Data Center Corrosion & Preservation Solutions
supporting asset integrity throughout the project lifecycle
Modern data centers depend on reliable electrical infrastructure, cooling systems, standby power, fire protection, and mechanical equipment to maintain continuous uptime. Many critical assets spend weeks or months in transportation, storage, construction, hydrotesting, commissioning, and temporary layup before entering service. During these phases, corrosion can begin long before equipment is energized, affecting startup readiness, operational reliability, and long-term asset integrity.
ZERUST Integrity Solutions® partners with owners, EPC contractors, OEMs, commissioning teams, and operators to assess corrosion risks, develop preservation strategies, and implement lifecycle corrosion management programs from OEM manufacturing through long-term operation.
Rather than simply supplying corrosion protection products, ZERUST® combines engineering expertise, preservation planning, field implementation, and qualified preservation technologies to help support startup readiness, operational reliability, and long-term asset integrity.
WHy preservation matters in data centers
Global investment in hyperscale and AI data centers continues to accelerate. At the same time, longer equipment lead times, increasingly complex construction schedules, and expanding electrical and cooling infrastructure have increased the amount of time critical assets remain exposed before entering service.
Cooling systems, electrical infrastructure, standby power equipment, fire protection systems, mechanical assets, and process piping may spend months in transportation, storage, laydown yards, fabrication facilities, construction sites, and partially commissioned installations before a facility becomes operational.
During these early project phases, corrosion can begin long before equipment is energized. Left unmanaged, corrosion may contribute to commissioning delays, increased maintenance requirements, reduced equipment life, and long-term reliability concerns.
The most effective preservation strategy begins before equipment leaves the factory and continues throughout the project lifecycle. By assessing corrosion risks early and implementing appropriate preservation methods throughout transportation, storage, construction, hydrotesting, commissioning, and operation, owners can better support startup readiness, asset integrity, and long-term facility performance.
Where Corrosion Threatens Data Center Reliability
Cooling Infrastructure
Cooling systems are essential to maintaining continuous data center operation and may be exposed to corrosion throughout construction, commissioning, temporary layup, and long-term operation.
Critical assets may include:
- Large-diameter chilled-water systems
- Condenser-water systems
- Thermal energy storage systems
- Cooling towers
- Heat exchangers
- Cooling distribution piping
- Pumps and rotating equipment
- Liquid-cooling infrastructure
ZERUST® Typical Preservation Technologies
Preservation planning during hydrotesting, wet commissioning, commissioning delays, seasonal shutdowns, temporary outages, and idle periods helps support startup readiness, system reliability, and long-term asset integrity.
AI LIQuid Cooling Infrastructure
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is accelerating the deployment of advanced liquid-cooling technologies across hyperscale data centers.
Typical infrastructure includes:
- Direct-to-chip cooling systems
- Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs)
- Cold plates
- Liquid-cooling manifolds
- Plate-and-frame heat exchangers
- Secondary cooling loops
ZERUST® Typical Preservation Technologies
These systems introduce additional preservation considerations associated with mixed metallurgy, residual moisture, hydrotesting, transportation, storage, commissioning activities, and maintenance. Lifecycle preservation planning helps support reliable long-term operation.
FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
Fire protection systems are routinely hydrotested during construction and may remain idle for extended periods before facility occupancy.
Typical assets include:
- Fire-water mains
- Sprinkler systems
- Pre-action systems
- Deluge systems
ZERUST® Preservation Technologies
Residual moisture, stagnant water, oxygen ingress, and microbial activity can initiate corrosion long before these systems are placed into service. Preservation planning during hydrotesting, drain-down, and temporary layup helps support system readiness when protection is required.
Power Generation & Backup Power Systems
Reliable electrical power is fundamental to continuous data center operation.
