Author(s)

Krishnamurthy Sujatha, Kancharlapalli Chinaraga Pitchaiah, Nagarajan Sivaraman, Thandankorai Ganapathi Srinivasan, Polur Ranga Rao Vasudeva Rao

Chemistry Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, India.

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of plutonium in its nitrate form from actual waste, i.e. plutonium bearing cellulose matrix was demonstrated using 0.1 litre capacity extraction vessel. Complete recovery of plutonium was demonstrated using modified supercritical carbon dioxide (Sc-CO₂), i.e. Sc-CO₂ containing octylphenyl-N, N-diisobutyl-carbamoyl- methylphosphine oxide (φCMPO). Near complete recovery of uranium was demonstrated from simulated waste matri- ces, i.e. uranium bearing teflon, glass and cellulose matrices using preparative scale SFE, i.e. from 1 litre capacity ex- traction vessel. The recovery of uranium was established using Sc-CO₂ modified with acetyl acetone.

Supercritical CO₂; SFE; Uranium; Plutonium; φCMPO; Cellulose Matrix

K. Sujatha, K. Pitchaiah, N. Sivaraman, T. Srinivasan and P. Vasudeva Rao, "Recovery of Uranium and Plutonium from Waste Matrices Using Supercritical Fluid Extraction," American Journal of Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 3 No. 12A, 2012, pp. 916-922. doi: 10.4236/ajac.2012.312A121.