Workshop Preparation of Fertilizer Combination with a Slow Release System Using Natural Zeolite in Karangpandan Village, Central Java
Indonesia is an agrarian country whose economy is largely dependent on the agricultural and plantation sectors, which are also the source of Indonesia’s food security. As can be seen in the eastern of Central Java, Karangpandan is one of the villages where most of the residents work in the agricultural sector by growing crops to fulfill their daily needs. Such as chilies, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants and various other green vegetables.
Besides being supported by the geographical location of Karangpandang which is very suitable for the agricultural and plantation sectors, increasing production is done by using fertilizers, either organic fertilizers or chemical fertilizers. However, the use of fertilizers does not always provide effective results on plant growth. Excessive use of fertilizers can cause the soil to become no longer loose, kill microorganisms that contribute to providing nutrients in the soil, and of course pollute the surrounding waters. In addition, farmers have also been complaining about the high cost of non-subsidized fertilizers, resulting in an imbalance between the cost of maintenance and the sales price of agricultural and plantation products.
Therefore, we, the Inorganic Material Research Group, conduct community service activities with the title ” Pelatihan Pembuatan Teknologi Kombinasi Pupuk dasar dengan sistem lepas lambat (Slow release) melalui pencampuran zeolite alam Kepada mitra tani Ngudi Rejeki “.
In this research, slow-release npk fertilizer was made, by coating npk using natural zeolite.
Zeolite has properties including good porosity, high ion exchange capacity, and good selectivity, so it can be applied to the manufacture of fertilizers in agriculture. High cation exchange capacity and strong affinity for NH4+ and K+ can be used to increase the efficiency of nitrogen and potassium use.
The use of natural zeolite will control the release of fertilizers within a certain period of time according to the levels needed by plants, so that the use of fertilizers is more efficient and saves fertilizer purchase costs.
Occupational Safety for AC Technicians in AJTS (Aneka Jasa Teknik Surakarta) Association
The SSC (Solid State Chemistry and Catalysis) Research Group of the Chemistry Study Program, FMIPA, Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), carried out community service activities in partnership with Aneka Jasa Teknik Surakarta (AJTS). The community service activity raised a theme, namely safety literacy for hazardous gas materials.
One of the activities carried out in this service is the socialization of the importance of safety at work for air conditioner (AC) equipment technicians in the AJTS Association. As we know that air conditioning is an electronic device that is widely used in life, especially in areas with tropical climates. Damage to the AC can cause serious problems because it will interfere with the comfort of the room which has an impact on its use. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out regular maintenance and repair if there is damage to the air conditioner used.
In assembling, maintaining, and repairing air conditioners, work safety is very crucial. Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) is an effort that we can make to create a safe and healthy work environment so that it will reduce the risk of work accidents and diseases due to negligence that can reduce work productivity. However, there are many work accidents in air conditioning workshops, especially during the repair process. One of the causes is the explosion of freon.
Freon is one of the components in air conditioning, in the form of gas that functions as a coolant. In general, freon is flammable, such as freon R290 (propane), freon R50 (methane), freon R600A (isobutane), freon R170 (ethane), freon R600 (butane), and various other types of freon. But sometimes, refrigeration machine technicians are less aware of the dangers that freon can cause.
Leaky connections or imperfect pipe welding can potentially cause accidents, such as fires or explosions if there is contact with fire sources, including welding flames or cigarettes. In addition, refrigeration technicians must also pay attention to the gas used when purging freon. The use of oxygen gas as a booster gas in this process can cause a fire or explosion. This also applies when purging oil in high-pressure compressors, where a reaction with oxygen gas can cause a fire.
The SSC (Solid State Chemistry and Catalysis) Research Group explains several ways to prevent this work accident. First, refrigeration technicians need to understand the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) of the type of freon used. MSDS contains important information about the chemicals used, including hazard identification, first aid measures, and proper safety procedures in the assembly and repair of refrigeration or air conditioning machines.
Secondly, leak checks should be carried out before and after filling the freon. Initial checks can use nitrogen gas and soap bubbles, while post-filling checks are carried out using a leaking detector. Furthermore, as an effort to prevent work accidents during the freon usage process, it is important to avoid using oxygen gas and keep it away from fire. These actions can minimize the risk of fire and explosion.
This community service activity is an important step in increasing awareness of work safety, especially in handling hazardous gas materials such as freon. The collaboration between SSC UNS Research Group and AJTS is expected to provide significant benefits in reducing work accidents, especially for refrigeration machine technicians.