NSF Engineering Research Center
and in Partnership with Industry
Convergent Research
CASFER transformative engineered system is a modular, distributed, decarbonized nitrogen-based fertilizer (NBF) production process that implements waste and renewable energy for precise NBF production, while optimizing PBF waste.
CASFER will capture activated nitrogen from waste streams — such as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and run-off — and convert it into precise NBFs, passing them directly to the end users/farmers.
To balance the US NBF consumption, CASFER will also advance decarbonized NBF production from air, water, and renewable energy.
Convergence-Based Technology
CASFER will
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Develop precise, commercial-like NBFs from waste streams. CASFER will employ an Organic but Synthetic Approach (OSA) to NBFs, with ingredients, predictability, and reliability designed to stimulate plant growth.
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Deliver new technologies for the recovery and recycling of NBFs using byproducts from untapped sources of waste such as concentrated animal feeding operations, municipal wastewater treatment plants, and fertilizer run-off
CASFER technologies bring the convergence of nanotechnology, electrochemical science, data science, biology, chemistry, environmental and agricultural science, health science, economics, policy, and engineering.
Thrusts
The CASFER engineered system integrates technologies and components from three center-coordinated research thrusts.
