IGCAR : Annual Report - Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research

Chapter -4
FUEL CYCLE
IV.A. Fuel Properties and Performance
IV.A.1. Recovery of Plutonium and Americium from
Waste Matrices by Supercritical Fluid Extraction
Handling of plutonium in a radioactive laboratory involves the usage of tissue paper and
recovery of plutonium from the same assumes significance from the point of view of
accounting of special nuclear material (SNM) as well as radioactive waste management.
Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) technique, which produces relatively less or no secondary
waste, is very much preferable for such applications. Supercritical fluids possess the properties
of gas-like diffusivity and viscosity, liquid-like density and low surface tension, which help
them to easily penetrate through the pores of the sample matrix and extract the components
of interest more efficiently. Supercritical fluids provide faster, cleaner and efficient extractions,