Critical infrastructure may include:
- Emergency generators
- Turbines
- Motors
- Pumps
- Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
- Fuel storage systems
- Rotating equipment
ZERUST® Typical Preservation Technologies
- Axxanol® Z-Maxx Series
- Axxanol® Spray-G
- Zerios® WUV-25 (for exposed equipment and skids during construction)
- AxxaCoat™ 90B HFS (temporary outdoor preservation where appropriate)
These assets often spend extended periods in transportation, storage, construction, commissioning, maintenance outages, and standby operation before entering service.
Bulk diesel storage tanks, day tanks, transfer piping, and associated fuel infrastructure may also require preservation during construction, commissioning, and temporary shutdown periods. Lifecycle preservation planning helps support startup readiness, operational reliability, and long-term asset integrity.
Electrical & Control Systems
Electrical infrastructure supports every critical function within a modern data center.
Typical assets include:
- Electrical enclosures
- Switchgear
- Junction boxes
- Control panels
- Instrumentation
- Bus bars
- Connectors
- Electronic cabinets
ZERUST® Typical Preservation Technologies
Humidity, condensation, airborne contaminants, and changing environmental conditions can contribute to atmospheric corrosion that affects long-term electrical reliability and equipment performance. Preservation planning for enclosed electrical assets helps support reliable operation throughout the facility lifecycle.
it hardware & electronic equipment
Server racks, communication equipment, electronic assemblies, and other sensitive electronic components may remain in transportation, storage, construction staging, or installation environments before becoming operational.
Atmospheric corrosion during these phases can affect long-term equipment reliability and operational readiness. Appropriate preservation methods help maintain equipment condition until systems are commissioned.
ZERUST® Typical Preservation Technologies
construction, storage & transit assets
Many critical assets require temporary preservation before startup.
Typical assets include:
- Transformers
- Chillers
- Packaged equipment
- Fabricated assemblies
- Structural steel
- Piping systems
- Heat exchangers
- Pressure vessels
- Mechanical skids
ZERUST® Typical Preservation Technologies
- VCI Films
- Zerios® WUV-25 (for exposed equipment and skids during construction)
- AxxaCoat™ 90B HFS (temporary outdoor preservation where appropriate)
- ICT® Tube Strip Pro (for applicable piping and flanged systems)
Extended transportation, outdoor storage, laydown yards, construction delays, and environmental exposure all increase corrosion risk before commissioning. Preservation strategies implemented throughout these project phases help maintain asset condition, support successful startup, and improve long-term reliability.
How ZERUST® Supports Data Center Facilities
Engineering & Preservation Planning
Effective corrosion management begins with understanding where preservation is needed throughout the project lifecycle.
ZERUST® partners with owners, EPC contractors, OEMs, and commissioning teams to assess corrosion risks, develop preservation strategies, and implement practical solutions that support startup readiness, operational reliability, and long-term asset integrity.
Our services include:
- Corrosion risk assessments
- Preservation planning
- Asset condition evaluations
- Corrosion monitoring programs
- Preservation audits
- Dew-point verification
- Commissioning support
- Lifecycle corrosion management programs
Every recommendation is developed around project schedules, operating conditions, environmental exposure, metallurgy, preservation duration, asset criticality, and owner requirements.
Field Implementation & Support
Preservation planning is most effective when supported by experienced field implementation.
ZERUST® provides technical field support throughout transportation, storage, construction, hydrotesting, commissioning, temporary layup, and startup activities.
Services include:
- Preservation implementation
- Hydrotest support
- Commissioning assistance
- Layup programs
- Preservation inspections
- Asset condition assessments
- Corrosion investigations
- Field verification services
integrated Preservation Technologies
ZERUST® integrates a broad portfolio of preservation technologies into complete lifecycle corrosion management programs.
Depending on the application, solutions may include:
- Vapor Corrosion Inhibitors (VCI)
- Soluble Corrosion Inhibitors (SCI)
- Protective coatings
- Fogging technologies
- Packaging systems
- Moisture management technologies
- Temporary preservation systems
Technology recommendations are based on asset design, metallurgy, operating conditions, environmental exposure, preservation duration, project schedule, and owner requirements.
one accountable partner
Successful preservation programs require more than individual corrosion protection products.
