IGCAR : Annual Report - Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research

The Reprocessing Group (Rp G)of IGCAR is responsible for the development of Fast reactor fuel reprocessing
technology and construction of the reprocessing plants. RDL has two hot cell facilities: In one of them,
U-233 was recovered from irradiated thorium rods on campaign basis and used as fuel in KAMINI reactor
and in FBTR (as PFBR test fuel). The other hot cell facility, called, CORAL (COmpact facility for
Reprocessing Advanced fuels in Lead cells) commissioned in 2003, is a test bed for validating the process
flow sheet and scaling up of equipment designs for fast reactor fuel reprocessing, by processing the FBTR
fuel itself. CORAL has already processed in several campaigns mixed carbide fuels irradiated in FBTR with
25, 50, 100 and 155 GWd/t burnups. This has provided valuable experience to the design of
Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant, DFRP, in which the FBTR fuels will be reprocessed
on a regular basis. DFRP, which will also demonstrate the reprocessing of PFBR fuel subassemblies, is slated
for commissioning by 2009. RpG is also carrying out the design of the reprocessing plant, FRP, for
reprocessing spent fuels of PFBR on commercial basis. Various R&D activities are being carried in the
Reprocessing Development Laboratory. Engineering scale testing of equipment and systems are done here
before installing in for hot cell. Chopper, dissolver, feed clarification equipment, centrifugal extractors are
few of the important equipment developed at RDL. Apart from equipment development, research is undertaken
for understanding and solving various process and chemistry problems of fast reactor fuel reprocessing
such as, mathematical modeling of solvent extraction of the complex U-Pu system, efficient solvent
management, development of online monitoring of Pu for process control, liquid flow metering in high
radio active fields etc.,
Chemistry Group
Dr. P. R. Vasudeva Rao
Director
Dr. T. Gnanasekaran
Head, LMSCD
Dr. T. G. Srinivasan
Head, FChD
Dr. V. Ganesan
Head, MCD
Shri K.C. Srinivas
Head, CFD
The Chemistry Group is responsible for carrying out R & D to provide inputs with respect to all the chemistry
aspects of the fast reactor and its fuel cycle. In addition, it also takes up R&D programmes which
would have a long term impact on the reactor programmes. Besides the R&D activities, the Chemistry
Group also provides extensive analytical support using a wide range of analytical techniques to all the programmes
in the Centre. The Chemistry Group has also specialized in setting up of facilities for experiments
with radioactive or air-sensitive materials, and in indigenous development of chemical instrumentation.
The areas of R & D in Chemistry Group include sodium chemistry, chemistry of un-irradiated as well as
irradiated fuel materials, development of fuel cycle, analytical chemistry, spectroscopy and more recently,
boron chemistry. Development of sensors for PFBR and sensors for environmental applications, cover gas
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