Airborne Contaminates
Excessive concentrations of certain airborne contaminants can cause the server's
electronic components to corrode and fail. Take measures to prevent contaminants
such as metal particles, atmospheric dust, solvent vapors, corrosive gases, soot,
airborne fibers, or salts from entering, or being generated within, the data
center.
Avoid locating the data center near print rooms, machine shops, wood shops,
loading docks, and areas that involve the use of chemicals or that generate toxic
vapors or dust. Ensure that the exhaust from generators or other sources of exhaust
do not enter the intakes of air conditioning systems serving the data center. If the
data center must be located near these hazardous locations, add and regularly
maintain adequate filtering systems.
Note -
To avoid introducing airborne contaminates to the data center, unpack the
server outside of the data center, and then move the server to its final
location.
Table 9 Maximum Allowable Contaminate Levels
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Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)
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Up to 7.1 ppb
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Sulfur dioxide (sulfur oxide)
(SO2)
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Up to 37 ppb
|
Hydrogen chloride (HCI)
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Up to 6.6 ppb
|
Chlorine (CI2)
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Up to 3.4 ppb
|
Hydrogen fluoride (HF)
|
Up to 3.6 ppb
|
Nitrogen dioxide (nitrogen oxide)
(NO2)
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Up to 52 ppb
|
Ammonia (NH3)
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Up to 420 ppb
|
Ozone (O3)
|
Up to 5 ppb
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Oil vapor
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Up to 0.2 mg/m3
|
Dust
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Up to 0.15 mg/m3
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Seawater (salt damage)
|
Do not install the server within 0.5 km (0.31 miles) of the
ocean or coastal areas, unless the computer room uses air
conditioners to filter out airborne sea salt particles from the
outside air.
|
|
Table 10 Maximum Gaseous Contaminate Severity Levels for Copper and Silver
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Copper (Cu) reactivity rate
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Less than 30 nm/month
|
Silver (Ag) reactivity rate
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Less than 20 nm/month
|
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For more information, refer to the ASHRAE Technical Committee 9.9 document,
Gaseous and Particulate Contamination
Guidelines for Data Centers and the iNEMI
Position Statement on the Limits of Temperature, Humidity and Gaseous
Contamination in Data Centers and Telecommunication Rooms to Avoid Creep
Corrosion on Printed Circuit Boards (April 20, 2012).