric components in aged samples after accelerated multi-stress
testing. The mechanisms of chemical, physical, and mechanical degradation will be studied using
spectroscopic, microscopic, and mechanical techniques, such as attenuated total reflection Fourier-
transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), micro-IR, laser scanning confocal microscopy, and tensile
tester. The results will be used to understand the root causes of polymer failure, providing a scientific
basis for test method development, material selection, and product quality assurance AI physical
Infrastructure.

Qualifications

• A master’s degree in materials science and engineering, mechanical, or chemical engineering background, with at least 3 years of relevant professional experience.
• 3+ years of research experience in multilayer failure analysis, surface/interface characterization, and polymer durability assessment.
• 3+ years of experience applying machine learning, deep learning, and other AI methods to polymer degradation and service-life prediction.
• Extensive hands-on experience with characterization of multilayer polymeric materials, including microscopy (confocal microscopy, AFM), spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR, Raman, UV-Vis) and mechanical and adhesion properties
• Proven ability to develop predictive models for the degradation, durability, and service-life performance of polymer components.
• Advanced proficiency in Python, R (including package development), and Origin for end-to-end data management, processing, visualization, and modeling.
• Familiarity with international testing standards (e.g., ASTM, ISO, IEEE) for polymers, with demonstrated ability to develop, validate, and document new or modified test methods.
• U.S. Citizenship preferred.

Research Proposal

The candidate will be responsible for activities associated with

• designing and developing a testbed for accelerated multi-stress testing of materials used in immersion cooling systems, including thermal, chemical, mechanical, electrical, and hygrothermal cycling,
• conducting chemical, physical, and mechanical characterization of polymer components used in immersion cooling systems during accelerated multi-stress testing.
• evaluating the long-term durability and reliability of immersion cooling systems and developing service-life prediction models for various polymer components.
• analyzing and interpreting experimental data; presenting research findings; and preparing test protocols, technical standards, reports, and peer-reviewed journal publications.