Active solid acid catalysts of sulphated zinc oxide (SO 4 2--ZnO and SO 4 2-/ZnO) were prepared and characterized. The solid acid catalysts were investigated for their performance on transesterification of soybean oil with methanol to produce biodiesel. The SO 4 2--ZnO and SO 4 2-/ZnO catalysts were prepared by coprecipitation and impregnation respectively to compare their performance for biodiesel production. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infra Red (FT-IR), while the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) component in biodiesel product was identified by Gas Chromatography -Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) and FT-IR. The SO 4 2--ZnO catalyst, prepared by coprecipitation, showed better performance for the transesterification process than the SO 4 2-/ZnO catalyst, prepared by wet impregnation. The trend of performance of both catalyst was due to effect of sulfonate incorporation into the zinc oxide structure to form active acid sites. From the catalyst testing on transesterification of soybean oil with methanol at mild conditions (temperature of 65 o C, methanol to oil mole ratio of 6, and 4 wt% of catalyst loading), the SO 4 2--ZnO catalyst exhibited promising FAME yield of 80.19% at 4 h reaction time. Therefore, the SO 4 2--ZnO catalyst showed potential as a catalyst for transesterification of soybean oil to produce biodiesel.

Decommissioning is the final stage of a nuclear reactor. In preparing the decommissioning plan, one of the important elements that need to be considered is safety assessment. During decommissioning, there are many complex tasks to be done where the radiological and non-radiological hazards arise and can significantly affect not only the workers but also the general public and the environment. Indonesia has no experience with nuclear reactor decommissioning, so it is necessary to study various experiences of decommissioning activities in the world. This study proposes a framework to implement the safety assessment on the decommissioning of the TRIGA 2000 research reactor. The framework was developed on desk-based research and analysis. The proposed framework involves the facility and decommissioning activities, hazard identification, hazard analysis, hazard evaluation, hazard or risk control, and independent review.

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