Data centers are used for economic performance, national security and internet infrastructure, among others. India is rapidly emerging as one of the major hubs for data centers due to the continuous increase in the number of internet subscribers and data consumption, as well as the shift of enterprises to the cloud and various government initiatives for digital India. Increasing investments are being made in this sector. The Indian data center market is also growing thanks to India's data sovereignty rules, data generation by banks, over-the-top content (OTT) players and content delivery networks. There is enough demand from global companies to set up data centers and grow in the country.
In July, India's Reliance Industries announced an investment of around 110 million euros to set up data centers across India in partnership with Canada's Brookfield Infrastructure. Japanese company NTT is also eyeing the Indian data center market. Recently, NTT announced investments of around 1.8 billion euros in Indian data centers and submarine cables. NTT has data centers in cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Delhi NCR. Mumbai holds the largest market for data centers with a 44% share (Fig. 1). The data center capacity has doubled from 350 MW in 2019 to 722 MW in 2022 and is expected to reach 1.4 GW by 2025. The huge demand is an important factor in the increasing trust in digital services. The rapid social transformation in India and IoT-enabled smart devices, wearable devices and industrial sectors are also generating large amounts of data.
Electrolytic Ni-P-W-TiO2 coating
Researchers at the Graduate University of Advanced Technology in Kerman, Iran have investigated the influence of various parameters on the coating properties of Ni-P-W-TiO2 electrolytic coating, including microstructure, corrosion properties and abrasion properties. Stainless steel 1.4307 was used as the substrate. The aqueous bath consisted of nickel sulphate, nickel chloride, boric acid, sodium tungstate, sodium citrate, sodium hypophosphite and phosphoric acid. Titanium dioxide and ceramic particles were used for the composite coating. It was found that increasing the deposition time to 45 minutes first increased and then decreased the amount of precipitates of ceramic particles and tungsten in the coating. The coating formed after 45 minutes of electrodeposition had a uniform surface without cracks or voids. In addition, this coating had the lowest corrosion current density (1.21 μAcm-2) and the highest corrosion resistance (27286 Ω). Furthermore, the decrease in coating capacitance with increasing concentration of titanium oxide particles in the electrochemical impedance test indicated a decrease in porosity and pores due to the presence of titanium oxide particles, which possibly decreased the penetration of the electrolyte into the coating and increased the corrosion resistance of the coating. Interestingly, the hardness of the composite coating increased and then decreased. The coating showed the lowest weight loss and the highest wear resistance. The higher presence of titanium oxide in the coating and the reduction in the coefficient of friction led to an increase in hardness and wear resistance.
Fig. 2: Helmet of the Star Wars Mandalorian / Photo: Hendrik Vogelpohl
Indian J. Chem. Technol. 2023, 30, pp. 76-84; DOI: 10.56042/ijct.v30i1.34758
3D printing and electroplating
In 3D printing, the parts usually have a fairly average surface, even if it is very smooth. Post-processing with e.g. electroplating allows for a dramatic improvement, as the example of a blasting cap by [HEN3DRIK] shows. The model of a Star Wars thermal detonator was first printed from resin. After printing and curing, the parts were cleaned using known methods. The print was made as smooth as possible with fine steel wool and sandpaper. Then a conductive layer of copper paint was sprayed on with an airbrush, whereby the adjacent surfaces were masked off so as not to impair the fit. Copper plating followed in an acid copper bath. After polishing, the copper-plated parts were almost mirror-smooth. The support was then coated with nickel. The support was later assembled with other parts.
Hendrik Vogelpohl is very popular on social media and YouTube. The entire process of making a Star Wars helmet using 3D printing and electroplating can be seen there.
https:// youtu.be/vsrlrH3omZc?si=BFhIIV2s0ItqOPNc
