Supported Liquid Membrane (SLM) is an emerging trace metal pre-concentration technique. It has the ability to decontaminate radionuclides even from lean secondary effluent. SLM can be considered as a part of process intensification, which implies a closed loop operation. It has reduced space requirement as well as minimised secondary effluent generation and the number of unit steps. Proper selection of molecular design criteria helps in deciding performances such as selectivity, compatibility, permeability, etc., that is attributed to both feed and desired strippant characteristics, and great effort has been applied for nuclear plant waste treatment generated in the uranium metal plant of Trombay, India. This paper articulates basic views of SLM, selection of carrier by experimental verification with respect to both feed and strippant for further processing, and structural aspects with evidences (from FT-IR studies). © 2011 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.