ZERUST® combines engineering expertise, preservation planning, field implementation, and qualified preservation technologies into one coordinated program that supports critical infrastructure throughout the project lifecycle.
Rather than simply supplying products, we help owners develop practical preservation strategies tailored to their assets, project schedules, environmental conditions, and operational requirements.
PROJECT LIFECYCLE PRESERVATION FRAMEWORk
| Asset Type |
Typical Preservation Challenge |
Typical ZERUST® Solutions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Preservation Planning |
Preservation Planning | ||
|
Preservation Planning |
ZerioGuard® 5, ZerioGuard® 8, & ZerioGuard® 12 | ||
| Transportation |
Condensation, atmospheric corrosion, contamination |
|
||
| Storage & Laydown |
Atmospheric corrosion, humidity exposure |
VCI Films, Zerios® WUV-25, AxxaCoat™ 90B HFS | ||
| Hydrotesting |
Internal corrosion, flash rusting |
|
||
| Drain-Down & Preservation |
Residual moisture, stagnang conditions |
ActivPak® LS, ActivDri PWA, Vapor Capsules | ||
| Commissioning Delays |
Internal corrosion, atmospheric corrosion |
ZerioTec® Fog MV, ZerioTec® Fog FV | ||
| Startup & Operation |
Long-term reliability and asset integrity |
|
data center asset PRESERVATION matrix
Final preservation recommendations are developed based on asset design, metallurgy, operating conditions, project schedule, environmental exposure, preservation duration, and owner requirements. Technologies shown below represent common solutions used within data center construction, commissioning, preservation, and operational environments.
| Asset Type |
Typical Preservation Challenge |
Typical ZERUST® Preservation Strategies | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hydrotest corrosion and wet layup |
ZerioGuard® 5, ZerioGuard® 8, & ZerioGuard® 12 | ||
| Fire Protection Systems |
Stagnant water corrosion |
|
||
| Large Piping Systems |
Internal layup corrosion |
|
||
| Cooling Towers |
Idle-system corrosion |
|
||
| Electrical Cabinets |
Condensation and contamination |
ActivPak® LS, ActivDri PWA, Vapor Capsules | ||
| Rotating Equipment |
Storage corrosion |
Axxanol® Z-Maxx Series, Spray-G | ||
| Structural Steel |
Atmospheric corrosion |
Zerios® WUV-25 | ||
| Heat Exchangers & Vessels |
Internal corrosion during storage |
|
||
| Fuel Storage Systems |
Vapor-space and storage corrosion |
Preservation Program Dependent |
Why Data Center Owners Partner with ZERUST
Owners choose ZERUST® because preservation is most effective when it is integrated throughout the project lifecycle rather than applied after corrosion has occurred.
ZERUST® helps organizations:
- Support startup readiness throughout the project lifecycle
- Preserve critical infrastructure before equipment enters service
- Reduce corrosion-related commissioning risk
- Improve long-term asset integrity and operational reliability
- Support hydrotesting, temporary layup, and commissioning activities
- Extend equipment service life
- Reduce maintenance requirements and unplanned downtime
- Access corrosion engineering expertise, preservation planning, and field implementation support through one accountable partner
LET'S DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT
Whether you're constructing a hyperscale campus, commissioning cooling infrastructure, preserving fire protection systems, protecting standby power assets, implementing AI liquid-cooling technologies, or developing a comprehensive lifecycle preservation strategy, ZERUST Integrity Solutions® can help.
Our team works with owners, EPC contractors, OEMs, and commissioning specialists to develop preservation strategies that support startup readiness, operational reliability, and long-term asset integrity.
Assess. Mitigate. Preserve.
Contact ZERUST Integrity Solutions® to discuss preservation planning, corrosion engineering, field implementation, and lifecycle corrosion management strategies tailored to your facility.
