The Center for Advanced Research in Drying (CARD) is a United States National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (NSF I/UCRC) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (co-site). It is the first center in the United States devoted to research in drying moist, porous materials such as food and agricultural products, forestry products, chemical products, textiles, and biopharmaceuticals. This center is unique in its focus of assisting U.S. manufacturing industries to become environmentally sustainable. Enhancements in drying processes yield a measurable impact on global energy conservation and product quality.
CARD was founded by WPI (lead institution) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The Center’s commitments:
- Enhancement of energy efficiency of drying processes and product quality
- Commercialization of advanced research
- Global competitiveness of our industrial partners
- Equipping a new generation of engineers with the educational tools necessary to implement sustainable manufacturing practices
