Recycling radioactive waste no longer a problem

Published in August 22nd, 2008 by IANS in http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/

A new plant will help recover uranium from the ashes of radioactive wastes, which can then be recycled with an efficient, eco-friendly technology inspired by decaffeinated coffee and using supercritical fluids. The technique’s future may even hold the key to recycling the most dangerous forms of radioactive waste in the near future.

Supercritical Fluids Chromatography

The Supercritical Fluids Chromatography (SFC) is a kind of chromatography where the mobile phase is a supercritical fluid.
The most used SCF is the carbon dioxide (do not mix-up SCF SuperCritical Fluid and SFC Supercritical Fluid Chromatography).
Then SFC is a normal phase chromatography between the gas chromatography (GC) and the liquid chromatography (HPLC).
The systems are close to an HPLC but with a backpressure regulator to maintain the pressure above the critical pressure.
The stationary phase is in packed columns that can contain differents polar phases .

Update II: Natural Supercritical Water

I've found this video about the "Natural Supercritical Water"...



You may also enjoy the article of Andrea Koschinsky and Cols. "Hydrothermal venting at pressure-temperature conditions above the critical point of seawater, 5°S on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge".

Supercritical Fuel System: 50-75% Improvement in Engine Fuel Economy

The TSCi gasoline fuel charge enters the cylinder at around 400 °C—compared to about 100 °C for a conventional liquid direct injection fuel charge—at precisely Top Dead Center (TDC, 0° crank angle).
The supercritical charge facilitates short ignition delay and fast combustion, with the energy released focused just on pushing the piston down. The fast combustion minimizes crevice burn and partial combustion near the cylinder walls, and prevents droplet diffusion burn.