Francis J Nicastro

Title: Francis J. Nicastro and His Patent for Methacrylic Acid Recovery.

Introduction

Francis J. Nicastro is an inventor associated with Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Rohm and Haas Company. His patent work addresses the recovery and purification of methacrylic acid from an aqueous industrial effluent.

Latest Patents

Nicastro is credited with 1 patent: “Recovery of Methacrylic Acid from the Effluent Obtained from the Vapor Phase Condensation of Formaldehyde and Propionic Acid.” The process extracts the effluent with an organic solvent that can form an azeotrope with propionic acid, separating it into an organic phase and an aqueous raffinate. The organic phase is distilled to remove much of the unreacted propionic acid, after which further distillation separates remaining propionic acid from purified methacrylic acid. The aqueous raffinate is also distilled with an entrainer to recover formaldehyde, and the dilute formaldehyde overhead is concentrated.

Career Highlights

Nicastro’s listed professional affiliation is Rohm and Haas Company. His patent describes a sequence of extraction and distillation steps designed to recover valuable chemicals from a process stream while separating unreacted starting materials.

Collaborations

James S. Clovis and Jerome Dohling are identified as Nicastro’s coworkers. The available information does not specify their roles in developing or filing the patent.

Conclusion

Francis J. Nicastro’s recorded invention focuses on recovering methacrylic acid and formaldehyde from industrial effluent through coordinated extraction and distillation.