The relationship between the structure of monoalkyl branched saturated fatty acids and some physical properties

Abstract

AbstractThe gel point and the refractive index of monoalkyl branched saturated fatty acids were determined and related to the structure of the acids. A three‐factor central composite face‐centered design was constructed where the three variables were the length of the main chain, the branching position and the length of the side chain. Second‐order models were calculated in which the two properties were related to the structure. In order to confirm the validity of the models, two additional fatty acids were analyzed. The gel point was found to be proportional to the length of the main chain and the square of the branching position whereas the refractive index was proportional to the length of both the main and the side chain and also to the square of the main chain.