ProPertieS of fAtty AcidS And their methyl eSterS
This table gives the names and selected properties of some im-
portant fatty acids and their methyl esters . It includes most of the
acids that are significant constituents of naturally occurring oils
and fats . Compounds are listed first by number of carbon atoms
and, secondly, by the degree of unsaturation . Both the systematic
name and the common or trivial name are given, as well as the
Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number and the shorthand
acid code that is frequently used . The first number in this code
gives the number of carbon atoms; the number following the co-
lon is the number of unsaturated centers (mainly double bonds) .
The location and orientation of the unsaturated centers follow .
The symbols used are: c = cis; t = trans; a = acetylenic center; e =
ethylenic center at end of chain; ep = epoxy . Thus 9c,11t indicates
a double bond with cis orientation at the No . 9 carbon and another
with trans orientation at the No . 11 carbon . More details on the
codes can be found in Reference 1 .
The table gives the molecular weight and melting point of the
acid and the melting and boiling points of the methyl ester of the
acid when available . A superscript on the boiling point indicates the
pressure in mmHg (torr); if there is no superscript, the value refers
to one atmosphere (760 mmHg) . The references cover many other
fatty acids beyond those listed here and give additional properties .
We are indebted to Frank D . Gunstone for advice on the content
of the table .
references
1 . Gunstone, F . D ., Harwood, J . L ., and Dijkstra, A . J ., eds ., The Lipid
Handbook, Third Edition, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2006 .
2 . Gunstone, F . D ., and Adlof, R . O ., Common (non-systematic) Names
for Fatty Acids, www .aocs .org/member/division/analytic/fanames .
asp, 2003 .
3 . Firestone, D ., Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Oils, Fats, and
Waxes, 2nd Edition, AOCS Press, Urbana, IL, 2006 .
4 . Dawson, R . M . C ., Elliott, D . C ., Elliott, W . H ., and Jones, K . M ., Data
for Biochemical Research, Third Edition, Clarendon Press, Oxford,
1986 .
5 . Altman, P . L ., and Dittmer, D . S ., eds ., Biology Data Book, Second
Edition, Vol . 1, Federation of American Societies for Experimental
Biology, Bethesda, MD, 1972 .
6 . Fasman, G . D ., Ed ., Practical Handbook of Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1989 .
Systematic name
Common name
Mol.
form.
Acid code
CAS RN
Mol.
weight mp/°C
Methyl ester
mp/°C bp/°C
Butanoic acid
Butyric acid
C
4
H
8
O
2
4:0
107-92-6
88.106 –5.1 –85.8
102.8
Pentanoic acid
Valeric acid
C
5
H
10
O
2
5:0
109-52-4
102.132 –33.6
127.4
3-Methylbutanoic acid
Isovaleric acid
C
5
H
10
O
2
4:0 3-Me
503-74-2
102.132 –29.3
116.5
Hexanoic acid
Caproic acid
C
6
H
12
O
2
6:0
142-62-1
116.158 –3
–71
149.5
Heptanoic acid
Enanthic acid
C
7
H
14
O
2
7:0
111-14-8
130.185 –7.2 –56
174
Octanoic acid
Caprylic acid
C
8
H
16
O
2
8:0
124-07-2
144.212 16.5 –40
192.9
Nonanoic acid
Pelargonic acid
C
9
H
18
O
2
9:0
112-05-0
158.238 12.4
213.5
Decanoic acid
Capric acid
C
10
H
20
O
2
10:0
334-48-5
172.265 31.4 –18
224
9-Decenoic acid
Caproleic acid
C
10
H
18
O
2
10:1 9e
14436-32-9 170.249 26.5
120
20
Undecanoic acid
C
11
H
22
O
2
11:0
112-37-8
186.292 28.6
123
10
Dodecanoic acid
Lauric acid
C
12
H
24
O
2
12:0
143-07-7
200.318 43.8 5.2
267
cis-9-Dodecenoic acid
Lauroleic acid
C
12
H
22
O
2
12:1 9c
2382-40-3
198.302
Tridecanoic acid
C
13
H
26
O
2
13:0
638-53-9
214.344 41.5 6.5
92
1
Tetradecanoic acid
Myristic acid
C
14
H
28
O
2
14:0
544-63-8
228.371 54.2 19
295
cis-9-Tetradecenoic acid
Myristoleic acid
C
14
H
26
O
2
14:1 9c
13147-06-3 226.355 –4
Pentadecanoic acid
C
15
H
30
O
2
15:0
1002-84-2
242.398 52.3 18.5
153.5
Hexadecanoic acid
Palmitic acid
C
16
H
32
O
2
16:0
57-10-3
256.424 62.5 30
417
cis-9-Hexadecenoic acid
Palmitoleic acid
C
16
H
30
O
2
16:1 9c
373-49-9
254.408 0.5
140
5
Heptadecanoic acid
Margaric acid
C
17
H
34
O
2
17:0
506-12-7
270.451 61.3 30
185
9
Octadecanoic acid
Stearic acid
C
18
H
36
O
2
18:0
57-11-4
284.478 69.3 39.1
443
cis-6-Octadecenoic acid
Petroselinic acid
C
18
H
34
O
2
18:1 6c
593-39-5
282.462 29.8
cis-9-Octadecenoic acid
Oleic acid
C
18
H
34
O
2
18:1 9c
112-80-1
282 .462 13 .4 –19 .9 218 .5
20
trans-9-Octadecenoic acid
Elaidic acid
C
18
H
34
O
2
18:1 9t
112-79-8
282 .462 45
13 .5 218
24
cis-11-Octadecenoic acid
cis-Vaccenic acid
C
18
H
34
O
2
18:1 11c
506-17-2
282.462 15
163
0.1
trans-11-Octadecenoic acid
Vaccenic acid
C
18
H
34
O
2
18:1 11t
693-72-1
282.462 44
172
3
cis-12,13-Epoxy-cis-9-octadecenoic acid
Vernolic acid
C
18
H
32
O
3
18:1 12,13-ep,9c
503-07-1
296.445 32.5
12-Hydroxy-cis-9-octadecenoic acid
Ricinoleic acid
C
18
H
34
O
3
18:1 12-OH,9c
141-22-0
298.461 5.5
226
15
cis,trans-9,11-Octadecadienoic acid
Rumenic (CLA)
C
18
H
32
O
2
18:2 9c,11t
1839-11-8 280 .446 20
cis,cis-9,12-Octadecadienoic acid
Linoleic acid
C
18
H
32
O
2
18:2 9c,12c
60-33-3
280.446 –7
–35
215
20
7-7
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